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Japanese Invasion of China
This was a war that Japan was taking part in along with WWII, called the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was due to their occupation of China, beginning in 1931. The war itself began in 1937 (remaining undeclared until 1941), and continued until 1945. Japan surrendered to China around the same time it surrendered to the United States in WWII. Reference:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Sino-Japanese-War -
German Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)
The German concept of "Blitzkrieg", or Lightning War, is a concept that was invented to avoid a prolonged war. This tactic was a very successful one, and it was originally run against Poland, which started World War II. It was also successfully run against Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Reference:
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blitzkrieg-lightning-war -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, also known as the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, was a pact in which Germany and the USSR promised to protect each other in the case of attacks against each other. They decided to be at peace with one another. A secret part of this pact divided part of the continent to Soviet influence, and they weren't even aware of it. Reference:
https://www.britannica.com/event/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a navy base in the Hawaiian islands, and on December 7, 1941 hundreds of Japanese pilots destroyed or damaged about 20 naval vessels and more than 300 planes. In the event, over two thousand American citizens were injured, and an additional thousand were injured. The day following, current president Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Reference:
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a collection of fourteen men from different Nazi Party agencies, the SS, civilian occupation administration, and government offices. They were meeting to coordinate the Holocaust. They had a goal of exterminating 11 million Jews from all of Europe, from the East to the West. Reference:
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/wannsee-conference-1942 -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a battle over a military base on Midway Island. The conflict was between Japan and the United States. Japan believed that Midway Island would be an advantageous spot to attack Pearl Harbor, but the USA broke the Japanese communication code and therefore learned of their intentions to take over Midway Island. In the end, the United States wound up the victors. Reference:
https://spartacus-educational.com/2WWmidway.htm -
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The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle in which the USSR successfully defended the city of Stalingrad from Nazi Germany. It took place from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943. It is considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest battle of World War II. Reference:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Stalingrad -
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Liberation of the Concentration Camps
From 1944-1945, Allied forces came across Nazi concentration camps as they were advancing across Europe. The prisoners in these camps were sick and severely malnourished. The first camp that was liberated was Majdanek in Poland in July of 1944. By April 1945, every camp, even the ones prisoners had been moved to after the liberations began, had been liberated. The last camp to be liberated was a sub-camp called Bergen-Belsen. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-Day was the storming of the Normandy Beach in France, which was, at the time, occupied by Nazi Germany. Around 156,000 Allied soldiers landed on the beach, and within a few days roughly 326,000 troops in total had landed. At the time, D-Day was the largest naval, air, and land operation that had ever occurred in our history. By August of that same year, France had been liberated from the grasp of the Nazis. Reference:
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's unsuccessful counter-attack to D-Day. Right at the beginning, they created a "bulge" through the American defensive line (which is how the Battle got its name), however the Allies regained their footing and pushed the Germans back. This battle was fought in cold, winter conditions, and saw at least 100,000 casualties from Germany and 81,000 casualties from America. Reference:
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-battles-timeline -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a conflict between Japan and the United States over the island of Iwo Jima. This battle was one of the bloodiest in the US Marines's history, and it has also been used as proof that the Japanese military will fight until they do not have anyone else available to. The victors of the battle, in the end, were the United States. -
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Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, along with being one of the ones with the most casualties. The US Army and Marines invaded Okinawa with intentions to take control of the island to make air strikes against Japan. Even though the Japanese sunk 26 Allied ships and damaged about 170 more, America eventually overpowered them. Many Japanese survivors chose to end their lives rather than live under American rule. -
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The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was one of the final battles in World War II, as well as one of the most dense in casualties. In the battle, the United States invaded Okinawa with intentions to occupy it so they can preform air strikes against other parts of Japan. The Japanese citizens struck back, sinking 26 Allied ships and damaging around 170 more. However, the United States won, and the surviving Japanese citizens chose to end their lives rather than live under American occupation. -
Victory Europe (V-E) Day
Victory Europe Day, more commonly known as V-E Day, was the day in which most of the fighting ended in Europe. On May 7, most of the world celebrated. There was finally peace. Reference:
https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VE-Day/ -
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Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. On August 9, they dropped another one on another Japanese city, the city of Nagasaki. At least 12,000 Japanese citizens died in these attacks, however estimations vary. Reference:
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, is the day that Japan surrendered. It is the official end to World War II. Depending on where you are in the world, it is celebrated on either August 14 or 15, however in the United States it is August 14. Reference:
https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VJ-Day/#:~:text=V%2DJ%20Day%2C%20or%20Victory%20over,the%20world%20erupted%20in%20celebration.