-
Rape of Nanking
The Nanjing Massacre, or Rape of Nanjing, was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese troops against the residents of Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male “war prisoners". https://www.history.com/topics/japan/nanjing-massacre -
German Blitzkrieg (1939-1940)
Blitzkrieg created a psychological shock in enemy forces through the employment of surprise, speed, and superiority in firepower. Aircraft and tank technologies were combined with the systematic application of traditional German tactics. German quickly overran much of Europe and was victorious for more than two years by relying on a new military tactic. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
In the six weeks from 10 May 1940, German forces defeated Allied forces by mobile operations and conquered France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, bringing land operations on the Western Front to an end until 6 June 1944. Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 and invaded France over the Alps. The French surrendered. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris -
Pearl Harbor
This event was intended to destroy important American fleet units. Thereby, preventing the Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese conquest of the Dutch East Indies and Malaya and to enable Japan to conquer Southeast Asia without interference. The impact was that Japan destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Operation Barbarossa
The main cause of German failure was faulty planning. This was a code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which was launched on June 22, 1941. The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war. https://www.britannica.com/event/Operation-Barbarossa -
Bataan Death March
The day after the surrender of the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese, the 75,000 Filipino and American troops captured on the Bataan Peninsula begin a forced march to a prison camp near Cabanatuan. They used psychological tactics to intimidate civilians and cause havoc. As a result, many prisoners died on the way because of diseases, exhaustion and other causes. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/whats-importance-bataan-death-march-terms-wwii-155929 -
Wannsee Conference
German government officials gathered at a villa to discuss the implementation of what is called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." After the conference, Jews were deported in great numbers to the ghettos in the east and then murdered. http://www.projetaladin.org/holocaust/en/history-of-the-holocaust-shoah/the-killing-machine/the-wannsee-conference.html -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
Allied forces launched a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. They took control of key positions and destroyed artillery. The following day the beaches were invaded. With a huge force of over 150,000 soldiers, the Allies attacked and gained a victory that became the turning point for World War II in Europe. https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/d-day_invasion_of_normandy.php -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Despite its size, Iwo Jima was considered to have great tactical importance. There were two airfields on the island – under Japan's control; they could be used by Japanese fighter planes to attack American bombers on their flights to Japan. One-third of all Marine losses during World War II happened at Iwo Jima; it was the only large engagement of the war in which Allied forces suffered more casualties than their Japanese counterparts. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Iwo-Jima -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany's defeat and the end of the war in Europe came sooner, and at a lower cost in Allied lives, than it would have otherwise. The Germans lost so many experienced troops and equipment that there was no way their army could launch another attack on Allied forces. The Battle of the Bulge is most significant in that it ruined the German army and in essence brought about the end of the war. https://worldhistory2battleofthebulge.weebly.com/results-and-significance.html -
V-J Day
Due to the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. Therefore, this effectively ending World War II. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The resulting overcrowding in these camps hastened the spread of disease and caused many more deaths. In every camp, Allied soldiers encountered appalling scenes. Bergen-Belsen was liberated by British forces on 15 April 1945. It had become exceptionally overcrowded after the arrival of survivors of the death marches. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/liberation-of-the-concentration-camps -
Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa was to prove a bloody battle even by the standards of the war in the Far East but it was to be one of the major battles of World War Two. The Battle of Okinawa was significant in that it served as an example of how deadly the invasion of mainland Japan would be. It was the largest amphibious invasion of the Pacific campaign and the last major campaign of the Pacific War. https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/the-pacific-war-1941-to-1945/the-battle-of-okinawa/ -
Victory in Europe Day
Millions of people across the world celebrated Allied victory in Europe. It was the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document that formally ended the war in Europe. https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/world-war-two-in-western-europe/ve-day/ -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
President Harry S. Truman, warned by some of his advisers that any attempt to invade Japan would result in horrific American casualties, ordered that the new weapon used to bring the war to a speedy end. These bombs were intended to cause Japan to surrender to the allied forces and to bring about the end of WWII. It killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of people, and their effects are still being felt today. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima
