-
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was the attack that pushed the US into war. On December 7th, the Japanese attacked the ship yard in Hawaii. Eight battleships were severly damaged, 160 aircraft destroyed, and 128 more damaged. The damage could have been much greater if a number of battleships were not out at sea at that time. As news of this attack spread, FDR adressed Congress about going into war. -
The Internment of Japanese Americans Begins
In February 1942, the President issued Executive Order 9066, designating certain areas as war zones from which anyone might be removed for any reason. These camps were small and filled with Japanese Americans. Most of the camps were located along the west coast. The most popular camp was named Manzanar. -
Americans Triumph at Midway
The Japanese commandors in the Pacific understood that the United States Navy was a powerful threat. Losing Midway would have forced American defenses back to the California coast giving the Japanese the lead. The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific ending the seemingly unstoppable Japanese advance. -
Germans Surrender at Stalingrad
Once winter hit, the German forces did not know how to react. They soon ran out of food and water and had to retreed. The surrender ended any realistic plans Hitler had of dominating Europe. Of the 91,000 prisoners taken by the Soviets, only about 5,000 eventually survived and returned to Germany. This turning point of the war, put the Soviet Union on the offensive. -
Allies Invade Italy
Sicily was the obvious target for an invastion. The Allies could invade Sicily without great risk from the U-boats and under the protection of air superiority. By 38 days into the plan, the Allies had complete control of the western Mediterranean which paved the way into the invastion of Italy. On September 3, 1943, Italy surrendered to the Allies and Five weeks later, declared war on Germany. -
D-Day
On June 6, 1944 the Allies hit Germany in force. More than 11,000 planes prepared the way, attempting to destroy German communication and transportation networks, and soften Nazi beach defence. At one of the beaches they were asigned, Omaha, the Germans offered stiff offence. Deadly guns and heavily mined beaches was what was in store for these soliders. By the end, they had gained a toehole in France. -
Allied Soldiers Liberate the Camps
Allied soldiers arrived at concentration camps not knowing what they would find. Shocked and saddened, they found thousands of people starved and worked to death. The camps smelled like death and burning flesh. The soldiers would never forget how they felt when they arrived at those camps. The Allied soldiers liberated the camps and tried to find new places for the surviving Jews. -
The creation of the United Nation
This organization was made to hopefully replace what was the failed League of Nations. 50 delegates from 50 nations met in San Francisco to write the charter for the UN. The Senate overwhelmingly ratified the charter, and the UN later set up its permanent home in New York City. The United Nations was organized on the basis of cooperation between the Great Powers, not on the absolute equality of all nations. -
Nuremberg Trails
Americans closely followed the Nuremberg Trails, in which the Allies prosecuted Nazis for war crimes. The trials turned a glaring spotlight on the evils of the Third Reich. The first of the Nuremberg Trials involved key leaders of Nazi Germany. As days went on, prosecutors described their crimes, detailing especially the horrors of the Holocaust. Most defendents just said that they were following the rules of Hitler. -
Bombs droped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
This was the day that President Truman had to make the hardest decision of his life. Truman desides that the US will drop two atomic bombs in Japan. This was due to the fact that Japan wouldnt surrender for anything. Once the bombs were droped, the cities were completely destroyed and thousands of Japanese pople were dead. This officially marked the end of the war with Japan.
