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Germany's Invasion of Poland
The German Luftwaffe bombed airfields and U-boats attacked Naval forces. Hitler claimed that this attack was in defense. The effect of this invasion was World War 2. -
German Blitzkrieg
The German blitzkrieg ran from 1939-1940. Germany wanted to avoid long wars so they used "the ightning war" method. Germans overran Europe for more than two years. Blitzkrieg was used to understand bigger war strategies. -
Pearl Harbor
Kamikaze's bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. Japan wanted to neutralize United States Pacific Fleet so that they could invade Malaya and the Dutch East Indies to get rubber and oil. This caused the U.S. to enter the war and Japanese citizens were put into "relocation camps". -
The Battle of Midway
Japan attacked the U.S. to draw the American Carrier Fleet into a trap. Japan wanted to finish off the U.S. Pacific Fleet and invade to possibly take over Hawaii. America fought back and were victorious. The battle lasted from June 3rd to June 7th. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union. Russia was determined to defend the city as an industrial and transportation center. This event was the turning point of the war. This lasted from August 23rd, 1942 to February 2nd, 1943. -
D-Day
Allies crossed the English Channel, landed on the Normandy beaches, and started setting free Western Europe from Nazi Control. The aliies knew that a successful invasion could help win the war. The mission was a success and Paris had been liberated. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany intended to split American and British armies in France. They also wanted to recaptured the Port of Antwerp in the Netherlands. They fell short of the goal but seperated American lines 50 miles wide and 70 miles deep. Germany lost more than it could replenish before the end of the war. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
U.S. Marines captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Imperial Army during World War 2. Americans needed to get to Japan and they needed to use Iwo Jima asan emergency landed site. Japan lost Iwo Jima and there was a lot of damage after the war. Lasted from February 19th to March 26th. -
Battle of Okinawa
Allied forces invaded Okinawa and fought the Japanese. This was a part of the allied effort to take over Japan. The Japanese suffered huge loses. This lasted from April 1st to June 22nd. -
VE Day
German troops surrendered. The Germans surrendered because of the mass amount of soldiers lost. They also wanted to avoid being taken as prisoners. This event ended the war. -
Dropping of Atomic Bombs
Japanese war continued and Americans bombed Hiroshima killing thousands. Three days later, Nagasaki was bombed. President Truman ordered for the nuclear weapon to provide a speedy end to the war. This event helped end the war, but it's also said to have started the cold war. -
VJ Day
Japan surrendered, ending World War 2. VJ Day is marked as a day to celebrate the end of World War 2.
