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Period: to
Duration of WW2
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Germany invades Russia
German-Soviet Nonaggresion PactEven though Germany had signed the German-Soviet nonaggresion pact, Hitler felt it was right to invade the Soviet Union. With over 3 million German soldiers and over 650,000 troops of it's allies, Germany pressed deeper and deeper into Soviet Union territory... Annihilating any Jew or "threat" along the way. Russian forces were simply overwhelmed. -
Pearl Harbor is attacked
Pearl HarborFor so long, President Roosevelt stayed out of the war because of popular opinion throughout the country. All changed when Japan launched a major bombing run with over 350 planes from 6 aircraft carriers on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The end casualties were over 2,000 American soldiers and wounding over 1,000, while only 65 Japanese pilots were killed. -
Battle of Stalingrad begins
StalingradAfter the bombing over the Russian city Stalingrad by Germany's Luftwaffe, ground troops from Germany and it's Allies, and Russian troops fought to take control over the city. This battle ended on February 2nd, 1943 after each side fought and killed many troops. This battle was the bloodiest battle of World War 2 resulting in over 2 million casualties. Many could argue that after Germany lost this battle, it would never recover from it's losses. -
Elie arrives in Auschwitz
ghettoAfter spending weeks going from ghetto to ghetto with his father, mother, and sisters, Elie and his family were to be deported from Sighet. When they arrive, Elie and his father receive advise to change their ages so they would be sent to work and not the crematoria. Even though this was good news that they would not be headed for the crematoria, they were seperated from the mother and sisters. The mother and the youngest sister were killed in the gas chambers at Auschwitz -
Elie's mother and youngest sister killed
AuschwitzUpon their first day of arrival in Auschwitz, Elie's mother Sarah Feig, and youngest sister Tzipora did not get very lucky. With Elie, father Shlomo, sisters Beatrice and Hilda, surviving the arrival in Auschwitz, the mother and youngest sister were selected to go into the gas chambers. Elie's last sight of his mother and youngest sister was being seperated into lines in their arrival of Auschwitz. -
Death March begins
GleiwitzWith the Soviet Army approaching, the Germans decide to flee... Along with bringing thousands and thousands of jewish inmates with them. The Jews had to run and march over 20 kilometers without one's individual rests or you got shot. Thousands of jews died along the march from exhaustion, and starvation. Finally reach Gleiwitz after days of traveling -
Elie's father Shlomo dies
BuchenwaldOnly after a couple weeks after arriving in Buchenwald by running over 20 kilometers with barely any rest, Elie's father Shlomo is near death. Shlomo was suffering from dysentery, starvation, exhaustion, and wounds from being beating with a club. Elie did everything he could for his father to comfort him, but his wounds were too great. He died on Jan 29th 1945, only a couple weeks before Americans came and liberate the camp -
U.S. forces liberate camp Buchenwald
SSA resistance had started to form in the camp, waiting to strike at the right moment. On April 10th 1945 a roll call was announced. At the time Elie was in a block with other children and were heading out to go to the roll call. Another prisoner came up to them and said "Go back to your block. The Germans plan to shoot you...". The SS fled Buchenwald after prisoners took weapons and fired at them. At six o' clock that afternoon, the first American tank showed at the front gates of Buchenwald. -
U.S. drops "Little Boy" on Hiroshima
Manhatten ProjectThe Manhatten Project under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the U.S, army corps of engineers, called for the design and building of the first two atomic bombs. These bombs were known as "Little Boy", and "Fat Man". After four months of the explosion, roughly 90,000-166,000 died from"Little Boy". It is estimated on the first day of the bomb explosion, more then half of the people who died all together died instantly on impact of flash and flame burns. -
U.S. drops "Fat Man" on Nagasaki
NagasakiAfter four months of the dropping of "Fat Man" over Nagasaki, the casualties are estimated to be 60,000-80,000. With over half of that number dying the very first day, it is estimated 60% died of flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris, and 10% from other causes. As a result of the two bombs that were dropped on August 6th, and 9th of 1945, on August 15th 1945 Japan called for ceasefire and surrendered, officially ending World War 2.
