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Japanese invasion of China
Japan had high nationalistic ideals and wanted to expand but need resources to fund its expansion so it moved East into Manchuria destroying railroads promised to them in the Chinarusso war. The Republic of China maintained no resistance. As a heated exchange in a "military exercise" and Japane Marched into Northern China. Fighting stayed to a stalemate in northern China until the end of the war. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
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German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg tactic was speed. The basic idea is don't stop moving, get behind the enemies, destroy communication. With these tactics, German was able to destroy Poland, France, British expeditionary, and other small European countries. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Germany's invasion of Poland
In 1939 Germany invaded Poland seeing devastating defeat retreated to the East until the Germans surrounded Warsaw and the Polish soldiers fought defending the city night and Day for a week of bombardment and attack. When Poland saw the intervention of the Soviet Union they thought of them as savers helping to defend them, but they were wrong. The Soviet Union had come to take their half of Poland and crushed the remaining defender with no mercy. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Fall of Paris
French forces were ready to fight another World War 1 but the Germans lighting war and flanking the Maginot line surprised french forces and completely destroyed the French army. The French government left Paris on June 10 and the city was captured on the 14. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany needed Oil and supplies to continue their war effort and as tensions over the Balkans raised Germany threw the first punch attacking the Soviet Union pushing them back to Moscow until the Germans were only 18 miles from the town center. After the harsh winter set in and the German advance had to stop the Soviet Union and experienced Siberian forces pushed back the Nazis turning it into a whole scale invasion of Germany over the rest of the war. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Pearl Harbor
In 1941 the Japanese empire attacked the Navel base of Pearl harbor with no warning beforehand leading to the death of over 2,000 servicemen and wonder 1,000. With this attack, the U.S. was pulled into World War 2 and Declared war on Japan and a day later declared war on Germany and Italy. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Bataan Death March
After the Surrender and retreat of American forces from the Philipines, no troops were able to Escape the Japanese and with such a larger surrendering force the Japanese were ill-prepared to accommodate the troops and forced them to march for days in 105-degree heat with no food, water, or shelter. An estimated 5,000 to 18,000 troops died during the marches. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
Wannsee Conference
During this Conference high ranking Nazi leaders discussed how the final solution to the Jewish question would be performed with the mass execution of millions of Jew in Death and concentration work camps until the end of the war. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wannsee-conference -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad started on August 23 19432 when German forces attacked the industrial city to take its factories. The battle was intense as Red army troops would not retreat and fought in intense dorr to door combat sticking as close to german lines as they could to be safe from artillery and planes. The Germans finally pushed the red army of Stalingrad but as soon as it did the Red Army surrounded the German forces and laid siege on the city. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
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Warsaw Ghetto uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was the rebellion of Poland fighters who attacked German forces occupying Warsaw. Out of the Poland fighters, most were part of the Scouts. The Boyscouts fought as soldiers with Older Scouts being on the front lines and younger scouts ran ammo and were reinforcements. The girl scouts played the vital role of nurses, medics, ammo runners, and other support roles while also fighting when needed. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gemora was the Bombing of Hamburg in 1943 after the Germans were defeated in the Battle of Britain. Hamburg was an industrial city with a Dock of ships, U-boat docks, and military production. During the raids on one night, unusually high temperatures and winds created a firestorm sending flames all over the city killing all outside and in their homes instantly as the fire used all the oxygen suffocating all who survived the flames. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
D-Day
In 1944 The allies invaded Normandy, France to finally get Allied troops back in Europe. D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion over constructed Attacking on 5 different Beaches in 3 different countries. The only beach with a chance of total defeat was Omaha Beach, the American landing zone which consisted of 13 strong point bunkers and 78,000 men protecting it, Americans of the first 2 waves were mowed down on the beach.https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Battle of the Bulge
In 1945 Hitler was trying to find a way to defeat the Western allies and turn its focus in the Soviet Union, and in desperation came up with a last-ditch plan he felt could win the war. German forces would attack the Ardennes a forest region where allied battle fatigued Units stayed waiting out the winter. The Germans attacked with complete surprise with 200,000 troops and 1,000 tanks from the 4 and 6 Panzer division. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
The atomic bombs
in 1945 the Atomic bombs were used to end the war in the pacific after 2 were dropped completely destroying both cities, and the U.S. threatened to drop more if Japan did not surrender(which they didn't have anymore.) https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was originally a plan to bomb Berlin to create disarray and slow German communications and potentially kill High ranking Nazis but the bombing was focused on Dresden as the Red army wanted bombing on the Eastern front to quicken their advance through Germany. Dresden had not stationed troops and no key military targets but a city of culture and was focused on firebombing and high explosives killing thousands of civilians. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii -
Liberation of Concentration camps
While the Allies swept through Germany pushing to Berlin they discovered the horrors of the concentration camps. Majdanek was the First Major camp to be discovered on 23 July 1944. These discoveries marked the beginning of the end of the war and what would become the Holocaust. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was a small island outside the Inner defenses of the Japanese Pacific Islands and America thought of it as an important fueling station for bombers and an emergency landing site. On Fed 19, 1945 the 3, 4, 5 Marine divisions landed on the beach attacking and moving North while a regiment from the 5 marines would take Mount Suribachi. Over the next days, the Marines moved North-East, and fighting continued. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
Battle of Okinawa
The battle of Okinawa was the Battle of the last Island needed before US troops could invade Japan. The Japanese plan was instead of defending the whole island was to defend the southern tip which was full of mountains they could use their reverse slope tactics. Leading up to the battle Japanese forces had built enough tunnels to house the whole 35th Army and all its supplies. On April 1st, 1945 troops invaded. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
VE day
On May 8, 1945, the battle in Europe was over as German forces finally surrendered after 6 years. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-europe -
VJ Day
On September 2 1945 the Japanese empire surrendered to American forces ending the War in the Pacific and World War 2. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific