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Major Events of World War II
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German Invasion of Poland
The invasion began when 1.5 million German troops entered Poland. The Germans bombed polish air fields and attacked Polish naval forces using U-boats. the Polish had poor war strategies against the Germans. On September 3, Britain and France declared war on Germany, which was the beginning of World War II. This event of World War II was significant because it was the start of the war. If German hadn’t have invaded Poland, then Britain and France wouldn’t have declared war on the Germans. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the attempt of the German air force to take over the RAF from July to September 1940. The germans concentrated on attacking coastal towns and shipping in the English Channel. Later, Hitler ordered the soldiers to attack major cities like London. On September 7th, hitler told the Germans the the invasion was postponed and he had been defeated. This event was significant because it showed everyone that the Germans could be defeated. -
Operation Barbarossa - Russia
On this date, Hitler sent his armies into the Soviet Union for a major invasion. The Germans under setimated the Soviet Union. The germans however continued through Russia and face harsh winters without and winter supplies. In the end, operationbarbossa failed and Germany was left to face a two front war. This event was signifivant because it brought te Sovviet Union into the war which was what the Germans were trying to avoid. -
Battle of Moscow, Russia
Hitler believed that by taking over Russia's capital, the whole nation would collapse because Moscow was one of the primary military and political cities. The Germans slowly were overcome by the Soviets and Operation Barbarossa failed. This battle was significant because Soviet forces had stopped the Germans and compelled them back for the first time since June 1941. This resulted in Stalin becoming overconfident and deciding to further expand the offensive. -
Battle of Stalingrad, Russia
In mid-November, the German Sixth Army was cut off a surprise attack by two Russian armies. The Sixth Army, which was under the command of General Friedrich Paulus, was ordered by Hitler to hold its ground rather than retreat west to join the other German forces. A quarter of a million German soldiers were killed by the Soviet Army and the Russian winter, which marked a victory for the Russians. This event is significant because it made the allies more favorable of winning the war. -
Battle of Kursk, Russia
As the spring came, both sides wondered what to do next. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein wanted an atack against the Kursk salient as soon as the ground had dried out. The objective would be to wreck as much of the Soviet army as possible. Hitler approved of it . On July 5th, the battle began. Because of a threat of an Italian collapse, Hitler decided to call off the operation.the Germans had lost a lot of their armor, and The Soviet's operational balance out ranked the Germans. -
D-Day, France
160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of French shore to fight Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. The D-Day invasion supported more than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a grip in Normandy. The D-Day casualty amount was high. Over 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded.This event was significant becauseit was the turning point of World War II. It marked the start of the Allies' invasion of Western Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge - Lux/Belgium
In December 1944, HItler issued a counteroffensive in hope for the Allies to sue for peace. Three German armies unleash the deadliest battle of the war in the west in the Ardennes, which were heavily forested. The Americans were caught and battled the Germans to try and stop their advance. A shortage of fuel for the Germans proved grave to Hitler's objective to not fall to the Allies. Having suffered over 100,000 deaths, The Battle of the Bulge was the most damaging battle fought by the U.S. -
Battle of Berlin
The battle of Berlin was supposed to be the end of the war because its goal was to get rid of the Third Reich. The Red Army conducted artillery and air bombardments. German soldiers were fighting in the streets and fanatic Hitler schoolboys supplemented German army units, As an outcome, Hitler realized he was losing and commited suicide. This event was significant because it marked the end of the war in the European theater. -
Hiroshima/Nagasaki - Japan
On August 6, 1945, an American bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion annihilated 90 percent of the city. A second bomber dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people three days later. Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's surrender in World War II on August 15. This event is significant because it marked the end of the war and the beginning of the U.S. becoming a super power.
