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The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was a massacre of the Chinese people in Nanjing by the Japanese. The Japanese believed themselves to be the superior race and wanted to wipe out all of Chinese Civilization. The massacre lasted for 6 weeks and resulted in an estimated 100,000-300,000 deaths. This massacre was ordered by Matsui Iwane, the commanding general of the Japanese Army. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Germany started WWII in Europe. German forces got through polish defenses on the border and advanced to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Germany invaded because it wanted to regain the territory they had lost in the Treaty of Versailles. This invasion took Poland off guard and they weren't prepared, so it was successful and Poland was then under German rule. -
German Blitzkrieg 1939-1940
The German Blitzkrieg was a military tactic used by Germany to take over land and gain territory. They would surprise attack whoever they were invading and just bomb everything, after the bombing soldiers would come in and make sure they took everything out. These attacks eventually failed because they were efficient against a well-planned defense. This tragedy didn't have a defense, it was offense only. -
Fall of Paris
The Fall of Paris to Nazi Germany came about in May 1940. Hitler had ordered a blitzkrieg aimed at Paris. This surprised and stunned France. A few weeks later the French government collapsed. Hilter wanted to invade France for revenge for the unfair Treaty of Versailles and he didn't want anyone to stop him as he tried to take over the rest of Europe -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was won by the Royal Air Force Fighter Command. The Germans began by attacking coastal targets and British ships. At the end of the battle, Hitler called off his planned invasion. Both sides suffered high casualty rates and lost tons of artillery. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was an American Navy base in Hawaii. Pearl harbor was bombed by imperial japanesse air service. This lead to Americas entrence into WWII. during the bombing 2,403 soilders and suvillians were killed and an estimated 1000 were injured. The bombing destroyed or damaged 20 ships and 300 american plans. -
Battle of Midway
The battle of midway was a massive naval battle that took place in the months following the attack on Pearl Harbor. USA naval forces defeated Imperial Japanese naval forces in the Pacific Theatre. The USA forces came out on top. There were 2,000 Japanesse deaths and 300 american deaths. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle in WWII. nazi Germany and its allies took on the soviet union, they were fighting for control over the city of Stalingrad, in southern Russia. The battle resulted in a win for the Soviet Union. This battle was the deadliest to take place during WWII with an estimated 2 million total casualties. -
Allied invasion of Italy
The allied forces invaded mainland Italy in September 1943. They did this to stop the spread of fascism and the Axis power's influence. The mainland invasion happened after the successful invasion of the island of Sicily. the allies fought on the beaches of Italy and eventually defeated Germans counter attacks. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-day was the code name used for the invasion of Normandy, on this day allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. This day is known as the largest seaborne invasion in history. This was an attack against the German offensive and actually caused Germany to go on the defensive. Resulting in high casualty rates for both sides. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
throughout WWI Hitler and his nazis had been committing genocide against the Jewish population. They put anyone who disagreed with their government in these camps. As the Allied powers took back and liberated countries they found concentration camps along the way. As word spread that these concentration camps have begun to be liberated the ones still running took all their occupants on a death march. where the nazis would make these people walk until they died of starvation/exhaustion. -
Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive that was supposed to split the allied lines and allow Germany in surround them. This plan failed miserably as German troops were not prepared and were forced to retreat, this would be a turning point in the war. Germany would be retreating for the rest of the war. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
American forces invaded the island of Iwo Jima on February 19th, 1945. They did this as a tactical attack so they could launch missiles against Japan. The Americans were victorious in this battle after 5 weeks of fighting. Iwo Jima was a small island, mostly only useful for its landing strip and proximity to Japan. -
The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
American forces dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This caused an estimated 140,000 deaths by the end of 1945. 2 bombs were dropped, one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki just a few days later. These bombs made the Japanese government surrender and stop fighting. -
VJ Day
VJ day symbolized America's victory over Japan. Imperial Japan had finally surrendered, officially ending WWII. Japan's surrender came about after the dropping of the Atomic bombs which devastated their country. The document to officially end the war wasn't signed until September 2nd of that same year.