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German Invasion of Poland
On September 1st, 1939, 1.5 million German soldiers invaded Poland. Hitler believed that Germans were racially superior and therefore believed that they deserved more land. As a result of the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany. (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland) -
German Blitzkrieg
A German military tactic that they first used for the invasion of Poland. After seeing the success of this strategy, it was used for later invasions of Belgium, The Netherlands, and France in 1940. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg) -
Pearl Harbor Attack
Japanese air forces launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a naval base located on a Hawaiian island. Japan wanted to prevent the United States from attacking them as they continued to spread their forces throughout the Pacific. Shortly after the attack, The United States declared war on Japan. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor) -
Battle of Stalingrad
The German army attacked the city of Stalingrad due to its importance it had for Russian troops in the war. By late November of the attack, Russian troops surrounded German troops, trapping them in the city, and Russia eventually defeats the Germans. -
D-Day
American, British, and Canadian forces landed on beaches in Northern France in an effort to liberate France and the rest of Western Europe from Nazi control. By late August, all of Northern France had been liberated. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day) -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler launched a surprise attack in northwest Europe as a last attempt in defeating the allies. Germany lost many troops and fuel, and therefore lost the war. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
U.S. marines invaded the Japanese airbase on Iwo Jima to get closer to defeating Japan. Eventually after ruthless fighting from the Japanese soldiers, American forces had captured the island. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima) -
Battle of Okinawa
More than 180,000 American invaded the Pacific island of Okinawa as a final push towards Japan. The Allies won the battle and were within striking distance of Japan. (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa) -
Victory in Europe Day
Great Britain and the United States celebrate due to the defeat of Nazi Germany since they officially surrendered. The day is still celebrated today. (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe) -
Potsdam Declaration
A declaration was made to get Japan to surrender the war. Japan initially rejected the treaty, but accepted the treaty after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6th and August 9th, two nuclear bombs were dropped by the U.S. on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The U.S. did this to prevent further American lives from being lost. Japan surrendered a few days later, ending the war. (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima) -
Victory over Japan Day
On August 14, 1944, Japan announced its surrender to the allies after losing close to 200,000 of its people to nuclear bombs. Every year, on August 14 and 15, Victory over Japan Day is celebrated.
(https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day)
