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Japanese Invasion of China
It was the second invasion of China by Japan, beginning with the invasion of Manchuria in 1931, lasting until September 9th, 1945. Japan, at the time, wanted to expand their empire all across the Pacific and China was one of the areas. It was the deadliest war in the Pacific, both Chinese and Japanese forces suffering heavy casualties. It also remains as a controversial subject due to the atrocities committed such as the Rape of Nanking. -
German Blitzkrieg
A war tactic developed by Germany where the attacking force is spearheaded by armoured vehicles and air support, followed by infantry. This tactic was largely used at the beginning of the war as Germany had some of the most advanced technology at the time, allowing them to go through several small European countries. This strategy was very effective at the for the first couple of years and gave Germany many small countries in Europe, and was able to strike fear into Britain and France. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
One week after Germany signed the Non-Aggresion Pact with Russia, they invaded Poland. Adolf Hitler for months has been coming up with a plan for Germany to gain more land to become the strongest country. Due to having superior technology, Germany defeated Poland and they suffered around 200,000 casualties, with Germany suffering aorund 60,000 casualties. This invasion is often seen as the beginning of WW2, paving the way for the rest of the war. -
Operation Barbarossa
The code name for for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Prior to this, Germany and Russia signed a non-aggression pact. Germany sent 4 million soldiers to invade Russia. Despite Russia facing heavy casualties, the operation was a failure due to heavy winters and unfamiliar terrain. The failure of the operation was seen as a turning point in the Eastern Front of the War. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
It was a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a naval base in Hawaii, by the Japanese Empire. This attack was designed to keep the United States out of the war by destroying their naval fleet. While it didn't prevent the United States from entering the war, it severely damaged it's Navy. Around 2,000 Americans were killed and 1,000 were injured. -
The Battle of Midway
A naval battle between the United States and Japan in the Pacific Theatre. The operation by Japan was similar to Pearl Harbor, to eliminate the U.S. as a naval power and be able to take the Asian Pacific with no trouble. The United States won and became a turning point in the war as they sunk 4 aircraft carriers and 1 heavy cruiser. These costs proved to be unreparable to the Japanese and thus they had no chance of taking the Pacific at that point. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-Day refers to the Normandy landings which were landing operations in France. In the morning of June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the largest amphibious landings in history. The victory proved to be very decisive as the Allies were able to push the Nazis closer to Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
A major German offensive that was launched in the dense forests of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. While it did catch the Allies offguard, it proved to be a disastrous assualt on the Allies. Germany suffered many casualties and the amount of heavy motorized vehicles destroyed were also irreplaceable. -
Battle of Okinawa
An invasion of the Okinawa island by the United States. This was one of the islands used for America's "island hopping" strategy to get closer to Japan. This was one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific. With around 110,000 Japanese soldiers killed, with the U.S. suffering 7,000 casualties. -
V.E. Day
This is the day Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allies. After 6 years of fighting, World War 2 in Europe finally ended. Adolf Hitler committed suicide prior. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945 in France and on May 8 in Berlin. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
With an invasion of Japan planned by the Allies, they found that it would be too costly and deadly to invade. With the Manhattan Project going on at the time, the atomic bombs that spawned from the project would be used if Japan refused to surrender. When they refused, America dropped the bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, killing around 160,000 civilians. When they still refused, "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki, killing around 80,000 people. Japan finally surrendered, ending WW2 in the Pacific. -
VJ Day
The day Japan surrendered to the allies, ending World War 2. After the atomic droppings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered due to the destruction it caused. This surrender officially ended the entirety of World War 2. The total casualties are around 70 million, most of which are civilians.
