-
Rape of Nanjing
The Japanese Imperial Army invaded China's Capital, Nanjing. They killed the Chinese Soldiers, murdered civilians, raped the women, and stole property on an unimaginable scale. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Nazi Germany had more than 3x the military power than Poland. So, to continue their agenda and prove their strength, they invaded Poland, and once they invaded the East, Poland was forced to surrender. They then divided the country with the USSR through the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Act. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, which translates to "Fast War" was the tactic the Germans used in war, where they used Panzers(Tanks) to blow right into enemy lines, taking down barriers and most defenses, while also killing enemies if possible. The main goal of this tactic was to do enough damage with the panzers, that the foot soldiers rarely had to attack, and the enemy was already defeated. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was an air battle between the defending British Royal Air Force(RAF), and the German Air Force (The Luftwaffe). Germany wanted to take over Great Britain after conquering France, and Britain successfully defended against Nazi Germany's attack. -
Operation Barbarossa
Originally called Operation Fritz, Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the event of the Germans' invasion of the Soviet Union, which inevitably failed Germany, causing a massive turning point in the war. This is mainly because this operation showed that Germany could be beaten, when previously they felt like an unstoppable force -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, a U.S. Naval base, was attacked by Japanese Planes. Japan's main goal was to destroy the base to stop naval travel. Luckily, no aircrafts were at the harbor at the time, but it was still an attack on U.S. soil. -
Battle of Coral Sea
Battle of the Coral Sea was an altercation between a U.S. Navy fleet and a Japanese invasion force, where Japan was heading straight for port Moresby, but the U.S. intercepted them. It isn't definite as to who won that battle, as Japan sunk more ships, but the U.S. stopped the attack, giving them the strategic victory -
Battle of Midway
In the battle of midway, the U.S. and Japan are clashing again, in a primarily air force war. There were some failed bombing runs on both sides in the beginning of this battle, with the U.S. mistaking a small invasion force, believing it was the primary fleet. In the end, the U.S. won, losing about 145 air crafts and 360 service men, while Japan took a larger blow of 3,000 men lost and 300 air crafts. After this battle, Japan gave up trying to take the pacific, staying defensive for the future -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a battle between the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers. It was one of the longest and bloodiest wars in modern warfare. Nearly 2 million were killed. This battle was a mix of air, sea, and land battle. As Russian troops were dwindling, the harsh winter began, something that the Russians were accustomed to, but not the Germans. This plus Hitler refusing to retreat and using up all ammunition, granted Russia victory. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
Allied forces flood into Fascist Italy, led by Benito Mussolini. The allies knew Italy was gaining power and morale, so they went and diminished any sight of power. They landed in Sicily, and eventually conquered it, which led to the crumbling of Mussolini's Gov. -
D-Day
The battle of D-Day was a gruesome battle, with 6 divisions, a mix of U.S, British, and Canadian, landed on the beaches of Normandy and spent 3 months trying to take the beach as machine gun fire rained upon them. But, finally, after 3 awful months, they completed their goal in retaking France from Germany, and simultaneously pushed the Germans back -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last offensive attack from the Germans in WWII. Also called the Battle of the Ardennes, The battle consisted of the allies, whose main goal was to push Germany back into the homeland, while Germany's was to cut through the forces and gain land that way, created a bulge of sorts. However, it backfired and said bulge was cut off from the homeland by attacking allies from all sides, dealing a devastating blow to Germany, from which they will never recover from. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was a great battle between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial army of Japan. The battle occurred due to the U.S. wanting to weaken Japan, and also for revenge of Pearl Harbor. Marines sailed to the island of Iwo Jima, and went through the difficult biomes, climates, and landscapes. Japanese forces were waiting to sneak attack and bombard the marines, but they ultimately failed, and the Marines took the island, unfortunately with several casualties. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The Liberation of Concentration Camps marked a huge moment in WWII, where hundreds of Polish and Jewish individuals were freed from the camps, and certain death. The liberation occurred all throughout Poland and some edge parts of Germany. This gave Germany less control, while revealing the cruelty of Hitler. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs occurred when it was estimated that, if U.S. went to war with Japan, they could lose a million soldiers. So, instead, they went with dropping atomic bombs on loosely inhabited(but still inhabited) cities of Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombs killed thousands upon thousands, but it possibly saved millions and forced Japan to surrender.