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German Blizkrieg
German term for “lightning war,” blitzkrieg is a military tactic designed to create disorganization in enemy forces through the use of mobile forces and locally concentrated firepower. Its successful execution results in short military campaigns, which preserves human lives and limits the expenditure of artillery. German forces tried out the blitzkrieg in Poland in 1939 before successfully employing the tactic with invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands and France in 1940. -
Germany Invades Poland
The Polish army was defeated within weeks of being invaded by. German units, with more than 2,000 tanks and over 1,000 planes, broke through Polish defenses along the border and advanced on in a huge attack. After heavy shelling and bombing, Poland surrendered to the Germans on September 27, Poland remained under German occupation until January 1945. -
Operation Barbarossa
Adolf Hitler launched his armies in an invasion of the Soviet Union: three great army groups with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks smashed across the frontier into Soviet territory. The invasion covered a distance of two thousand miles. This was the crucial turning point in WWII and forced Nazi Germany to fight a two-front war. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Just before 8 a.m., hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The attack lasted two hours, And was a devastation. The Japanese Destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight huge battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. -
Battle of Midway
This battle is considered one of the most decisive battles of World War Two. The Battle of Midway effectively destroyed Japan’s naval strength when the Americans destroyed four of its aircraft carriers. Japan’s navy never recovered from its mauling at Midway and it was on the defensive after this battle. -
D-Day
About 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The Germans had dismantled these camps in 1943, after most of the Jews of Poland had already been killed. The Soviets liberated Auschwitz, the largest killing center and concentration camp. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle occurred because U.S. wanted the base near the Japanese coast. They condiuct air and naval bombs, 3 U.S. marine divisions landed on the island. Iwo Jima was defended by 23,000 Japanese army troops, who fought through a network of caves, and underground tunnels. Finally, the U.S. marines wiped out the defending forces after a month of fighting. -
VE Day
On this day, Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazis -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Though the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan marked the end of World War II. The blast ruins the country and immediately killed 80,000 people. Thousands more died in the following weeks from wounds and radiation poisoning. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing nearly 40,000 more people. -
VJ Day
News of the Germans surrender was announced to the world. This sparked celebrations over the final ending of World War II. On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony. At the time, President Truman declared September 2 to be VJ Day. -
Battle of the Buldge
German army launched a counteroffensive that was suspose to split through the Allied forces so that Hitler can take control again. The Americans were caught off guard but were able to neutralization of the German counteroffensive. However, USA suffered many casualties when the Germans tried to push further and further.
