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Germany Invades Poland
Hitler invaded Poland with a new military strategy which he called Blitzkrieg. This strategy involved taking the enemy by surprise and quickly defeating them. He did this in order to gain more living space, or lebensraum. The Soviet Union and Germany made a Nonaggression Pact, which allowed them to agree not to attack one another and to divide Poland. Class Notes -
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Germany Invades France + Captures Paris
France was prepared to fight in a war similar to the first world war, but Germany used new tactics to easily move past all French defenses. The invasion began in Belgium with German air raids and attacks on the ground. The speed and intensity of these forces ultimately affected the French psychologically and forced them to surrender. This outcome was fairly unexpected and it shifted the balance of power in Europe http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/fall_france_01.shtml -
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Battle of Britain
Shorty after Hitler defeated France, he set his eyes on Britain. The Battle of Britain was fought completely in the air, and Britain's air superiority prevented Germany from advancing into British territory. Germany was unable to defend against the British attacks because they were unaware of any British vulnerabilities. This was a phenomenal triumph for the allies because it postponed Hitler's plans. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-britain-1 -
Lend Lease Act
During WWII, the US passed the Lend Lease Act, which allowed the US to provide aid to foreign countries. It also brought America one step closer to entering the war, because it allowed them to do everything a country would do once war is declared, except send soldiers to fight. Britain, the USSR, China, and many other countries received weapons from the US because of this act. This helped the Allies prevent German expansion. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/lend-lease-act-1 -
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Operation Barbarossa
Though Hitler and Stalin had signed the Nonaggression Act, it was known that it was only a matter of time before one tried to overthrow the other. Hitler grew suspicious of Stalin and planned to invade the USSR. Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. However, Hitler was ultimately unable to take over the USSR and was defeated. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
The US stopped sending Japan oil and other goods due to their inhumane acts against the Chinese during the Chinese Japanese War. As a response, On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US by bombing one of their naval bases in Hawaii. They destroyed 20 American naval vessels and over 300 airplanes while killing over 2,400 Americans and injuring another thousand. The day after the attack, the US declared war on Japan. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
America Declares War
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US declared war on Japan and Germany. America's entrance into the war gave the Allies an advantage because they brought fresh soldiers and more war materials. Ultimately, this was one of the major factors of the outcome of the war. class notes -
Bataan Death March
Just a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan began to invade the Philippines. The US was forced to surrender the Bataan Peninsula and 75,000 people were forced to march to prison camps. This march lasted almost 70 miles and the prisoners were treated horribly. It resulted in the deaths of thousands and became known as the Bataan Death March. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
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Battle of Midway
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, an intense naval battle was fought between America and Japan. The Battle of Midway was a major victory for the Allies. It allowed the US to go on the offensive and forced Japan to solely implement defensive strategies for the remaining battles of the war. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
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Battle of Stanglirad
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the longest and deadliest battles of WWII. Hitler wanted to gain control of Stalingrad because it was a major industrial city in Russia, however, Stalin was ready to put up a fight. The Russians successfully held off the Germans until the winter. Then, the Germans were unable to withstand the extreme weather conditions and were forced to retreat. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Once the Jews learned that they were being sent to concentration camps, a resistance occurred. They revolted against the Germans and managed to kill a couple hundred of them. However, 7,000 Jews were killed and an estimated 50,000 were sent to death camps. This revolution ultimately led to other ghetto uprisings. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
D-Day
Germany had previously invaded France and was on the verge of attempting to expand even more. They were unprepared for battle when the Allies attacked them in Normandy, France. The Allies sent waves of attacks towards them and ultimately won the battle. This Allied Victory was the major turning point in World War Two. https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/d-day_invasion_of_normandy.php -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The first concentration camp to be liberated was Majdanek, which was located in Poland. As the Allies advanced into Europe, they found millions of people, dead and alive, at these death camps. Among liberation, only a few thousand Jews were still alive. Many died soon afterwards because their bodies were unable to function properly because of the extreme conditions in the camps. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/liberation-of-the-concentration-camps -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last time that Germany would be on the offensive. Germany aimed to split the Allies defense using a lightening war and it was the costliest battle for the US -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was extremely brutal. America invaded Japan in a battle that lasted about 5 weeks. Even though the Japanese were incredibly outnumbered, they were able to hold of the US for quite some time. Ultimately, the US was unable to invade the island. https://www.google.com/search?q=battle+of+iwo+jima&rlz=1C1GCEB_enUS821US821&oq=battle+of+iwo+jima&aqs=chrome..69i57l2j69i59l2j69i60l2.3400j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 -
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Hiroshima + Nagasaki
As the end of the war was becoming more visible, the Allies needed an extra push to emerge victorious. Therefore, the US established the world's first nuclear bombs and dropped them on Japan. Then, in order to establish dominance and force Japan to surrender, the US bluffed and stated they had many more nuclear bombs. However, in reality, they only had the two. Japan surrendered and left Germany vulnerable. Class notes