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Japanese invassion of China
In 1937 Japan began to expand and attack areas of china, specifically in manchuria. Japan was under the leadership of a dictator named tojo. Since they and China had not gotten along well in the first place they decided to start by taking parts of manchuria, which had rich soil. This would be the beginning of the huge chunk of land they would take throghout the war, as well as providing resources to trade with the U.S. (secondworldwarhistory.com) -
Period: to
World War 2 Timeline
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Rape of Nanking
This was an event in the Second Sino-Japanese war, leading into WW2. This massacre was spread over six weeks, in which Japan began taking territory in China. -
Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact
This was an agreement reached by the Russian and German foreign ministers speaking on behalf of their said countries. This was a nonagression agreement, This was mainly a stratigic move by Russia trying by any means to appease Hitler without having the Nazi's attack Russia.(ushmm.org) -
Germany Invades Poland
After the German-Soviet Pact, which was an agreement between the U.S.S.R. and germany that they wouldnt invade each other, rather they would split Poland, Germany chose to begin invading. After mere weeks of invasion, the polish army was defeated. Germany was now on its was to taking more and more land, including the land they wanted in Russia.(secondworldwarhistory.com) -
German Blitzkrieg
Germany began to institue a new fighting style that cordinated their air, lan, and naval strikes to be as effective and time consuming as possible. They first tested this strategy in the Invasion of Poland.(secondworldwarhistory.com) -
The Battle(Fall) of France
This was a large victory by the German Forces. This attack was seperated into two parts for the germans, pushing through the ardennes, and then swallowing the army with overwhelming air riads as they used in their Blizkrieg method. This would be a massive victory for the Germans.
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Operation Barbarossa
In this strategic move by the German forces, russia became the target. In one swift move Germany attempted to take all of Stalingrad, Lenningrad, and Moscow. The german forces were succesful in gaining land, however they did not achieve their goals, as the harsh winter and many battles caused hitler to eventually return his troops from the assault.(secondworldwarhistory.com) -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese brought the United States into the war with one move on this day. They sent numerous air crafts and bombed the air base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. over two thousand people were killed, adn eight battle ships were shot down, 200 american aircraft were destroyed. Before this attack the United States had been trade partners with Japan, hoever they suspended their trade when Japan began to attack China, which obvuiously angered Japan. (secondworldwarhistory.com) -
The Wannsee Confrence
This was a meeting between all of the high ranking nazi party leaders, and the German government officialsm to arange what they called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." ultimatley this was the decision to anihilate all of the jews in Europe, and eventually the world threough any means necessary, but first through the concentration camps.(https://www.ushmm.org) -
Bataan Death March
This was the forced relocation of the prisoners of war the Japanese had taken at this point in the war. it was a 60 mile journey that was defined with severe physical abuse, which was later to be used agaisnt the Japanese as a war crime.
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Battle of Midway
A decisive an influential battle in the pacific theater of the war, which was a crucial victory for the united states. This battle is considered a turning point in the war of the pacific, in which the american loses were much easier to replace then the Japanese at this point.(historynet.com) -
Battle of Stalingrad
Thsi Battle lasted several months, in which the Soviets were basically able to outlast the Germans in this harsh russian winter. This was a decisive victory for the soviets who desperatly needed to stop the Germans on their mission to obtain control of Stalingrad, Moscow, and Leningrad.
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Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
A large act of resistance by the Jewish poluation in Warsaw, which was opposing the movement of the jews into the concentration camps. This is considered this largest jewish rebellion throughout the war, however unsuccessful as it was. numerous jews were killed in this uprising, while mere number of soldiers were killed.
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Operation Gomorrah
This was ultimatley an a part of a series of bombings in germany called "Blitz Week". The brittish and the americans continued to attack and bomb the germans specifically in Hamburg, Germany. This first attack was just the start of many bombings on germany by the brits and the americans until November.
