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Japanese invasion of China
The fighting between China and Japan caused a break out of fight, known as the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Happened because the Japanese company commander believed his soldier was taken by the Chinese. The commander went to search for the missing soldier at the nearby city, but the commander of the Chinese garrison rejected his demand of search. A shot was then fired. The Japanese accused the Chinese of firing the first shot, and the Chinese accused the Japanese for the same thing. Japan won. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
On this day in 1939, German forces bombard Poland on land and also from the air. Hitler wants to regain lost territory and completely rule Poland. It was about 4:45 a.m. when 1.5 million troops invaded Poland. Hitler had explained that the massive invasion was a defensive attack but Britain and France were not convinced. On September 3, war was declared against Germany. This was the start of WW2. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is German for lightning war. It is a military tactic that creates disorganization and psychological shock. It's a very effective execution style. The Germans first tried this tactic in 1939 in Poland during the Spanish Civil War. It was successful and then used in 1940 in Belgium, The Netherlands, and France. It was also used in WWII. Some would be left paralyzed after all the disruption. -
Operation Barbarossa
On June 22nd Adolph Hitler launched an invasion on the Soviet Union. He wanted to enslave the Slavic population and exterminate the Jews. The invasion covered a front from the North Cape to the Black Sea. Barbarossa was the turning point of WWII because it lead to the defeat of the Germans. -
Pearl Harbor
Just before 8a.m. on December 7, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. A day after the attack, Roosevelt declared war on Japan. The attack on Pearl Harbor was intended to neutralize the U.S. Pacific fleet, where it sought access to natural resources such as soil and rubber. -
Wannsee Conference
A meeting that was held in Wannsee where he discussed and coordinated the implementation of what they called the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question”. It happened so they knew what to do with Jewish. As a result of the meeting a network of extermination camps was established in which millions of Jews were murdered in 1942 - 1943. -
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Battle of Midway
On June 4-7,1942 the Japanese military’s perception was immune from air attack. In order to protect themselves their defensive perimeter had to be extended eastward. The battle of Midway was a decisive victory for the US navy against the Japanese. This all happened because the Japanese attacked the Midway Island and the US needed to take control. This didn't only cause the US to defend themselves but to attack against Japan. -
Operation Torch
Operation torch was the name given to the United States and the United Kingdom when they invaded French North Africa on November 8, 1942. It was the first time they had worked together on an invasion. -
D - Day
The battle began on June 6, 1944 when some 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on 5 beaches along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified coast of France's region. -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle in which the U.S. Marines landed on and eventually captured the the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during WWll. Despite the difficulty of the situation, the Marines wiped out the defending forces after a month of fighting. -
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Battle of Okinawa
This battle was the last and the biggest of the Pacific Island battles of World War II. This war lasted from April 1-June 22,1945 and it involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-Second Army. By the end of the 82-day campaign Japan had already lost more than 77,000 soldier and the allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualties including 14,000 deaths. -
FDR Death - Truman becomes President
By April 1945, Roosevelt had been elected president of the United States 4 times and had served for over 12 years. In early 1945, shortly after being sworn in for his fourth term as president, Roosevelt was on the verge of leading his nation to triumph in the Second World War. In February 1945, Roosevelt traveled to Yalta for some important meetings with Russian leader Joseph and British prime minister Winston. On April 12,1945 he suffered a massive stroke and died. Harry became presi. after. -
VE Day
VE stands for victory in Europe day. This day was May 8,1945. This day marked the day WWII officially ended in Europe. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6, 1945 a 5 ton bomb was dropped over Hiroshima by an American B-29 bomber. It wiped out 90 percent of the city. Three days later another was dropped on Nagasaki. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the largest fight in history that the US army has fought, on December 16, 1945. Germans attacked the Americans. It was the last German offensive of the war. The battle was the most costliest action fought by the U.S. Army, and suffered over 100,000 casualties.
