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World War II
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Invasion of Poland
Hitler ordered the German army to attack Poland on September 1st, 1939. It began at 4:45 am, when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired on Danzig. Tanks, planes, and soldiers invaded, defeating Poland in a couple weeks. German soldiers paraded through the Polish capital, Warsaw. Germany occupied the Eastern half of Poland; the west went to the USSR. This invasion is significant because it marked the beginning of WWII. The Nazi empire began. -
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Battle of Britain
The battle of Britain began after France fell to the Nazis. The Germans wanted to defeat the British air force (RAF) for control of the English Channel to mount their attack on the English mainland. They did not want the British attacking their transport ships. In addition, they bombed cities to destroy airfields and damage morale. The Germans failed to cripple the British navy and RAF, and England was never invaded. This is significant because it proved Hitler could be defeated. -
Battle of Britain
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Operation Barbarossa
Hitler breaks his peace treaty with Stalin, and invades the land in Poland Russia had, and into Russia. They went about 2000 miles into Russia. The Nazis hoped for a quick victory, but did not get one. The Russian soldiers fought mercilessly, and burned the land as they retreated. This helped starve the poorly equipped German army. This is important because failing to beat Russia quickly forced Hitler to fight a 2-front war. He could no longer mass his army in one area to attack. -
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Operation Barbarossa
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Battle of Moscow
Hitler's plan to end the war on the Eastern Front relied on capturing the Russian capital, Moscow. German soldiers advanced up close to Moscow, and the German Air force heavily bombed it. Even the Kremlin was damaged. Ultimately, the Nazis failed in taking Moscow. Stalin's propaganda kept Russian's morale up, and they kept the Germans out. This is vital to the war because it kept Hitler busy with the Eastern Front, so he could not just focus on Britain. -
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Battle of Moscow
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans did not want to leave Stalingrad under Russian control as they took Russia. Hitler hated the city just because it was named after Joseph Stalin. A massive army of over a million German soldiers, and hundreds of planes and tanks, attacked the Soviet forces at Stalingrad. This was a horrible defeat for Hitler. This is the turning point of the European theatre because the Nazi army was severely weakened, which made the attack on Germany later on possible. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
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Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was a large battle fought in Russia after the Germans tried to attack after their defeat at Stalingrad. Tanks and planes played a huge role. The Soviet Red Army had heard about the attack, and prepared. They defeated the Germans. This is significant because after the German defeat here, the Russians took the offensive and the Nazis now fought a defensive war on the Eastern Front. They were backed up. -
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Battle of Kursk
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D-Day
France was under Nazi control. The allied powers decided to change this with a risky invasion of France. The U.S. and British armies led the attack on the beaches of Normandy. About 160,000 allied soldiers stormed the beach. However, the allied powers got a foothold in Normandy by taking the beach. This is very significant because the allies could now attack Hitler from the European mainland. Now, more than just planes could be used to strike at Germany. D-Day began the unraveling of Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler, in an attempt to win back land lost from allies’ invasions, ordered an attack on the ally controlled Ardennes. Hitler's large army caught a mere two U.S. divisions off guard. The reason it is called the Battle of the Bulge is because the allied front bubbled out into a bulge shape when fighting the Germans off. The allies took major casualties, but held their ground. This is important because the stalemate stopped the German advance. The allies held West Europe. -
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Battle of the Bulge
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Battle of Berlin
The Soviet Red Army tore thought Eastern Europe. They then reached Berlin, the capital of Germany. Under General Zhukov's command, and with support from the U.S. and Britain, the Russian army captured Berlin over a few days of fighting. The tired, war torn Nazis could not defend their capital. Thousands of civilians died. This is important because Hitler killed himself, and Germany surrendered on May 7th. War in Europe was about over. -
Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In an attempt to end the Pacific War, the U.S. decided to use their new atomic bomb against the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The city was leveled; Hundreds of thousands died. Japan still did not surrender, so three days later, the U.S. dropped the next atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The devastation was as devastating as Hiroshima. This is significant because these are the only war uses of the atomic bomb, and they made Japan surrender unconditionally.
