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Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
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Period: to
WWII Timeline
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Second Sino-Japanese War
The Japanese invaded mainland china and began to annex large portions of it. The war was a result of Japanese imperialism. -
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was a series of mass killings and mass rapings during the second sino-japanese war. Soldiers were encouraged by their officers to pillage and wreak havoc on the city. These actions weakened the morale of Chinease soldiers and terrorized civilians. -
Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland with the help of the Soviet Union utalizing a strategy known as blitzkrieg. Germany felt it was owed the land it had lost due to the treaty of versailles. Great Britain and France immediately declared war on Germany in defence of Poland. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg was a fast paced invasion strategy utilized by the germans in WWII. Blitzkrieg allowed the Germans to quickly outmeneuver their opponent and secure victory. This tactic confused, and frightened traditional militaries. -
Fall of Paris
The German Military quickly maneuvered around French defensives using Blitzkrieg and conqoured the Country in six weeks. This crushed morale among allied states and put Britain into a bad position. The Germans invaded France in order to spread their empire. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbossa was the codename for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The invasion was driven by hitler's desire to conqour Soviet Territory in order to expand Germany's empire. As a result Germany greatly diminished it's military capabilities by creating two fronts to fight on. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was attacked in a surprise military strike via the Japanese Imperial Navy. Over 2400 Americans were killed during the attacks. Japan saw this as a preventative measure in order to deter American intervention into Japanese military affairs. As a result, the U.S. declared war on Japan and then later Germany. -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting among high ranking leaders of the nazi party and surrounding governments in order to ensure cooperation in relation to the final solution. Leaders who did not adhere to the plan were thrown out of power and replaced. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad was the single largest battle in WWII. It is estimated that over 1.7 million casualties resulted from the battle. The battle of Stalingrad was very resource deplinishing and the German military could not effectively conqour the city. The soviets then pushed the axis out of the city and thus began the turning point of the war. -
Operation Gommorah
Operation Gommorah was the strategic bombing of Hamburg's industrial and commercial centers. The bombings killed over 43,000 German civilians and destroyed most of the city. The bombings were done mostly in order to cut off supply lines. As a result, the German military was not able to supply their troops and provide gas for their tanks. -
D-Day
D-Day was the invasion of Normandy by allied forces in order to drive Germany out of France. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history. This led to the eventual liberation of France via allied forces. -
Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the Bulge was a German counter-offensive seen as a "last ditch effort" by leaders of the Nazi party. Germany was sussessful in delaying Allied offensives for about six weeks however, this exhausted German resources and ultimately sealed Germany's fate as they were defeated and pushed back. -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was a planned invasion of Berlin that was proposed by the Soviets in order to crush German morale and ultimitely lead to a quick surrender. The plan was thought impractical by the allied military leaders and instead, allies focused on supporting the Soviet advance and invading smaller cities. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was an island hopping battle in which U.S. Marines invaded and secured the island of Iwo Jima. Iwo jima would hold as a strategic refueling station for mainland attacks on Japan. -
Battle of Okinawa
The battle of Okinawa was the largest invasion of an Island in the pacific. The allies planned on using the island as a strategic refueling station for bombing mainland Japan. The loss of Okinawa seperated Mainland Japan from resources and caused mainland Japan to become isolated. -
VE Day
VE Day was Victory in Europe day. The day signified the allied acceptance of Germany's unconditional surrender. -
Dropping of Atomic Bombs
The dropping of two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed over 100,000 Japanese civilians and soldiers. The bombings were used in order to force Japan to surrender in order to prevent an invasion of Mainland Japan; which would have resulted in many more deaths. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki mark the only time in History the atomic bomb has been used in combat. -
VJ Day
VJ day was Victory in Japan Day as declared by president Truman. The Japanese were unlikely to surrender unless the U.S. had dropped the atomic bombs, which is why it was so significant.