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Japanese invasion of china
The Japanese invasion of mainland china was a conflict that broke out when China began a full-scale resistance to the expansion of Japanese influence in its territory. The war which remained undeclared until December 9 1941 is divided into three stages: a period of Japanese attacks until 1938, a period of stalemate until 1944, and the finally when Allied counterattacks in the Pacific and on Japans on islands brought Japan’s surrender. https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Sino-Japanese-War -
Rape of Nanking
The rape of nanking was the mass killing and ravaging of Chinese citizens and Chinese POWs by soldiers of the Japanese Army after it took nanjing, China, on December 13, 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War that preceded World War II. The number of Chinese killed in the massacre has not had an official number, with most estimates ranging from 100,000 to more than 300,000. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre -
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German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is the strategy of using fast moving tanks and motorized infantry to breakthrough one spot in enemy lines. This was to prevent a war like WWI which Germany could not afford to participate in due to its smaller military size. The idea is often credited to the German military in WWII but was invented originally by Sir Percy Hobart of the Royal British army. https://ihr.org/journal/v18n1p-2_constable-html -
Molotov-Ribbentrop pact
The German-Soviet Pact was signed in August 1939. The pact was an agreement of convenience between two bitter enemies. It permitted them to carve up spheres of influence in eastern Europe, while promising not to attack each other for 10 years but Less than two years later Hitler would launch an invasion of the Soviet Union. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-soviet-pact -
Fall of Paris
Paris was taken very quickly due to Nazi Germany utilizing Blitzkreig. This tactic was a shock and awe tactic quickly striking with mechanized divisions with a quick concentrated attack. This allowed Nazi Germany to break through French lines quickly and take Paris in just a few days. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-France-World-War-II/Aftermath-of-the-Battle-of-France -
Bombing of pearl harbor
The bombing of pearl harbor occurred on December 7th 1941 at 7:55 am Utilizing the Japanese D3A, E13A, A6M, and B5N aircraft. The attack targeted Naval station pearl harbor on the island of Oahu ,Hawaii. This attack was a surprise attack by the Japanese allowing them to cause 4,757 casualties to U.S. forces in a total of an hour and forty five minutes. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196218/day-of-infamy-the-pearl-harbor -
Battle of midway
The Battle of Midway was World War II naval battle, fought almost entirely with aircraft, during which the United States destroyed Japan’s front-line carrier strength and shot down most of its best trained naval pilots. Together with the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Battle of Midway ended the threat of further Japanese invasion in the Pacific. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway -
Wannsee Conference
the Wannsee Conference main purposes were to inform and secure support from government ministries and agencies relevant to the implementation of the Final Solution and
to disclose to the participants that Hitler himself had tasked Reinhard Heydrich and the RSHA with coordinating the operation https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
D-Day
D-Day occurred June 6th 1944 and was the invasion of normandy beaches across the english channel. D-Day would be the first stage of operation overlord or the invasion of Normandy. Partial credit is given to operation fortitude in which a "ghost army" was stationed in southern England to convince hitlers armies that the allies would invade France from Pas de Calais instead of normandy.
https://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/d-day?_ga=2.103982595.2047779419.1733250904-1459289659.1727138899 -
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Freeing of nazi concentration camps
The first nazi concentration camp to be liberated was on the eastern front in 1944 and it was known Majdanek it was captured mostly intact. At Majdanek Soviet soldiers encountered a number of prisoners who had not been evacuated in the spring mostly Soviet POW's. The British would liberate the last concentration camps in Germany including Neuengamme and Bergen-Belsen. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps -
The Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the bulge was the german led counter offensive on allied lines in December of 1944 in an effort to break through allied held lines and split allied lines in half. the battle lasted from December 16th to December 27th ending with the allies repelling the attack. The battle came to its peak during the siege of Bastogne in which the 101st Airborne division was surrounded. https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2016/12/19/christmas-in-wartime-battle-of-the-bulge/ -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was the amphibous invasion by American marines on th island of iwo jima. The goal of this battle was to capture four things, the three airfields on iwo jima and mount Suribachi to have a forward airbase for fighter escorts to take off from. The battle would end with an American victory on February 28 1945 https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/The%20United%20States%20marines%20On%20Iwo%20Jima_The%20Battle%20and%20the%20Flag%20Raisings%20%20PCN%2019000316600.pdf -
VE day
Victory Europe day or VE day was the day Nazi Germany officially surrendered during WWII. This day would forever be remembered as the day of the allies official victory and beginning the freeing of all Nazi Concentration camps in Europe. Most people thought the war was over after this not being aware that the war in japan was still raging on. https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/tag/george-kennan/ -
dropping the atomic bombs
In the early morning of august 6th 1945 a b29 bomber known as the enola gay would take off carrying a payload to change the course of the war in japan, the little boy atomic bomb. later that month August 9th 1945 another b29 would take off with a second B-29 the Bockscar would take off with the second atomic bomb the Fat man. These bombs would cause japan to offer an unconditional surrender on August 14th. https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/tag/japan/ -
VJ Day
VJ day would symbolize WWII coming to an end with the unconditional surrender of the Japanese. This occurred at 7pm august 14th 1945 when japan sent President Truman a message about japan unconditionally surrendering to the Allied powers. this was a day of happiness for some but also sad for others as they had lost family and friends in the war. https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2013/08/13/celebration-of-v-j-day-08141945/