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Allied invasion of Italy
This was a four tier operation, with one being in sicily, the others being in salerno, Calabria, and Taranto. This was another huge victory for the allies in retaking Europe. this force pushing through italy joining with tthe push from normandy would be a large force in the eventual attack on Berlin, leading to the end of the war.
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Invasion of Normandy (D-Day)
After losing the majority of Fance to the German forces, the allies began a plan to mislead Adolf Hitler. Using codes and intel Hitler began to believe if an attack would happen on the coast of France it would be off of Calais, however this was exactly what the allies wanted him to think. Due to the lack of troops at Normandy they were able to push back the nazi forces into france. This lead to the allies gaining much more land back from the Nazi's.(Historynet.com) -
Liberation of the Concentration Camps
While the allied forces were moving through Europe, they came across numerous camps of Jews. While they had heard and known about the camps, the devastation of actually seeing it has been told over and over. The soldiers tried to clear out the remaining german forces and free these horrified jews and poilitcal prisoners.
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Battle of the Bulge
After losing so much of France, and the Netherlands to the allies, the germans began to mobilizes troops to the Hurtgen Forest to prepare for a counter attack to regain the lost land. At first the surprise attack was exteamly sucessful, crippling two large american divisions, however the forces had delayed the germans long enough to allow the allies to call in the reinforcements. This move brought the germans all the way back to their original line, minus numerous troops.(Historynet.com) -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap originally was a much larger plan from the allies with large bombing raids to take place in places near Berlin, Dresden, and Chemnit. Alothough they still did attack dresden killing 60,000 civilians, this wasnt as large scale as the original plan.(history.com) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was an attack during the american "island hoping" tactic wwhile getting closer and closer to the heart of their problem , Japan. this island was roughly eight square miles, and although the number of troops was not huge this assault lasted for roughly a month. This attack and the one on Okinawa were major keys toward the road to Japan.(historynet.com) -
Truman Takes office in America
Imediatley after the untimly death of Franklin D. Rosevelt, President Harry S. Truman was sworn in to become Comander in Chief of the United States of America. He would eventually be the leading factor on the dropping of the atomic bombs.
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The Death of Adolf Hitler
On this evening the Soviet and American forces were closing in on Berlin as a whole and Hitler himself. He and his new wife Eva, fled to a bunker where they comitted suicide. There is however, speculation to wether or not it is true, since a body was not presented, some believe they made it out of Berlin and fled.
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V-E Day
On this day the German Capitol (without hitler who had killed himself prior) surendered to the soviet forces who had stromed Berlin. Although this signlaed the end of the war in europe, the war in the pacific was still raging. however there still was celebration. The soviets being in berlin only a few hours before the americans is one source of argument later in the cold war.(historynet.com) -
Battle of Okinawa
This was one of the fianl battles in the pacific theater. Due to Japanese propoganda, many civilians would kill themselves, or throw their children off cliffs for fear that the americans would torture them. This assault was a success for the allies, but due to the Japanese fierce nationalism, and kamakasi's many american ships were sunk or damaged, ironically one of which which later carried the atom bomb to one of the islands in the pacific.(historynet.com) -
Potsdam Declaration
This was a document issued by the President of the United states (Truman) and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Churchil), calling for the imediate surrender of the japanese forces.which stated that if Japan did not surrender they would face "prompt and utter destruction" meaning the dropping of the atomic bombs.
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Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
This was a very bold move by the united states that is still debated today. On August 6th, President Truman authorized the dropping of the "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, as a final call of surrender by the Japanese. The Japanese however did not surrender and three days later the "Fat-Man" was dropped on Nagasaki. These bombs anhiliated huge number of civilian, and armed japanese people. eventually calling for a surrender from the Japanese.(historynet.com) -
V-J Day
On August 15th, the Japanese formally surrendered to the american forces. This was the ultimate end to the deadliest war in human history. This lead to the Largest superpowers during the war (russia and the United States) being on edge with each other, leading to The Cold War.(historynet.com)
