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Japanese Invasion of China
INFORMATIONIMAGEIn 1931, China was weak from civil war, so Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria. Japan continually intruded Chinese territory afterwards, eventually taking over all of northern China. In 1937, brief fights between Japan and China led to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. These skirmishes caused the Second Sino-Japanese War. 10 to 20 million Chinese were killed. Other countries used economic sanctions to defeat Japan in 1940. These sanctions caused Japan’s decision to bomb Pearl Harbor. -
German Blitzkrieg
INFORMATIONIMAGEGermany broke through Poland’s line of defense using armored and motorized infantry. The German air force destroyed the Polish air force and bombed Polish cities. This tactic created disorganization among Poland’s forces and terrorized them. Britain and France, despite agreeing to militarily aid Poland, did little to stop the German attack. On September 17, Soviet forces invaded Poland from the east. On September 28, Germany conquered Poland’s capital and split its land with the USSR. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
INFORMATION IMAGEHitler wanted to conquer Poland to obtain lebensraum, or living space, for the Germans. Germany signed the Nonaggression Pact in which they agreed to give the USSR half of Poland. Hitler claimed that German-speakers in eastern Poland were being oppressed. Germany began invading Poland on September 1, initiating World War II. Since Germany refused to withdraw, Britain and France declared that they were at war with Germany on September 3. In Poland, German forces employed a blitzkrieg. -
Fall of Paris
INFORMATIONIMAGEOn May 10, 1940, Germany launched an invasion of France and northeastern Europe. The Netherlands surrendered on May 15 after Germany bombed Rotterdam. German forces successfully got through the Ardennes after facing French and Belgian resistance. They were then able to brake through the French lines, and the Allies were unable to counterattack. With the help of Italy, Germany took down Paris on June 14, forcing the French government to surrender on June 25. -
Operation Barbarossa
INFORMATIONIMAGEHitler sought lebensraum in the east at the expense of the Slavs. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the USSR. Stalin refused to believe that Hitler would violate the Nonaggression Pact, and so his armies and air force were caught by surprise, causing many casualties. Hitler mainly aimed for the Baltic states, Leningrad, Moscow, and Ukraine. Hitler underestimated the USSR’s resources. By December, a massive Soviet counterattack and the Russian winter forced Germany to abandon its attack. -
Pearl Harbor
INFORMATIONIMAGEJapan wanted to solve its economic and demographic problems by taking over China’s import territory, declaring war in 1937. The USA responded with a battery of economic sanctions. Japan wanted to destroy the Pacific Fleet so that the USA would’t be able to fight back. On December 7, Japanese planes destroyed around 20 ships and 300 airplanes, killed 2,500 men, and injured another 1000. That failed to destroy the Pacific Fleet. On December 8, the USA declared war on Japan, entering WWII. -
Bataan Death March
INFORMATIONIMAGEThe day after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, they invaded the Philippines and captured Manila, forcing the American and Filipino forces to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. The US general surrendered the troops at Bataan due to the starvation and disease that weakened them. The Japanese forced these troops to march for 65 miles. The Japanese starved and beat the troops, causing thousands of deaths. The men who survived were taken to POW camps. The US avenged its defeat by invading Leyte. -
Battle of Midway
INFORMATIONIMAGEJapan wanted to destroy the US Pacific Fleet because they saw it as a threat. The Japanese admiral planned to feint towards Alaska and invade Midway, surprising and defeating the US Pacific Fleet. However, the Americans anticipated the attack and were able to defeat the Japanese. In August 1942, the US conducted a counteroffensive that didn’t stop until Japan surrendered. -
Battle of Stalingrad
INFORMATIONIMAGEOn September 3, 1942, Germany unsuccessfully invaded Stalingrad. The reason behind their invasion was that they saw Stalingrad as a strategic location from which they could launch further assaults. The Russians built up their defenses and brought in reinforcements. They launched a counteroffensive, and the German forces were ordered to hold their ground, even through the winter when many froze and starved. They surrendered, marking the turning point of the war in favor of the Allies. -
Manhattan Project
INFORMATIONIMAGE The Manhattan Project was a US government research project that produced the first atomic bombs. It was triggered by the fear that Nazi Germany planned to build and use nuclear weapons. US physicist Robin Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves were the directors of this project. Four nuclear weapons were produced. Little Boy and Fat Man, two of the weapons, were used to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. -
