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Japanese invasion of China
Why: The Japanese claimed that they were fired on by Chinese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge.
What happened: Japanese attacked China and took over all the major cities. They tried to take over China but didn't because they lacked control.
Effects/impacts the war had: China lost one of their former tributary states, and the war changed the landscape.
Facts: 1. The war revealed the incapability of the Chinese Navy. 2. China was forced to recognise the independence of Korea. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
Why: The German-Soviet Pact of August 1939, allowed Germany to attack Poland without the fear of the Soviet intervention
What happened: Germany attacked Poland and bombed and shelled Poland. After a heavy load of that they surrendered, on September 27th, 1939
Effects/impact the war had: 1. The Polish got betrayed by the French and British 2. Poland lost territory to Germany -
German Blitzkrieg
Why: Germany wanted to build it's empire and felt that other European powers were restricting them.
What happened: The Germans bombed the UK
Effects/impact:The bombings caused the French soldiers to run with their ears covered and it weakened Britians, and Frances tanks
Facts. 1. Blitzkrieg means "Lightning war" 2. Blitzkrieg was based on speen, co-ordination and movement. -
Fall of Paris
What happened: German air raids on Belgium and Holland, and that brings France and Britain into the war. The french collapse, it was completely unexpected
Why: Because France was allies with Belgium.
Effects/impact: France backed out because they didn't want to fight the Capital.
Facts: 1. The British Prime minister flew to France to offer personal encouragement 2. British government denied France for Military assistance. -
Operation barbarossa
What happened: A mass evacuation of Russian civilians from the areas in the Path of the German advance. Entire towns were burned and destroyed.
Why: Hitler wanted to defeat communism happening in the USSR.
Effects/impacts: Many people being sent to concentration camps and many dying of starvation.
Facts: 1. Operation Barbarossa was named after Fredrick Barbarossa 2. The invasion was authorized by Hitler on Dec. 18th, 1940. -
Pearl Harbor
What happened: The japanease Navy attacked Pearl Harbors Navel base in Hawaii
Why: Because Japan was at war with China and China was getting materials mainly from the US.
Effects/impacts: 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded in the attack.
Facts: 1. America wanted the Japanease to sink our ships to put a dent in the Navy 2. The Japanese lost 65 men, with an additional soldier being captured. -
Wannsee Conference
What happened: Arrangened for Jews to be transported from all over German-occupied Europe to SS-operated "extermination" camps in Poland
Why: They wanted to solve the Jew problem by getting rid of them.
The Effects: -
Battle of Midway
What happened: The US defeated the Japanease planes in air after the attack of Pearl Harbor.
Why:the Japanease Admiral wanted to bring out the US air force from land, to eliminate the threat in the pacific.
Effects: The US only lost one plane out of four.
Facts: 1. U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese naval code 2. around 9:30 a.m., torpedo bombers from the three U.S. carriers descended on the Japanese carriers. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
What happened: Jews in a jewish ghetto in a Nazi-occupied Warsaw, Poland, they revolt against deportations to concentration camps.
Why: Because the Germans were holding them and shipping them off to camps, they didn't want to go so they fought back.
Effect: 60,000 Jews tried to hide themselves in secret bunkers,
Facts: 1. The Jewish resistant leaders commited suicide 2. 1,000 S.S. soldiers entered the confines with tanks and heavy artillery -
Operation Gomorrah
What happened: The British bombers raid Hamburg, Germany
Why:
Effects:Britain lost only 12 aircraft in this raid (791 flew)
Facts: 1. Britian had 791 flown out during the raid. 2. British attacks continued until November of 1943. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
What happened: The British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery begins the Allied invasion of the Italian peninsula,
Why:General Mark Clark wanted to remove Italy.
Effects: It helped defeat Hitler.
Facts: 1. the Italian government secretly agreed to the Allies’ terms for surrender, but no public announcement was made until September 8. 2. By the spring of 1943, opposition groups in Italy were uniting to overthrow Mussolini and make peace with the Allies -
D-Day
What happened: Allied forces crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France.
Why: they wanted to end WWII And to end Nazi domination of Europe.
Effects: it made Germany fight on both ends, but they couldn't handle war on both sides of them.
Facts: 1. The allied forces were able to overcome German resistance 2. German military forces never fully recovered. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
What happened: The U.S. forces landed on the island and took over it.
Why: So they could defeat the Japanease, they had to get their forces past the Islands surrounding Japan.
Effects: The concurring of Iwo Jima
Facts: 1. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops 2. The battle was marked by changes in Japanese defense tactics -
VE Day
What Happened: Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces
Why: Because it was the end of WWII at this point once Germany surrendered.
Effects: It marked the formal end of Hitler's war
Facts: 1. his new wife Eva and then committed suicide in his Berlin bunker 2. He killed his dog. -
Battle of Okinawa
What happened: The U.S. Invaded and took over Okinawa
Why: If the U.S. had possession of Okinawa it would give them a large enough base where they could invade the Japanease home islands.
Effects: 100,000 Japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the Allies
Facts: 1. The Japanese lost 120,000 troops in the defense of Okinawa 2. Of the 36 Allied ships lost, most were destroyed by the 2,000 or so Japanese pilots -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
What happened: The remaning Jews were freed from the concentration camps that Hitler had them in.
Why: British, French, American and Canadian troops invaded the camps and kicked out the German troops to set the Jews free.
The effects: All the prisoners were free, and thousands of shoes and suits were left behind.
Facts: 1. Americans were responsible for liberating Buchenwald and Dachau 2. some of the Jews felt guilty for surviving when so many of their relatives and friends had died. -
Dropping of the Atomic bombs
What Happened: Atomic bombs were dropped on Japan
why: To end the war
Effects: 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast
Facts: 1. There as an estimation that about 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout 2. “Little Boy,” was the nickname for one of two atom bombs available for use against Japan. -
Operation Thunderclap
What happened: Dresden Berlin had bomb dropped down on them.
Why: They wanted to shatter German morale
Effects: 110,000 were killed
Facts: 1. This plan was actually planned in August of 1944 but denied 2. The plan was reconsidered in early 1945, but was once again denied. -
VJ Day
What happened: A celebration on the defeat of the Japanease
Why: The War had ended with Japan
Effects: There was no more war
Facts: VJ Day means Victoryover Japan Day 2. The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. -
Battle of the Bulge
What Happened: The Germans send out their last major offensive of the war,
Why: In an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium.
Effects: 30,000 soldiers and 44,000 infantry forces were killed or captured
Facts: 1. American forces were able to contain the battle and inflict heavier losses on the German forces. 2. America lost about 62,000 forces in this battle.
