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German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg was a war strategy created as a result of Hitler's thirst for for territory, making its first appearance during the invasion of Poland. The goal was to first launch an attack through the air, bombing air railroads, communication lines, etc. followed by a massive land invasion. This was how Hitler planned on attacking target countries throughout the course of war. This method was successful because it created shock and chaos throughout enemy forces (history.com). -
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was a massacre that entailed the raping and killing of Nanking residents by Japanese troops. Due to the second Sino-Japanese war (caused by Chinese resistance to Japanese influence), Japan was advancing into China and Nanking, China's capital city, was captured. Over a two month period, the Japanese troops disarmed, murdered, raped, and looted thousands. It wasn't until a Japanese influenced government made impact in China that the violence finally ended (USCShoahFoundation). -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
On Sep. 1, 1939, led by Adolf Hitler, Germany invaded Poland both by land and air. Hitler was still upset about the territory that Germany had lost after WWI and was longing for European Domination. He had already broken the Munich agreement prior to the shift of focus to Poland, so the allied powers knew he couldn't be trusted. They stopped giving into his demands and started preparing for the major war ahead. This event signaled the start of WWII (Time.com). -
Battle of Britain
After conquering France, Hitler wanted to take on Great Britain. However, GB's Royal Air Force was intimidating, so Germany had to prepare to invade by destroying it first. After many bombings, the British did not stop fighting back, so Hitler decided to launch an attack on London. The Royal Air Force shot down numbers of German planes, and Hitler realized that GB couldn't be defeated. This was significant because the victory paved the way for the ultimate defeat of Nazi Germany (Ducksters). -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Two years into WWII, the US had still not entered the war. Japan was concerned about the US navy in Hawaii as they were trying to conquer much of Asia, so they decided to launch an attack to prevent them from attacking Japan. They planned to take out ships in Pearl Harbor to destroy the US navy, but to Japan's surprise, they responded the next day by declaring war. Japan's attack impacted the US because they were now a major part in WWII (Ducksters). -
Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad was a major city in the Soviet Union named after Stalin. Germany taught to control this city because of its industrial capabilities. The German Air Force bombed the city and took a large portion of it. The damage was great, but the Soviets fought back. The Soviets trapped German Soldiers inside Stalingrad, leading to the Germans to surrender due to the cold and shortage of food. The battle was significant because it turned the war in favor of the Allies. (Ducksters). -
Battle of Midway
Japan wanted to push back American presence in the Pacific Ocean, so they decided to attack the US base at the Island of Midway. After planning a sneak attack on the Americans, Japanese transmissions were interpreted by the US, allowing them to plan accordingly. When the Japanese attacked, the US was ready and attacked their aircraft carriers. They were successful in sinking them all, and their victory meant that the threat of Japan's further invasion in the pacific was ended (Ducksters). -
Allied Invasion of Italy
In January 1943, the leaders of the Allied powers decided to launch an invasion of Italy. The goal was to weaken and remove Italy from WWII. Through Operation Husky, they invaded Sicily, allowing them to advance into the mainland, causing the Italian government to surrender to the allies. They asked for leniency if they aided with removing German troops from Italy. The invasion was significant because it led to the fall of Mussolini from power and the removal of Italy from the war (History.com). -
D Day
The Allies turned to the offensive after successfully slowing down the German forces. They prepared to attack Germany by increasing forces in Britain and striking Germany daily through the air. They finally attacked Normandy with over 150,000 troops pushing Germany out of France. The Allied victory represented a turning point of WWII in Europe (Ducksters). -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany's final attempt to push the Allies off of mainland Europe took place in Belgium at the Battle of the Bulge. The goal was to split allied lines to force the Allies to negotiate a peace treaty. Germany broke through the unprepared US lines and advanced quickly. However, the American troops stood their ground and were able to win the battle. The battle had a major effect on the course of the war because it was Hitler's last major offensive of WWII (Ducksters). -
Potsdam Declaration
While the Soviet Union, the US, and Britain met at the Potsdam Conference to determine Germany's fate after the war, they issued the Potsdam Declaration to pressure Japan, who was still in the war, to surrender. The declaration laid out a peace plan if Japan agreed to surrender with conditions relating to the government of Japan (Japan to become a democratic system) and industry. Japan initially rejected it, but after the bombing, they accepted it, agreeing to the terms within it (History.com). -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Between the US and Japan, this battle was the first to take place on Japanese territory. The US wanted to take control of the island Iwo Jima because of its strategic location. Despite the difficulties due the multiple Japanese sneak attacks, the US was finally able to succeed in securing the island. The capture of Iwo Jima was significant to helping end war with the Japanese because the location was perfect for fighter planes and bombers to land and take off during attacks on Japan (Ducksters). -
VE Day
VE Day, or Victory in Europe day, was when Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, ending WWII in Europe. The war had lasted almost six years, and due to Germany's destroyed army and losing their leader to suicide, they finally surrendered on May 7th. On May 8th, crowds celebrated in the streets because this day was long awaited for. However, the war was still not over, as the allies had to prepare for war with Japan, who still had not surrendered (Britannica). -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The Manhattan Project was launched to create the atomic bomb after the US realized that a destructive explosion was possible by splitting an atom, and to ensure that the US was the first the have this dangerous weapon. Once the project was finished, WWII in Europe was over, but Japan refused to surrender. As a result, the US decided to drop the bombs on the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The destruction was horrific. Japan surrendered six days later to the US, ending WWII for good (Ducksters). -
V-J day
By the summer of 1945, the Japanese navy and air force had been destroyed and the economy was devastated, however, they still refused to surrender to the Allies. Japan was warned to surrender, but it wasn't until the second bomb was dropped that they were forced to accept defeat due to major destruction and casualties. V-J Day (Victory in Japan) marks the date that Japan surrendered and WWII was finally over, resulting in celebrations that broke out across the allied countries (Janetpanic.com).