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German Invasion of Poland
In August of 1939, Germany signed a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union, called the German-Soviet Pact, which stated that Poland was to be partitioned between these two superpowers. This allowed Germany to attack Poland without the Soviet Union stepping in. This is significant because World War II began as a result of Germay attacking Poland. The outcome was on September 3, 1939, two days after the invasion of Poland by the Germans, Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
Battle of Britain
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Battle of Britain
After the Battle of France had come to an end, Churchill knew the Germans would attack them next. On this day, 120 bombers and fighters attacked a British convoy in the English channel, while 70 others attacked building projects in South Wales. This is significant because the British never surrendered, which shows that the Nazis can be held off. The outcome was after two months of fighting, the Germans finally left Britain and turned their sights to other countries. -
Operation Barbarossa
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Operation Barbarossa
Even after the non-aggression pact was created for Germany and the Soviet Union, both superpowers felt suspicious of one another. However, Russia was still not ready for the suprise attack Germany made on the USSR, called Operation Barbarossa. This is significant beause this ended the "friendly" relationship between them and dragged Russia into the war. The outcome was Germany was within sites of Moscow and 750,000 Nazis died, 800,000 Russians died, and 6 million were wounded or captured. -
Battle of Moscow, Russia
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Battle of Moscow
The Battle of Moscow was a surprise attack on Moscow by the Germans, code-named Operation Typhoon, following Operation Barbarossa. Hitler believed Moscow was the heart of Russia, and once it was taken, the Soviet Union would fall. This is significant because the Russians proved that the Germans could be beaten. The outcome of this event was the Nazis having to retreat because exposure to the elements and loss of men, and over 35 senior officers being dismissed because they didn't conquer Moscow. -
Battle of Stalingrad, Russia
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Battle of Stalingrad
This battle followed the battle of Moscow and was important for two reasons: to capture a major trade city on the Volga River and to secure the left flank of the German army to obtain oil in the Caucasus region. This is significant because once the Germans were in the city, the USSR drove them out, proving the first time the Germans were defeated wasn't just luck. The outcome of this was one of the worst seen in human history; there were 1.7-2 million casualties contributing from both sides. -
Battle of Kursk, Russia
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Battle of Kursk, Russia
Once realizing the plans of Germany to attack Kursk, Stalin was forced to change his plans and strengthen his defenses to try and secure a victory. This is an extremely important event because it was the turning point of the war; the Soviet Union and the other allies began to go on the offensive, and this was the last attack Germany made on the USSR. The outcome was Germany being driven out of Russia and USSR liberating parts of Ukraine. -
D-Day, France
More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 planes supported the Americans on this attack on France, and by the end of the day, the Allied forces grabbed a foothole on the beaches of Normandy. This was a significant battle because this was the first point in the war that the Allied forces grabbed a strong foothole on Europe and were able to begin marching towards Hitler. The outcome was more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were either wounded or killed, but close to 100,000 began the walk towards Hitler. -
Battle of the Bulge - Lux/Beglium
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Battle of the Bulge - Lux/Belgium
Hitler's troops ambushed the allied forces in Beligum. However, after a long, fierce battle, Hitler's troops faced a shortage of fuel and were affected by the extremely cold temperatures, just like in the battles of Russia. This is significant because it was the last battle fought against the Nazis outside of Germany. The outcome was the victory of the allied forces, who could begin a direct approach to Berlin, Germany to dethrone Hitler once and for all. -
Battle of Berlin
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Battle of Berlin
Allied forces had surrounded the city of Berlin and advanced toward the center. On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide in a bunker in Berlin because he knew his chances of victory were extremely unlikely. If he had been captured, no one could have predicted what he would have gone through. This battle is significant because it ended the reign of Hitler and the Nazis. The outcome was World War II ended and Hitler was dead. -
Hiroshima - Japan
The United States had developed a secret project to design nuclear weapons, known as the Manhattan Project. After $2 billion was put into the project and several tests were run, the nuclear weapon was finally ready. This is significant because it was the first nuclear weapon to ever be used in war; it was the most destructive weapon every designed. The outcome of this was 65,000 people lost their life due to the initial dropping and radiation for months to come. -
Nagasaki - Japan
The United States only made two nuclear weapons to use in the war, and one had already been used. They decided to drop the other weapon on Nagasaki, Japan, a city that was home to 175,000 people. This is significant because this second dropping caused Japan to surrender six days later; Japan had no idea how many more nuclear weapons we had. The outcome of this was the end of World War II in Japan, and close to 40,000 deaths, with resulted from the initial dropping and radiation.
