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The Rape of Nanking
During the Sino-Japanese war, Nanking, the capital of China, fell to Japanese forces. General Matsui Iwane ordered Nanking to be destroyed, most of the city was burned. The Rape of Nanking was a time when Japanese murdered around 150,000 male war prisoners and 50,000 male civilians. Around 20,000 women and girls of all ages were raped and then killed during the process. Matsui Iwane was found guilty and he was soon executed.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is a military tactic used to create disorganization among enemy forces. Germans tested this tactic on Poland in 1939, they successfully used it in Belgium, The Netherlands, and France. During the attack, German dive-bombers filled the sky and tanks turned and raced headlong to the sea, they cut off the allied armies in the North. Blitzkrieg moved at lightning speed.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/blitzkrieg.htm
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
This invasion began at 4:45 a.m., German troops invaded Poland along the border, the Luftwaffe bombed polish airfields, and in the Baltic Sea, German U-boats and warships attacked Polish naval forces. Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3rd, Hitler said the conquest of Poland would bring the Germans "living space". This invasion marked the beginning of World War II.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was an invasion of the Soviet Union by the Germans. Over 3 million soldiers and 3,000 tanks invaded the Soviet territory, they covered a front of 2,000 miles. The Germans underestimated their opponent and they made the mistake of coming as conquerors, not liberators. Their goal was to exterminate Jews and enslave the Slavic population. It ended with Soviets overreaching and Germans restored semblance.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Habor
On December 7th, 1941 Japanese surprise attacked Pearl Harbor's naval base around 8 a.m. on a Sunday. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes destroyed around 20 American naval vessels. In this attack, more than 2,400 Americans died and 1,000 more were injured and wounded. Japan saw Pearl Harbor as an irresistible easy target because its naval facilities were basically unarmed since this was a surprise attack.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a brutal military campaign between those of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers and Russian forces. It took place in Stalingrad because the city served as an industrial center in Russia. It lasted 5 months, more than 2 million troops fought, around 2 million were either injured or killed. The Russian winter was a disadvantage for the Germans. In February, Russian troops had retaken Stalingrad and captured 100,000 German soldiers, most of them soon died in the prison camps. -
Battle of Midway
During WWII, The United States defeated Japan in a naval battle in the North-central Pacific Ocean. It began because of Japans desire to sink the American aircraft carriers that were left after Pearl Harbor. Japanese fleet commander chose to invade an area close to Pearl Harbor to draw American fleet, instead, the Pacific fleet commander understood Japan's exact plans and surprised them with U.S. carriers. Americans sunk 4 fleet-carriers but 147 air crafts and more than 300 seamen were lost. -
Bataan Death March
The day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan forcefully invaded the Philippines. Japan captured Manila, the capital of the Philippines and Filipino defenders of Luzon were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. The U.S.-Filipino army held out for another 3 months and on April 9th, U.S. General Edward King Jr. surrendered with his forces because they were crippled by starvation and disease.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was a violent revolt during World War II. Heinrich Himmler sent in SS forces with tanks to liquidate the Warsaw Ghetto. The goal was to prevent deportations to Nazi-run extermination camps. Around 7,000 Jews perished during this uprising, 50,000 others were sent to extermination or labor camps. This uprising caused many other revolts.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
D-day (Normandy Invasion)
The Normandy Invasion required extensive planning, over 156,000 troops crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy. The invasion began with parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, and naval bombardments late at night. Allied forces hastened the destruction of Nazi Germany, securing the victory of democracy over totalitarianism. More than 4,000 allied troops were killed and others were wounded or missing.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Normandy -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitlers attempt to split up the Allied armies in Northwest Europe. The surprise blitzkrieg caught the Americans off guard,they fought desperately. When weather cleared up,Allies brought air power into force,causing Americans to start a counter-attack against the Germans. The Allied line took on the appearance of a large bulge, this is where the name came from.
https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-two/world-war-two-in-western-europe/the-battle-of-the-bulge/ -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The first major camp to be liberated was Majdanek, Germans tried to hide the evidence of the mass murder but the gas chambers were left behind. Prisoners were taken from the camps by train, others were forced to march in the cold. thousands died from the cold and hunger, others were shot. When Auschwitz was overrun by Russian soldiers, camps became overcrowded, thousands of unburied bodies laid around the camps. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/liberation-of-the-concentration-camps -
Operation Thunderclap
In the German city, Dresden, a series of allied firebombing raids began. It was the most destructive bombing, it killed at least 135,000 people and the few hospitals left couldn't handle the number of injuries and burns that were caused. Around 3,400 tons of explosives were dropped on the city (8 square miles) by American and British aircraft. The city burned for many days, covering streets with charred corpses.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle was between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan, American forces invaded the island in 1945, the beaches were made up of steep dunes, this made it challenging for the marines. Around 7,000 marines and 200 Japanese were killed. Japanese scavenged for food and supplies until they surrendered. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last major war of WWII, on Easter Sunday, the U.S army descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa. during the battle, the fifth fleet suffered sunken ships, damaged ships, lost aircraft, and men killed and wounded. Around 7,000 Japanese surrendered and many chose death or suicide. -
VE Day
May 8th, 1945 was the end of Adolf Hitler's Reich, he killed his dog, his new wife, and then committed suicide. on May 7th General Jodi signed the surrender of the German forces, this took effect on May 8th. The war in Europe was finally over after 6 years, but millions of lives were lost. Great celebrations took place across North America and Europe, millions of people celebrated the end of the war.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/VE-Day/ -
Japanese invasion of China
The Second Sino-Japanese war started on July 7th, 1937 and lasted until September 9th, 1945. It was the largest Asian war of the twentieth century, it started because of major disputes between the Chinese and the Japanese. These two countries fought intermittently since 1931. Communist counterattacks led to the surrender of Japan. This war left nationalists weakened but strengthened communists.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Second_Sino-Japanese_War -
Potsdam Declaration (1945)
The day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan surrendered as President Harry Truman ordered a halt to atomic bombing. The emperor summoned a special meeting of the council to consider accepting the Potsdam Conference, this meant unconditional surrender. Tokyo sent a message to its ambassadors, it accepted the Potsdam Declaration.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-accepts-potsdam-terms-agrees-to-unconditional-surrender -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs (1945)
During WWII, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb in Hiroshima, it was called "Little Boy". 90 percent of the city was destroyed and around 80,000 people were killed. Only 3 days later, at 11:02 am, a second bomb called "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, this atomic bomb killed around 40,000 people.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
VJ Day
VJ Day or "Victory over Japan Day" was on August 14, 1945. On this day, it was announced that Japan surrendered to the Allies, which ended WWII. President Harry Truman announced Japan's surrender in a press conference. Emperor Hirohito blamed the countries defeat on the "new and most cruel bomb".
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
