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The Fall of France
The Fall of France was sudden and short, occurring from May 10 to June 25 of 1940. France believed they were well-prepared for a war with Germany, however, Germany unloosed their blitzkrieg tactics and overwhelmed France, making it clear that France was not prepared and thus suffered defeat. France's defeat was a consequence of the lack of quality military leadership and primitive military tactics whereas Germany, being more prudent, utilized more advanced weaponry as well as elaborate tactics. -
The Battle of Britain
This battle was the air campaign executed between the Luftwaffe (Germany's air force) and the RAF (Britain's Royal Air Force). It's believed to have taken place between July 10 and October 31 of 1940. Hitler had intentions of invading Britain, but the Germans were fearful about the harm the RAF could inflict. For the invasion to be successful, Germany needed to exterminate the RAF - but the RAF refused to yield. The RAF had more advantages and prevented Germany from accomplishing their goal. -
The Siege of Tobruk
The Siege of Tobruk started on April 10 and from August, Australians were gradually relieved, however, the German-Italian army commanded by General Erwin Rommel continued to bombard the territory until November. Rommel saw the capture of Tobruk essential if he wished to advance on Alexandria (a city in Egypt) and Suez, however, it was vital for the Allies to defend Egypt and the Suez Canal as it diverted troops from their advance. Approximately 3000 Australians were injured or died. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbour
The surprise attack by Japanese forces at Pearl Harbour took place in two waves, the first wave began bombing Pearl Harbour, intending to destroy as many ships and parked aircraft as possible. The second wave was to eliminate what they had not in the first attack wave. Japan destroyed and damaged close to 20 American vessels and over 300 aeroplanes. Over 3000 Americans were either killed or wounded. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, fought between the U.S. Navy and the Japanese Navy, happened six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbour. American military and intelligence forces worked in conjunction to decipher Japanese naval code, this allowed America to anticipate Japanese assaults. This naval battle was one of the most important victories for America in WWII - Japan had not lost a naval battle in more than 50 years. The Battle of Midway terminated the threat of further invasion from Japan. -
The Kokoda Track Campaign
The Kokoda Track Campaign was fought between Japanese and Australian troops starting on July 21-22 and ending on November 18 of 1942. It took place in Papua New Guinea, where Japan desired to establish a base from which they could attack Australia because of the proximity. Australians fought in terrible conditions - nonetheless fought strongly to prevent Japan from achieving their goal. Over 2000 Australians were wounded or dead. The Japanese fatalities are estimated to be more than 10, 000. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad began on August 23, 1942, and is considered to be a turning point in WWII. It's notorious for being one of the longest and bloodiest battles in modern history; from August 1942 through to February 1943, more than two million troops fought and virtually two million people were either killed or injured in the engagement. It was the first substantial defeat of Germany from which they never completely managed to recover from. -
The D-Day and the Normandy Invasion
The D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, codenamed 'Operation Overlord', lasted from June 6 to late August in 1944. The battle required extensive planning and is considered one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history. Before D-Day, the Allies orchestrated a large-scale deception campaign which would mislead Germany about the planned location of the invasion. The liberation of France from Germany eventuated by late August and marked the beginning of the end of WWII.
