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Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. Japan was seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries. By 1937, Japan controlled large sections of China, and war crimes against the Chinese became commonplace. https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/invasion-manchuria -
Blitzkrieg, a German word for lightning war, was a strategy Germany used to avoid a long war. They would drive a breach in enemy defenses using armored tanks that would penetrate rapidly and roam enemy land. This would cause shock and disorganization amongst the enemies.
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The Soviet Union proposed a security agreement with Germany, after failing to propose it to France and Britain. This was a pledge where Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to not to attack each other. Nine days after, Germany began to invade Poland, starting World War II. https://www.britannica.com/summary/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact -
Paris fell to the Nazis one month after the German Wehrmacht stormed into France. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans. This defeat shocked countries because France's army was strong. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/paris-liberated
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml#:~:text=To%20Churchill%20at%20that%20time,remarkable%20military%20campaigns%20in%20history. -
Japan dispatched all six of his precious “fleet carriers” across 3,000 miles of open ocean in total secrecy, a few hundred miles from Hawaii with the US being completely unprepared. Japan wanted to get the US out of the way so they could overrun the European and Colonial empires in Asia. Japanese planes destroyed or damaged 19 US warships and 300 Aircraft. About 2,400 US servicemen were killed.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941 -
A conference where the Nazis and other government officials gathered. To discuss the "Final Solution", which was the code name for the systematic, deliberate, physical annihilation of the European Jews. These policies that were discussed and implemented will progressively push for the annihilation of Jews.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
The Allies decided it would be best to invade Italy. Their goal was to keep Italy out of the war to secure the Mediterranean Sea and force Germany to divert some divisions from the Russian front and other German divisions from northern France, where the Allies were planning their cross-Channel landing at Normandy, France. Soon after, Italy finally surrendered and the Prime minister was arrested and replaced.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/italian-campaign -
When the Allied countries Invaded Normandy, France. Their goal was to gain a foothold in order to push inward and reclaim some territory. D-Day was a military success that opened Europe to the Allies and got Germany to surrender in less than a year.
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day#:~:text=But%20by%20the%20end%20of,less%20than%20a%20year%20later. -
The last major German campaign on the western front was in World War II. The Germans tried to sneak attack the Allies but this was a loss for them. This really affected the Germans, lost 120,000 people, and dealt a terrible blow but the Allies only suffered 75,000 casualties.
Battle of the Bulge -
When the war was over, Soldiers liberated the camps, freeing the Jews from them. This revealed the harsh and unspeakable conditions they were in. This opened peoples' eyes to the world we live in and the evil things people do. -
A battle where the US marine corps and US Navy captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese army. The battle was the bloodiest Marine Corps battle in history. The success of the battle prepared the way for the last and largest battle in the Pacific.
Iwo Jima -
This battle was a victory for the US but it also led to many casualties, rather than being taken prisoner, Japanese soldiers chose suicide. This battle provided Allied forces with an airbase so bombers could strike Japan and an advanced anchorage for Allied fleets. The deaths because of this battle were brutal and there were a lot. -
Victory in Europe Day is the celebration of the surrender of Germany, marking the official end of World War II. This day is celebrated as a win in the war. This day is also a day to remember the dead and to reflect on actions to make sure it never happens again.
VE DAY -
The United States detonated two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings happened because Japan refused to surrender to the Allies and vowed to fight until the very end. These bombs caused so many long-term effects on the victims and even generations after, leading to disabilities and more. Bombings of Japanese cities -
This day marks the End of World War II, one of the most deadliest wars in history. Japan had surrendered unconditionally, leading all war-ridden citizens to celebrate. This was a major point for everyone who lived through the war, relieved it is finally over.
VJDay