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German Blitzkreig
Blitzkreig is a German word for "lightning war". The tactic is based on invading very quickly and in multiple forms. The first time the tactic was used was the invasion of Poland. German soldiers attacked from planes and soldiers on the ground. Blitzkreig was a very useful tactic for the Germans to have quicker victories, limit the loss of soldiers, and limit the loss of artilery.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Germany's invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland using their new strategy of warfare: Blitzkrieg. He invaded Poland to achieve his longer-term goal of conquering Europe. Poland's military wasn't very advanced so it only took Hitler about a month to conquer Poland.
[Link text]https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
The Battle of Britain begins
After Nazi Germany captured France and many other major territories, their next target was Britain. The Battle of Britain was the first attack. This battle was mostly fought using aircraft. Britain was severely outnumbered (600-1300) but managed to win the battle and protect their country. This was mainly because of their radar technology.
https://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/battle_of_britain.php -
The Battle of Pearl Harbor
The Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on a Hawaiian naval base by the Japanese. Based on previous economic and political tensions the US had been preparing for an attack closer to Japan (somewhere in the South Pacific). The naval base in Hawaii was an absolute surprise. This resulted in a catastrophic event that caused the destruction of 20 naval vessels, 8 battleships, 300 airplanes, and took the lives of 2,400 Americans. This marked the US entry into the war. (History.com) -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of Nazi officials to discuss the "Jewish Question". They ended up creating the "final solution" The "Final Solution" was to round up all people of Jewish heritage and put them into labor camps. These labor camps and mass extermination of the Jewish population later became known as the Holocaust.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Wannsee-Conference -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March occured after the US surrendered the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines. 75,000 Filipino and Americano soldiers were forced to walk 65 miles to a prison camp. The walk lasted 5 days and thousands of soldiers died due to the brutality of their captors.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a surprise attack on the allied base at midway island. The US found out about the attack before it happened because of communication codes being decoded. The famous ship the Yorktown was involved in this battle. Japan experienced heavy losses (3,000 men, 200 experienced pilots, 300 aircrafts, and 4 aircraft carriers). This battle resulted in Japan giving up its plans to expand into the pacific.
(History.com) -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. German forces were trapped in the city of Stalingrad and surrounded by Soviet soldiers. Many Nazi soldiers starved from lack of supplies or froze to death from harsh Russian winters. This battle was the first failure of the war to be acknowledged by Hitler. It is known now as a major turning point in the war.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad#section_1 -
The Battle of the Coral Sea Begins
The Battle of the Coral Sea was fought between Japan and the US over the occupation of Tulagi (Soloman Islands). It was considered the first ever air-naval battle in history. This new kind of warfare was when carriers didn't fire at each other. The carriers instead just held the planes that fired at each other. The Japanese were victorious and went on to occupy all of the Soloman Islands.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-the-coral-sea-begins -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's last major offensive against the allied powers. Both sides suffered huge losses. The allies lost around 100,000 soldiers but were able to win the battle. The French lines took on the appearance of a large bulge which gave this battle its name. One famous author wrote that this battle "Broke the back of the Nazi war machine" (John S.D. EIsenhower 1969)
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
As american soldiers reached the Japanese island of Iwo Jima they were meet with unforeseen challenges. The beaches were made of seep dunes of soft volcanic ash making advances harder. The Japanese had a plan to hold fire for a little bit and then surprise attack them. The battle raged on for four days until American soldiers captured Mount Suribachi and famously raised an American flag at the summit. -
D-Day
362,000 Canadian, British, and American soldiers stormed the coasts of Normandy Frace and took back allied territories. A month later, all of France had been taken back from the Nazis. This ultimately lead to the downfall of Hitler's empire and led to the Aliied victory.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of Okinawa
The Japanese government sent 1,900 kamikaze attacks to sink 30 American chips. Kamakaze attacks were suicide missions that were seen as highly honorable. During the battle, 7,600 Americans were killed and 110,000 Japanese soldiers died. -
VE Day
VE day stands for victory in Europe day. Cities in America and Britain celebrate the victory against the germans. They put around flags and banners and it was a huge celebration. However, victory in Japan had not yet occurred. That came a couple of months later.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping of Atomic bombs
The United States created atomic bombs through the manhattan project. President Truman decided to bomb Japan to avoid potential American casualties. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. On August 9, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Both cities were completely destroyed. On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered.