-
Nuremburg Laws
The first of the Nurermburg Laws are passed by the Germans. These laws revoked Jew's citizenship ans prohibited the marriage of Jews and non-Jews. Even this wasn't enough for Hitler. He had made a plan called the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question".Hitler also used propoganda to turn the Germans against the Jews. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht is also known as "THe Night of the Broken Glass". It spread over a time span of ten days. Nazi officials ordered attacks on Jews in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Secret police and military units destroyed more than 1500 synagogues and 7500 owned businesses. They also killed 200 Jews and injured more than 600 others. This was the most serious attack against the Jewish people. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was comitted by the Japanese. They were lead by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. Pearl harbor was the United States main Pacific base for the navy. On the Sunday morning of December 7th, 1941, Japan sent aircraft carriers, planes, and other ships and subs. They attacked in two waves. the first wave was the main attack; they attcked the ships and airfield.The second wave was sent to destroy anything else. They did a lot of damage, but several ships were not in the harbor. -
The Battle of The Coral Sea
Japan moved to take New Guinea. It was possible to attack Japan from here. The US sent 2 aircraft carriers to fight. From May 7th to May 8th the battle took place. Teh ships for both countries never saw th other countries ships. The whole battle was fought in the air with the planes. The battle ended up being a draw, but it shifted the momentum to the US for the 1st time. -
Battle of Midway
This battle took place at Midway. It lasted for three days. Admiral Chester Nimitz new the Japanese plans for Midway and concentrated his forces there.The attack began on the 4th. Us dealt Japan a decisive defeat. They sank 4 aircraft carriers and 250 planes. This was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. US then went on the offensive in the Pacific and this started the island hopping. -
Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad took place in the southern part of the Soviet Union. It was one of three battles that took place in the Soviet Union.Hitler wouldn't let his army surrender. The winter was brutal and Hitler's army was starving and sick.Stalingrad was the turing point in the war in Europe. It ended all realistic plans of Hitler dominating Europe. Nazis were forced tro retreat back to Germany. The Soviets went on the offensive after Stalingrad. -
Teheran Conference
The big three all traveled to Teheran, Iran. The big three were Stalin, FDR, and Churchill. This was their first face-to-face meeting. Churchill continued to voice reservationon on starting a second front in France. FDR sided with Stalin. After years of war, American and British soldiers invaded France and marched towards Germany. This was part of Operation Overlord. -
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord involed landing 21 American divisions on a 50 mile stretch of beaches in Normandy, France. There were five beaches targeted: Juno, Gold, Sword, Utah, and Omaha.Omaha was the worst of all the beaches. Nazi soldiers were dug into the mountain sides. The beaches were heavily mined and when Americans stepped out of their landing crafts, they were hit with a rainstorm of gunfire and death. Some of the crafts dropped the soldiers off too early and they drowned. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge started on the 16th and ended 10 days later. This was Hitler's counterattack. It almost succeeded. Germans caught the allies by surprise, created a bulge in the American line, and catured several key towns.Bastogne, Belgium is where Americans held the line despite frostbite and brutal German assults. On December 23 the skies cleared and allied bombers attacked and steadily pushed the Germans out of France. -
The Atomic Bomb is Dropped
On August 6, 1945 US pilots dropped an atomic bomb an Hiroshima (little boy). It exploded at 9:14 am and within 2 minutes, 60000 of hiroshim's 344000 residents were killed. Over the next 3 days Japan debated whether or not to surrender. The Soviet Union then declared war on Japan on August 9 and invaded Manchuria. Then the US dropped a second atomic bomb (fat man) on Nagasaki, killing an additional 35,000 residents. Truman decided to drop these bombs to save the lives of a million US soldiers.
