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Hitler invades the Rhineland
Adolf Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles(was the most important of the peace treaties that brought World War I to an end)and the Locarno Pact(series of agreements whereby Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain,and Italy mutually guaranteed peace in western Europe)by sending German military forces into the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in western Germany. The Nazis wanted their area back.It's significant because it was the first time the Nazis disrupt the treaties. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht meaning"Night of broken glass"(shards of broken glass that littered the streets)was a pogrom or bloodbath throughout Nazi Germany targeting Jews.Hitler began to show "mild" forms of racism & discrimination against Jews during this time.200 Synagogues were burned down,8000 Jewish businesses & homes were looted,90 Jews were murdered & 25000 were arrested & sent to horrible concentration camps w/ poor living conditions.This is significant becuz it was the beginning of the holocaust. -
Battle of the Atlantic
This battle was the longest continuous battle in WWII, running from 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. Allied ships to England were being sunk by German U-boats. The Allies wanted to use the Atlantic to escort important supplies & resupply Great Britain and the Soviet union against their battle with Germany and Italy. This fight occurred to gain control of the Atlantic Ocean. The battle is significant because Canada played a central role in the defeat of the Nazis in this battle. -
Canada declares war on Germany
When Britain declared war on Germany, Canada did not automatically join the war as it did in the first world war. This was because Canada was leaning towards becoming independent and wanted to show Britain that they could make the decision on their own to when they would join. Canada declared war a week after the war began. This is significant because this is when Canada joined WW11 and declared war on Germany(Canadian history). -
Fall of France
The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France,was when the Nazis invaded France.The plan was to rely heavily on surprise blitzkrieg('lightning war') techniques.In 6 weeks,the Nazis defeated Allied forces & conquered France,Belgium,& other lands,forcing them to surrender.This ripped up the balance of power in Europe,& gave Nazi Germany more power.It's significant because it knocked out France from the war,one of Germany's main opponents & gave the Germany army advantages against Britain. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
Miracle @ Dunkirk(Operation Dynamo)was the removal of Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk.It was decided upon when British,French,Belgian,&Canadian troops were surrounded by the Nazi army during the Fall of France.The only exit was by sea.A halt order was issued by the GHC w/ Hitler's approval,giving the trapped forces time 2 escape.The BEF rescued 338,226 soldiers by a hastily assembled fleet of 800+ boats.It was significant because it was a key battle in WW11 &gave Britain another day. -
Battle of Britain(the air battle for England)
The battle of Britain was the first major campaign fought entirely by air forces.The RAF defended the United Kingdom against the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).Germany's plan was to destroy Britain's air power,so they bombed airports & aircraft factories. Although Germany had more planes they could not win the war becuz Britain had a new weapon,Radar. Britain knew when Nazis were going to attack and that lead to Germany's loss.This is significant because it was the first defeat of Hitler's forces. -
Operation Barbarossa begins (the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union)
Although Nazis had signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR in 1939,Hitler didn't keep his word.He did this bc he wanted a big German Emp.The Soviets were unprepared for the sudden blitzkreig attacks,& they suffered horrible losses.Within a week,German forces advanced 200 miles into Soviet territory.Becuz of the long cold winter,Nazi's suffered & surrendered in 1943.The plan 2 conquer had failed,&would be a crucial turning point in the war.It's significant bc it lead 2 the defeat of the Nazis. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes bombed the naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA. It destroyed half of US navy. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Japanese.More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan.Japanese allies, Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States. It is significant because it led to the United States entry into the War. -
Invasion of Hong Kong
The same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded Hong Kong.Canadian soldiers first engaged in battle while defending the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong against the attack. Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas day,1941,known in Hong Kong as "Black Christmas".Those who survived the battle became prisoners of war and many endured terrible torture and starvation by their Japanese captors.It is significant because Canadians were involved in this battle and many were tortured or killed. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad,was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad,in the USSR.It was one of the bloodiest battles in history,with combined military & civilian casualties of nearly 2 million.Germany launched another attack after the failure of operation Barbarossa,to gain control of Russia's oil fields in the south.Nazis were able to reach Stalingrad but the winter made them suffer.It's significant because Germany retreated and Russia was able to push back Germany to the west. -
Dieppe Raid
The Allies launched a major raid on the small French coast port of Dieppe. Canadians made up the great majority of the attackers in the raid.Nearly 5,000 of the 6,100 troops were Canadians.The plan failed, Nazis were awaiting Canadians at sea.900+ Canadian soldiers were killed,and thousands more were wounded & taken prisoner. Despite the bloodshed, the raid provided valuable lessons for their next invasion. It's significant because many Canadians were killed and lessons were learnt. -
Battle of Ortona
As part of the Allied advance through Italy,Canadian forces fought one of their toughest battles in the war to capture the town of Ortona.Canadians fought for a long time and eventually Germany withdrew. It costed more than 2,300 Canadian casualties, but eventually the Canadians won Ortona for the Allies. It's significant because it is another battle that Canadians were involved in and played an important role in. They also defeated Italy & gained control of Ortona and Rome. -
V-E day
Victory in Europe Day is the mark to the formal acceptance by the Allies of WWII of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It is significant because it marked the official end of World War II in Europe. -
Hiroshima(Manhattan project)
US & Britain scientists were working on a secret plan to make a nuclear bomb.Hiroshima was an important military center, containing about 43000 soldiers.US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima called "Little Boy" after they refused to accept the Allies' demands for unconditional surrender.The explosion wiped out 90% of the city & immediately killed 70000 people. Thousands more would later die of radiation exposure.It's significant because this would later lead to the surrender of Japan & V-J day.
