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Invasion of Poland
Germany began the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, with the USSR joining the invasion from the east two weeks later. Germany employed the blitzkrieg, or "lightning war," which used coordinated, fast-paced attacks to shock and overwhelm enemy lines. -
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Italian Invasion of North Africa
Italy declares war on Britain and France and targets North Africa, which is controlled by the Allies. In November 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch, and liberated North Africa from the Nazi-run Vichy French government. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by Japan. They targeted key military assets such as battleships and aircraft. The event marked the beginning of the US entry into World War II. -
Start of the Holocaust
Hitler began the genocide of Jews in January 1941. The Nazis built concentration camps to imprison Jews, where they were subjected to forced labor, starvation, mass shootings, and gassings. -
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Internment of Japanese Americans
In response to hysteria following the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR signed Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Japanese Americans were forcefully relocated to internment camps, which were cramped, supplied with only basic facilities, and were controlled by guard towers. -
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Battle of Midway
The Midway Atoll was a key strategic outpost in the Pacific that Japan sought to control. US intelligence broke Japanese codes and surprised the Japanese fleet arriving there. Four Japanese aircraft carriers were destroyed, dealing a severe blow to the Japanese navy. -
Start of the Manhattan Project
The project saw its origins with a letter written by Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard urging the US to begin research on the atomic bomb, which came after German chemists discovered nuclear fission in 1938. Some money was spent on research into the mechanism of nuclear fusion. On December 28, 1942, President Roosevelt authorized the formation of the Manhattan Project. The project would go on to produce the Little Boy and the Fat Man, which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Invasion of Normandy
Allied forces began the invasion of Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944, in the largest amphibious assault in history. The operation successfully established a Western front, allowing the Allies to begin advance into German territory. -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the final major German offensive campaign of World War II. The name comes from the shape of the Allied line as German forces drove in. The goal of splitting the Allied forces apart proved unsuccessful. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
Looking to avoid an arduous, costly invasion of Japan, the US sought to force Japan to surrender by using atomic bombs. The first of these bombs, named "Little Boy", was dropped on Hiroshima, killing 70,000 civilians instantly and injuring tens of thousands more. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Just three days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man", killed over 60,000 civilians. The two bombings played a decisive role in Japan's decision to surrender just six days after the second bombing. Today, the use of atomic bombs remains a subject of ethical debate.