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Japanese invasion of China
Marco Polo Bridge
Japan's invasion of China was due to China's full-scale resistance to the expansion of Japan's influence in its territory. Japan, also eager for the vast natural resources to be found in China and seeing her obvious weakness, invaded the city of Manchuria.The whole north of China was gradually taken over by Japan. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland by land and air as Adolf Hitler sought to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. On September 27, 1939, Warsaw, the capital of Poland, surrendered to Germany. This marked the beginning of WWII. -
German Blitzkrieg
During WWll,Germany relied on a new military tactic called the "Blitzkrieg", meaning "lightning war". It was designed to create disorganization among enemy forces. Its successful execution results in short military campaigns, which preserves human lives and limits the use of artillary. German forces tested the blitzkrieg in Poland in 1939 before successfully using the tactic with invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands and France. -
Atlantic Charter
The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration released by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims. It stated eight “common principles” that the United States and Great Britain would be committed to supporting in the postwar world. The Atlantic Charter was not a binding treaty but was still significant in helping both the U.S and Britian. -
Pearl Harbor
Just before 8 a.m., hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American Naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Japan intended to knock out US military power. However the bombing crippled the U.S. pacific fleet only for a short period of time. The attack only lasted two hours but was devastating. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the attack, the United States declared war on Japan. -
Bataan Death March
After the U.S surrender of the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese during World War II, approx. 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make an grueling 65-mile march to prison camps. They marched in intense heat and were treated harshly by the Japanese soldiers. Thousands perished in what became known as the Bataan Death March. -
Battle of Midway
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II, the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway effectively destroyed Japan’s naval strength when the Americans destroyed four of its aircraft carriers. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the U.S.S.R. during World War II. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the war in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with casualties of military and civilians at nearly 2 million. -
D-Day
More than 160,000 Allied troops landed along the coastline of Normandy, delivering thousands of men on the beach at Normandy, It was named the biggest seaborne invasion in all of history. By late August, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the spring of 1945 the Allies had defeated the Germans. D-Day was the beginning of the end of war in Europe. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
American soldiers make their first strike on the Japanese home islands at Iwo Jima. They hoped to capture Iwo Jima to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese troops, who fought from a elaborate network of tunnels and underground installations. After a month of fighting, the U.S. won and captured the island. -
Battle of Okinawa
Allied forces invaded the island of Okinawa. The Allies hoped to capture the island so they could easily launch an attack on Japans mainland by air or sea. Shortly after they arrived, the Japanese attacked engaging in bloodiest battle of the Pacific War. The battle is over after 82 days of fighting and Okinawa falls to the Allied forces. -
VE Day
Although war was still taking place in Japan, VE Day was a day where everyone could forget about war. On VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe, Great Britain and the United States celebrate the defeat of the Nazi war (WWII), Just the day before German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document that formally ended war in Europe. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
The United States became the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it dropped a five-ton atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was ordered by President Truman that the new weapon be used to bring the war to a speedy end. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. A few days later Japan surrendered, marking the end of WWII. -
V-J Day
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. VJ day, meaning Victoryover Japan Day, was a day dedicated to Americans celebrating defeating Japan. However it is now rarely celebrated in present day due to Japan now being one of America's closest allies.