Operation Gomorrah
INFORMATIONIMAGEOn July 24, 1943, Britain responded to Germany's bombing of London by dropping bombs on Hamburg, Germany, killing more than 1500 civilians. The US air force also bombed northern Germany. British attacks on Hamburg continued until November. When it ended, more than 30000 people were killed and 280000 buildings were destroyed. The ruins of the cities indicated the end of the war for Hitler. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
INFORMATIONIMAGEMussolini wanted to build Fascist Italy into a new Roman Empire. Some group in Italy opposed him, but German military presence threatened them. On August 17, the Allied conquered Sicily. Mussolini’s government collapsed, and he was arrested on July 25. Britain invaded Italian mainland on September 3, and the Italian government surrendered, expelling Germans from the country. The new Italian government declared war on Germany. German forces in Italy surrendered on May 1, 1945. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
INFORMATIONIMAGEIn May 1940, Germany invaded and occupied northwestern France. The Allies carried out a massive deception operation to make Hitler think that they would invade Pas-de-Calais, Norway, or other locations. On June 6, 1944, American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the shore of France’s Normandy region and invaded, eventually liberating Paris and removing Germans from northwestern France in August 1944. This made Hitler vulnerable to the Soviet troops, finally leading to his surrender. -
Battle of the Bulge
INFORMATIONIMAGEGermany wanted to split the Allied armies using a blitzkrieg pushed through Ardennes to Antwerp in Belgium. On December 16, 1944, three German armies launched the deadliest and most desperate battle of the war in the west. U.S. troops were caught by surprise. As Germany pushed forward to secure bridgeheads, the Allied front line took the appearance of a bulge. Germany’s shortage of fuel and the bravery of the U.S. troops ultimately led to Hitler’s defeat. 100000 U.S. soldiers died. -
Operation Thunderclap
INFORMATIONINFORMATIONIMAGEThe objective of Operation Thunderclap was for the Allies to bomb the eastern German cities, specifically Hamburg and Dresden, and disrupt the transport infrastructure behind the German front, causing confusion in Germany and making it weak, leading to the end of the war. All of the factors influencing a successful bombing raid was in the Royal Air Force’s favor, so the raid was extremely successful. Around a total of 90000 German civilians were killed. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
INFORMATIONIMAGEThe U.S. invaded Iwo Jima because they required a base near the Japanese Coast for escort fighters that would help with the bombing campaign. The Japanese fought using underground networks. The U.S. marine divisions were able to defeat the defending Japanese forces after a month of fighting since February 1945. Due to the difficult conditions, 5900 U.S. soldiers died and 17400 were wounded. -
Battle of Okinawa
INFORMATIONIMAGEThe Battle of Okinawa was the last and largest of the Pacific battles. The U.S. wanted to take air bases on Okinawa that were necessary for the planned invasion of Japan’s mainland. Japan’s use of new tactics and strong defenses made this battle difficult for the Allies, but the U.S. ultimately occupied Okinawa. Around 12200 American soldiers were killed and there were almost 100000 Japanese civilian casualties. -
Victory in Europe Day
INFORMATIONINFORMATIONIMAGEOn May 8, 1945, German troops throughout Europe surrendered with an appeal for mercy. Hitler had committed suicide before the surrender, knowing that he would be defeated as the USSR was approaching Berlin from the east and the Western Allies from the west. Karl Dönitz became head of state of Germany, officially surrendering with a signing after the USSR conquered Berlin. This surrender signaled the end of WWII. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
INFORMATIONIMAGEJapan rejected the Allies’ demand for surrender, which is why the US decided to bomb it. On August 6, 1945, a US plane dropped Little Boy, the atomic bomb, on Hiroshima, wiping out 90% of the city and killing 80000 people. Thousands more were killed later from being exposed to radiation. Japan still refused to surrender after this disaster, causing the bombing of Nagasaki. -
Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
INFORMATIONIMAGESince Japan refused to surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima, the US decided to drop Fat Man, another atomic bomb, on Nagasaki. 40000 Japanese were killed. However, the topography of Nagasaki reduced the effect of Fat Man. This bombing finally pushed Emperor Hirohito to surrender to the Allied forces. -
Victory Over Japan Day
INFORMATIONIMAGEJapan unconditionally surrendered to the Allies on August 14, 1945, following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The formal surrender occurred on September 2. Emperor Hirohito blamed Japan’s defeat on the atomic bombs, stating that he wanted to avoid complete destruction of Japan. August 14 marked the day of relief felt by the citizens of the Allied countries after a long conflict that resulted in millions of deaths.
