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Japanese Invasion of China
July 7th, 1937 a dispute rose to a full-scale invasion between Chinese and Japanese troops near Peiping in China. This brawl sparked military activity from Japan and they soon declared war on China. The war was called the Second Sino. China received aid from the Soviet Union, and the United States and Japan received aid from the Axis. The biggest impact of this invasion was the war it started which would lead to 10,000,000 deaths. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War -
Rape of Nanking
This event was a mass murder and rape committed by the Japanese troops against the residents of Nanking. This event lasted for 6 weeks. The reason why this happened was that the leader of China moved all troops out of the city. This left the city defenseless and allowed the Japanese to do whatever they want with Nanking. The removal of the Chinese troops allowed the Japanese to sexually assault 80,000 women and kill an estimated 300,000 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Massacre -
German Blitzkrieg
The tactic of blitzkrieg was used in WW2 by Germany in the invasion of Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Germany used tanks, mobile infantry, and artillery troops to quickly take control of many countries. The reason they used this form of attack was to shock enemy forces with the size and speed of their attacks. The effect of the German Blitzkrieg was that many countries were not prepared and quickly lost territory. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
Germany took control of Paris. With the Germans in control, a curfew was set from 9 in the evening until 5 in the morning, supplies were low and the prices were higher, and the French press and radio had only German propaganda. The Germans wanted Paris because once they have control of the capital of France they have control of the country. The effect of the fall of Paris was that Germany now was one step closer to invading the UK. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's goal in this invasion was to conquer the western side of the Soviet Union and use the people as slave laborers and acquire oil reserves. This event was crucial in the turning point of WW2 because its failure forced Germany to a fight two-front war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by Japan. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes destroyed almost 20 American vessels including 8 battleships and 300 airplanes. The Japanese did this to destroy the important American fleet so they can conquer the Dutch East Indies and Malaya without the U.S. interfering. The impact of the Pearl Harbor attack caused the United States to enter WW2. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
15 Nazi party high ranked officials meet at a villa in Berlin to discuss what they called the "Final Solution". The solution was to deport all the Jews in German-occupied territories who survived the work camps to Poland to be murdered. One copy of the plan survived the war and was used as evidence in the Subsequent Nuremberg Trials. The Wannsee house is now a Holocaust memorial. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
Battle of Midway
This event was a naval battle between the United States and Japan for control of the Midway Islands. The U.S. Navy had begun breaking Japanese code early in 1942 and knew that Japan was planning on attacking Midway so they can have control of the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. then sent 3 carriers to counter Japan's attack. In this battle, the U.S. was able to destroy all 4 of the Japanese carriers involved in the battle and defend Midway. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
D-Day
This battle is one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history. It required 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces who landed on 5 different beaches. This attack caused more than 4,000 allied casualties and thousands more were injured or missing. D-Day was an attack where there were many casualties but it was also a major turning point in WW2. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle was Hitler's last major attack against the western front in WW2. The Germans were trying to break through the American defense and split the Allies. This battle lasted for 6 weeks during the cold winter conditions. The impact of this battle was that the U.S. suffered some 75,000 casualties and Germany suffered 80,000-100,000 casualties. https://history.army.mil/html/reference/bulge/index.html https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Liberation of concentration camps
As the Allies pushed across Europe they came across concentration camps full of starving and sick prisoners. The most known liberation was in January 1945 when Auschwitz was overrun by the Russians. Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp and it received more than 1,000,000 prisoners. When it was liberated only a few thousand prisoners were left. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/liberation-of-the-concentration-camps -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This battle was between the U.S. and Japan that lasted for 5 weeks. The U.S. attacked Iwo Jima because it was a prime real estate to launch bombings against Japan. During this battle, it was estimated that 6,800 Americans died and only 200 of the 20,000 Japanese troops on the island were alive after the battle. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
VE Day
VE Day stands for victory in Europe day. This event happened because Hitler and the Nazi leaders committed suicide during the Battle of Burlin on April 30th. Hitler's successor then surrendered on May 7th. Most allied countries celebrate the VE Day on May 8th. On this day there was a celebration all over the world. Nations put out flags and banners to celebrate the defeat of the Nazi war machine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
On this date, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. America did this to try to bring a quick end to the long war. This bomb killed 80,000 people instantly and also killed thousands more because of radiation exposure. 3 days later America dropped another atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki killing an estimated 40,000 people. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
VJ Day
VJ Day stands for victory over Japan day. This day is when Japan surrendered in and the war was finally over. This was an exciting day for America because their friends and family who were in the military got to come home. The effects of VJ Day were the baby boomer generation because couples were holding off on having children due to the Great Depression and World War II. Now that both of those events were over they could have a family. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Day
