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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan invaded China during their expansion in East Asia. They did this in search of the materials in which China possessed, that Japan did not. Japan searched for them because they were need for Japanese industries. This led to Japan's signing of the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. This is how thy joined the Axis powers.
Source: Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial. "WWII in the Pacific." Holocaust Encyclopedia. Web. 2021. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is a German strategy used in the war. It consisted of the use of mobile vehicles, such as tanks. The Germans used this technique because it was more effective, and allowed them a faster win. The Germans ended up using this tactic in their invasions, including their invasion of the Soviet Union.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
This was the event that started WWII. Germany invaded Poland right after they made sure that the Soviet Union would stay neutral. They invaded in order to rule over Poland, and take back this land. This lead to France and Britain declaring war on Germany, increasing the number of countries involved in this conflict.
Source: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Fall of Paris
Germany invaded Paris, France from the North East. They succeeded in this invasion because the Commanders of Britain and France thought they would invade from a different area, resulting in them rushing their forces to said area. However, the Germans took them by surprise by invading from southeastern Belgium. Paris then fell to the Germans. This resulted in France's signing of the armistice agreement with Germany.
Source: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Operation Barbarossa
This was the invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany used the Blitzkrieg method, using thousands of tanks to cross into Soviet territory. This invasion was part of Germany's expansion. This operation is considered a turning point in the war. This is because it resulted in Germany having to fight a two front war.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
This was a surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii. They attacked with hundreds of fighter planes, and injured or killed thousand of people. They did this because the U.S cut off their access to essential supplies. The U.S thought this would slow Japan's expansion, but they were wrong. The attack is what caused the U.S to declare war on Japan, thus entering WWII.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
This was the conference between representatives of the SS, and of the Nazi party. Its goal was to figure out a way to get rid of the Jews. The name for this was the Final Solution. This conference resulted in the Holocaust.
Source: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
Battle of Midway
This was a battle between Japan and the U.S. It was an air-sea battle that lasted 3 days. It happened because the Japanese wanted to repeat the success of the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, so they planned a second surprise attack on the base on Midway Island in hopes of destroying the U.S Pacific fleet. However, the U.S won this battle.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a battle between Russia and Nazi Germany. Germany attacked Stalingrad, because it was the central source for Russia's artillery. Another reason was that Hitler wanted to occupy this city for its propaganda purposes. In the end, the Russians won the battle. This made the even a turning point in the war, because it put Germany on the defensive and it pushed the Allied forced cloder to victory.
Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah was a British attack on Germany. The British bombed the city of Hamburg, Germany using around 791 aircraft. The purpose for the attack, was Hamburg's possession of many resources. This resulted in around 30,000 casualties, and a dent in German moral. This caused feelings of despair in the German forces, even in Hitler.
Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
Allied Invasion of Italy
The Allied forces (Britain, France, U.S, Soviet Union) invaded Italy through the mainland. This happened because groups in Italy wanted to make peace with the Allies. However, since Italy was being heavily influenced by Germany, they couldn't do this. So the Allied forced invaded in order to get Italy to surrender. They ended up succeeding in this goal on September 8th.
Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
D-Day
This was the Allied invasion of northern France. Prior to this invasion, the Allies tricked Germany into thinking the target was a different place (Pas-de-Calais). This invasion was meant to ramp up to a major invasion across the English channel. This invasion had many effects. For instance, it led to the Germans surrendering.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
This was a battle between the Allied forces and Germany. It was also Hitler's last offense against the Western Front in the war. It happened because Hitler wanted to divide Britain, France, and America as they made their way toward Germany. However he failed, which once again pushed the Allies closer to victory.
Source:https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was the bombing of Dresden (a German city) by the Allied forces. The original plan was to attack Berlin, but this plan was changed. The purpose of Operation Thunderclap was to hopefully end the Nazi war machine. It is believed that Dresden was a center for communications, and destroying it would make Nazi communication impossible. This attack resulted in 22,000-25,000 casualties.
Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was a U.S invasion of the Japanese island, Iwo Jima. The U.S decided to attack this island because it was somewhat of a weak point. Certain lines of defenses (including Iwo Jima) were left unprotected. The island ultimately fell to the U.S forces.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last major battle of WWII. It was fought between the U.S and Japan. The U.S attacked, because Okinawa was the last barrier between them and mainland Japan, and if they could secure that airbase they could invade Japan. This battle is what led to the U.S dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and later Nagasaki.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
VE Day
VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day. It was the day that Europe defeated the Nazis. German troops surrendered to Europe and the Soviet Union. Most troops surrendered so they wouldn't be taken prisoner. This resulted in World War 2 ending.
Source: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
This was the freeing of prisoners in concentration camps. It was a difficult process, as many of them had health issues. This liberation was able to happen because of the German surrender, and the ending of the war. This made it possible for many prisoners who were very close to death to get better. Many still died at these camps, but the liberation process made the number of deaths smaller.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/liberation_camps_01.shtml -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
This was when the U.S dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. This killed many, both in the explosion and from the radiation. America's goal was to get the Japanese to surrender. This goal succeeded, and the U.S was able to occupy Japan. They then formally surrendered.
Source: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
VJ Day
V-J Day stands for Victory over Japan Day. It is the day that Japan surrendered to the Allied forces (they formally surrendered on September 2nd). The main reason for this was the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This caused relief and celebration from the U.S, along with the other Allied countries, that WWII had finally ended.
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day