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Germany's Invasion of Poland
The German invasion of Poland was extremely swift due to blitzkrieg strategies. The Soviet Union also helped, coming in from the East. Warsaw was reached very quickly. https://www.britannica.com/event/Invasion-of-Poland -
Start of War
This war began with Germany gaining a massive amount of territory. This was allowed to happen due to the German strategy of Blitzkrieg. With this strategy, the Germans were able to conquer a large portion of mainland Europe, including France, while avoiding extremely long trench warfare. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Battle of Britain
The Germans raided Britain through the air constantly. The Germans stopped assaulting the airforce too early, which allowed them to keep fighting. The Germans then proceeded to assault civilian targets, which also failed. This led to the Germans giving up on taking Britain. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Britain-European-history-1940 -
Fall of Paris
The fall of Paris was swift and brutal. The French had placed all of their hopes on the Maginot line, which would defend against Germany along their shared border. Needless to say, it was not effective. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-France-World-War-II/The-fall-of-France-June-5-25-1940 -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was planned by the Japanese extensively. It was a plan designed to cripple the United States for roughly 6 months by destroying their ability to control the pacific. One scary detail is how close they were in their estimate of how long the United States would be unable to act. -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan death march was a very brutal journey that had roughly 76,000 participants, most of which were soldiers. This journey took them to brutal prison camps. These prison camps had people undergo horribly harsh conditions and were a very horrible experience for those forced to attend. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bataan-Death-March -
Battle of Stalingrad
A very bloody battle was fought over a major Soviet industrial center. The German army was defeated in this battle because of very poor tactical decisions as well as it being winter in Russia, something the Russian army was effectively based around fighting in. These conditions led to a brutal fight, in which Germany realized it could not take the Soviet Union. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Britain-European-history-1940 -
Battle of Midway
As a major turning point in WW2, it was fought between the United States and Japan. The battle was fought on, as its name suggests, the island of Midway, which has an airstrip making it a major advantage for whoever controlled it. The Japanese lost several aircraft carriers during this battle. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway -
Allied Invasion of Italy
The Italian government, continuing its national tradition, agreed to help the Allies against Germany in exchange for leniency. They invaded through the "shin" of Italy, though this was much less successful than the invasion through the heel of Italy. The invasion was, in total, a wonderful success. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II/The-Allies-invasion-of-Italy-and-the-Italian-volte-face-1943 -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
This ghetto, with people crowded at nine per room of housing, and many without housing at all, decided to rise up in protest of the Nazi regime. When deportations to the camps increased, they decided to go into hiding until the German effort ended. On April 19, Himmler decided to exterminate the ghetto, and what was intended to take three days, instead took one month before the ghetto had been fully liquidated. https://www.britannica.com/event/Warsaw-Ghetto-Uprising -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
An invasion on the beaches of Normandy, this operation was crucial for taking back France. This operation was majorly successful due to the misplaced German defense due to allied misinformation. That is not to say it was simple, however, as many still lost their lives attempting to get to the shore and actually invade. https://www.britannica.com/event/Normandy-Invasion -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was bloody. The Japanese laid in wait for the United States navy to enter the island, waiting for an opportunity to deal massive amounts of damage as they were ascending the hill. This was a victory for the United States, but it came at an absolutely brutal cost. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Iwo-Jima -
Liberation of the Concentration Camps
The liberation of the concentration camps was a pyrrhic victory. The remaining people were indeed saved, yes, but due to inaction against Germany's crimes against humanity, the death toll was massive. Nonetheless, it was still a triumph for the allies, and many people were indeed saved as the camps were liberated. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
This event effectively defined politics for the latter half of the twentieth century. Two atomic bombs were dropped that each leveled an entire city, turning people within a certain distance into carbon dust in the wind, as well as making the land effectively uninhabitable for a very long time due to radiation. Whether it was justified is very subjective and answers will vary. https://www.britannica.com/place/Hiroshima-Japan -
Battle of the Bulge
The last major German offensive of the war, this battle was their last-ditch effort to retain control of France. It was a brutal battle with staggering amounts of deaths. It also had the largest number of United States casualties. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge