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Japanese Invasion of China
In July of 1937, the Japanese claimed they'd been fired on by Chinese troops at a bridge in Beijing. They used the conquered Manchuria as a launching base for troops and were met with little resistance. In November of that year, Shanhai fell, and in December, Nanking fell. Surrender occurred in August 1945. -
Rape of Nanking
To crush resistance in China, Japanese General matsui iwane ordered the city of nanking to be destroyed. The Japanese butchered 200,000 male citizens and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of every age. Many of these women were aso tortured, killed or both in the process. -
German Blitzkrieg
SourceBlitzkrieg, translated as "lightning war," was a military tactic employed by the Germans designed to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of firepower. Germany successfully used blitzkrieg in the invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in 1940. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
SourceGermany invaded Polan September 1st, 1939. The German-Soviet pact enabled Germany to attack Poland without fear of Soviet intervention. The Polish army was defeated within weeks, as the German forces were armed with over 2,000 tanks and over 1,000 planes. They advanced on Warsaw in an encirclement attack. Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939, and Warsaw surrendered to the Germans at the end of the month. -
Occupation of Paris
Source On June 14, 1940, German troops occupied Paris. They established an 8:00 curfew and brought in tanks. By that time, over 2 million Parisians had fled. Swastikass flew on French landmarks, and Parisians remained trapped in their city. -
Operation Barbarossa
SourceOperation Barbarossa was the name given to Nazi Germany's invasion of Russia. The attack was based on the military tactic called blitzkrieg. Barbarossa had been in planning for about a year before it occurred. Hitler had declared about Russia, "We have only to kick in the door and then the whole rotten structure will come crashing down." -
Pearl Harbor
SourceIn early December of 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. It lasted two hours, destroying 20 American naval vessels, including 8 battleships and almost 200 airplanes. Over 2,000 Americans died during the attack, and 1,000 or more were wounded. After the attack, FDR asked congress to declare war on Japan. -
Wannsee Conference
SourceThe Wannsee conference was a eeting of Nazi officials gathered to discuss the "final solution" for the Jews. The solution: set up concentration camps with purposely atrocious conditions to mass murder Jews. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
SourceOn July 28, 1942, several Jewish organizations created an armed self-defense unit known as the Jewish Combat Organization. On the 8th of January, as German escorts moved Jews to labor camps, the ZOB combated them. Most died. -
Bataan Death March
SourceFollowing the April 9, 1942 U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula in the Phillipines, approximately 75,000 Filipino troops on Bataan were forced to march to prison camps, traveling 65 miles. Thousands died because of intense heat and cruelty given by the Japanese guards. -
Operation Gomorrah
SourceIn late July of 1943, British bombers raided Hamburg, Germany, while Americans bombed it by day. The British attacks continued until November of that year. The attacks killed more than 30,000 people and obliterated more than 280,000 buildings. -
Operation Thunderclap (Bombing of Dresden)
Iwo Jima, an island about 600 miles from the coast of Japan, served as the host of an attack between the Americans and the Japanese. The Japanese fought in elaborate caves, tunnels, and dugouts, moving further inland to gain time. American losses were estimated at 5,900 and 17,400 were wounded. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
SourceFrom June to August of 1944, 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed and attacked from a beach in Normandy. By late August, all of France had been liberated, and it began the end of the war in Europe. -
Liberation of Nazi Camps
SourceFrom 1943 to 1945, Soviet forces liberated camps such as Treblinka and Auschwitz. They found only a few thousand Jews alive in each. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was an island about 600 miles off the coast of Japan. In battle, the Japanese fought in elaborate caves, tunnels, and dugouts. The American losses totaled at about 5,900, and the ammount wounded was about 17,400. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa lasted from April 1st, 1945, to June 22nd of that year. Air bases vital to the projected invasion of Japan were at stake. The mission was to use Okinawa as a base for operations planned on the invasion of Japanese mainland. -
VE Day
VE Day stands for Victory in Europe Day. It marked the surrender of Germany's armed forces, and the end of WWII in Europe. Shortly before VE Day, Hitler committed suicide. -
Atomic Bombs in Japan (Hiroshima/Nagasaki)
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later, they bombed Nagasaki as well. The bombs immediately reduces miles of city to ruins and killed over 80,000 people. Many more died of radiation poisoning. It was a marker of the end of WWII in Japan. -
VJ Day
Victory in Japan Day marked the surrender of the Japanese from WWII. -
Battle of the Bulge
SourceIn mid-December of 1945, Germany launched the battle in Ardennes. They tried to split the Allies with the attacks and battle. The Allies took on the formation of a bulging shape, giving the battle its name. There were estimated to be over 100,000 casualties.
