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1942 BCE
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad is one of the longest and most detrimental battles in history. The battle lasted 6 months and resulted in nearly 2 million deaths/injured. The purpose of the battle was to hault German approach into the Soviet Union and regardless of the harsh Russian winters, the battle continued on. The Germans severely lost this battle and it was one of the first failures that was publicly noticed by Hitler.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
The R@pe of Nanking
Japanese troops stormed into Nanking which was the capital of China at the time. The Japanese General Matsui ordered for Nanking to be destroyed and the troops began the process of burning Nanking to the ground. They butchered an estimated amount of 150,000 war prisoners, killed another 50,000 men, and raped 20,000 women and girls ranging in all ages. Most attacked were either mutilated or killed.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking -
Germany Invades Poland
In order to gain back territory that was lost, Germany felt that Poland was a perfect country to invade. Hitler used a tactic called the "blitzkrieg strategy" which essentially was aggressive and extensive bombing to destroy important artiliery. Although the Poish army was well populated, they were not well-equipped to feat off the German army. As a response, Great Britain used bombing raids over Germany.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg was a German tactic used where they would attack more of the tanks to quickly crush troops. A specific example of this being done was the invasion of Belgium where, "the combined force of tanks, mobile infantry and artillery troops to drive through the Ardennes Forest and quickly penetrated the Allied defenses," (Blitzkrieg 2019). This tactic also helped them collapse the French army and discover new military technology.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
The Fall of Paris
German troops stormed through Paris and it was soon occupied by the Germans. Considering Paris was a major city and the capital of France at the time, most Parisians that were trapped fell into a state of absolute panic. A French premier telegrammed the US begging for help and while the US did send aid, there was no official/public commitment in order to avoid any misinterpretation from the Axis Powers.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris -
The Battle of Britain
This battle was a failed Nazi takeover. Great Britain showed great resilience from the German powers and it was an air only battle. Both sides set out fighter-pilots to control airspace and Britain made sure they showed how powerful they truly were. Hitler completely underestimated Britain though and Britain came through with a win due to the help of built up determination and nationalism.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-britain-1 -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most significant surprise attacks in American history. Japanese fighter plans flew over the naval base and destroyed many naval vessels. Over 2,400 Americans died and many ships/ planes were destroyed. President Roosevelt was furious and wasted no time as he declared war on Japan the day after the attack.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Bataan Death March
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan started invading the Philippines as well. Around 75,000 Filipino and even American troops were taken and forced to make a 65-mile walk to prison camps. Captors and leaders of the groups were extremely brutal and caused many of the men in their groups to perish. Most survivors who even made it to the camp though mainly died of disease and starvation.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a naval-air battle between Japan and the US. Japan wanted Midway to gain control in the Pacific and there was also an Allied power's base there which made Midway even more appealing. Japan assumed that the attack would go just like Pearl Harbor did but they were mistaken. The US pulled through with a victory and Japan abandoned its plan to control the Pacific.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
D-Day
In efforts to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control, the US, Great Britain, and Canada sent forces to the coast of France. The invasion took a lot of planning and was one of the most significant military assaults in history. Using intricate planning tactics, they were able to trick Germany about where they were targeting and successfully liberated Northern France by August of 1944.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last German offensive of the war and had some of the worse conditions. The battle was the most amount of casualties the US had had all war as the soldiers were constantly shot at and had to fight in below-zero temperatures which made them very weak. It was named battle of the bulge for the "bulge" created in the Allied line. The war ended with a victory from the allied powers and Germany surrendered.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
While passing through Poland, the Soviet Union discovered the horror of concentration camps. They came upon Auschwitz and found hundreds of abused prisoners and deceased prisoners belongings. At the time there were no guards as they had fled to try to cover up their crimes and finally after five years, Auschwitz was liberated.
https://www.history.com/news/auschwitz-liberation-soviets-holocaust -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was one of the last ones in WWII. US troops were fooled by the Japanese as they went in hiding waiting for the US troops to come upon them. The Japanese troops' orders were to wait for the US troops to approach them rather than shoot them as they approach the island. This plan was somewhat successful but only 200 Japanese soldiers lived and the US secured a victory with only 6,000 dying out of 70,000 soldiers.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of WWII and it had one of the highest death counts on both the Japanese and American sides. The Japanese troops used kamikaze tactics that ended up sinking 30 American ships. Many Japanese generals ended up committing suicide and because of the weather and fierce fighting, it was one of the most miserable battles. The battle resulted in an American victory, but many casualties.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Although the US tried to avoid using the Manhattan Project, it was necessary for Japan to surrender. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, instantly killing 80,000 people and thousands of people later on from radiation exposure. Three days later the bomb on Nagasaki was dropped which killed another 40,000 people and led to the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki