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Battle of Poland
Germany launched a massive attack on Poland -
Battle of Dunkirk
the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and Allied forces in Europe. The Allies were ferried across the water to escape the advancing German army. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States navel base at Pearl Harbor. It was a devestating event that ultimately pushed America to join the war. -
Battle of Midway
Japanese bombers attacked Americans at Midway Island in the hopes of destroying the rest of the United States Fleet. The battle was fought entirely from the air. American planes surprised the Japanese as they were refueling and reloading bombs and swiftly destroyed as many carriers as they could. It was a devestating blow to the japanese. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Soviet Union and Germany fought at Stalingrad, a major rail and industrial center on the Volga River. Germans slowly pushed back the soviets until they launched a counter attack that forced Germany to surrender. This was a turning point in the war for Germany, they no longer seemed to be unstoppable. -
Battle of El Alemein
This battle was fought in the deserts of North Africa between the British General Bernard Montgomery and German General Erwin Rommel. It was a decisive Allied victory. -
D-Day
The landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy. There were to phases to the assault on the Germans, the air assault and the land assualt -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
A three-day battle between Japan and America. More than 280 warships took part in the battle in which America emerged vitorious. This was the first battle in which kamikaze planes were used. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
American planes and warships bombed the japanese on the tiny volcanic island of Iwo Jima. The rocky terrain provided protection for Japan until American marines stormed the beaches and secured the island a month later. 27 medals of honor were awarded to american soldiers for actions on Iwo Jima -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched a counter attack in Belgium and Luxemberg against the Allied line. Troops under the direction of General Omar N. Bradley, knocked the Germans back in just a few weeks. -
Battle of Okinawa
The small island of Okinawa was the last obstacle to an Allied invasion of the Japanese home islands. Japan desperately tried to defend themselves but America eventually secured the island. -
Hiroshima
The United states dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and then three days later, on Nagasaki. The bombs completely flattened the cities and killed tens of thousands of civilians. It was a very controversial decision make by Harry S. Truman