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German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg, or "Lightning War", was a military tactic meant to cause confusion in the opposing side and eventually encircle enemy troops, forcing them to surrender. Because this strategy was used to cut the war as short as possible, it allowed Germany to be for efficient and powerful than it was before. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Only a week after signing a nonaggression treaty, Germany invaded Poland with the intent of taking over, killing nearly 1,200 on the first day. With the United Kingdom and France declaring war on Germany, this event was the official start of World War Two -
Bataan Death March
About 75,000 troops in Bataan were forces to make the 65-mile march to prison camps after they were forced to surrender to the Japanese. Thousands died due to the harsh treatment of Japanese guards and intense heat. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan's surprise attack on the Hawaiian naval base, Pearl Harbor, was -
D-Day
On D-Day, allied forced invaded France in hopes of liberating Western Europe from the Nazi Party's hold. The Allies were successful and all of northern France was liberated. This event is considered to be the beginning of the end of World War Two. -
Battle of the Bulge
In the Battle of the Bulge, the Axis Alliance launched an attack meant to push the war toward their own victory after D-Day. With the Allies playing a successful defensive part, this pushed them even closer to winning the war. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Soviet soldiers liberated the starving and sick prisoners of the Auschwitz concentration camp after Germans were forced to leave the camp. This set free thousands of dying prisoners. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The American invasion of Iwo Jima was caused by a need for a base near the Japanese coast. While it cost thousand of lives, the American troops eventually won the battle. -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last major battle of World War Two. The Ally invasion in Japan was meant to be the last tipping point of the war. -
VE Day
VE Day was the day in which the Allies celebrated their victory against the Nazis, formally acknowledging the Allies' war with Germany after General Alfred Jodl signed Germany's surrender. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
In hopes of forcing Japan to surrender, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The result was 120,000 people immediately killed from the blast and thousands more killed after due to the effects of radiation exposure. The attack was successful and Japan surrendered. -
VJ Day
Because of Japan's surrender to the U.S, this day became a day of celebration of the end of war with Japan. with Germany already surrendered, this brought World War Two to a close.