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Battle of Britain
Lasted until October 31, 1940, "German and British air forces clashed in the skies over the United Kingdom. A significant turning point of World War II, the Battle of Britain ended when Germany’s Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force despite months of targeting Britain’s air bases, military posts and, ultimately, its civilian population. Britain’s decisive victory saved the country from a ground invasion and possible occupation by German forces." -
Hitler "invades" Austria
Chancellor Schuschnigg had gone to Berchtesgaden to meet in conference with Hitler. Schuschnigg hoped to save Austria's independence, but instead, he was nailed with lists and lists of demands. Eventually Schuschnigg gave in in order to save his beloved Austria. In March of 1938, Hitler was invited into the country by Seyss-Inquart, a Nazi. -
Treaty of Munich
Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetanland of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were not represented at the meeting and realising that no country would come to their aid were forced to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany. Hitler assured those at the meeting that this was the extent of his ambitions for expansion. Chamberlain returned to England with a piece of paper signed by Hitler, proclaiming 'peace in our time. -
Invasion of Denmark and Norway
Between April and May of 1940, Hitler invaded and occupied Denmark and Norway to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore and also to establish a Norwegian base from which to break the British naval blockade on Germany. -
Blitzkrieg
Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied. -
Pearl Harbor
"A surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves." -
Battle of Coral Sea
Lasted 4 days, "was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia. In an attempt to strengthen their defensive positioning for their empire in the South Pacific, Imperial Japanese forces decided to invade and occupy Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the southeastern Solomon Islands." This battle crippled Japan for future conflicts that happened in WWII. -
Battle of Midway
A battle that lasted for 3 days, it "was the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, the United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. (It) sought to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific, thereby giving Japan a free hand in establishing its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." The U.S. was able to defend Japan. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Lasted until February 2, 1943, this was a " 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 tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million." -
D-Day
"June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler."
http://www.army.mil/d-day/ -
Battle of the Bulge
Lasted until 25 January, 1945, this battle was a major German offensive launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg on the Western Front near the end of WWII. Germany had taken over alot of territory from this offensive, but the Allies attacked until they had restored the front and set the stage for the final drive to victory. -
US Bombs Japan
Lasted 3 days, "the atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan were conducted by the United States during the final stages of World War II in 1945. The two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date." These bombings lead to Japan surrendering to the Allies, siging the Instrument of Surrender on September 2, officially ending WWII.
