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Germany Invasion of Poland
About 1.5 million German soldiers crossed the border into Poland at about 4:45. The Lustwaffe bombed nearby cities and airfields to prevent the counter attack by the Polish military. The U-boats sunk ships in the Baltic Sea. Hitler wanted to increase living space for his German people. He believed they were superior to all others in the world. This is where Hitler rounded up millions of Jews and killed them in the Nazi concentration camps. -
German Blitzkrieg
This is a German word meaning "lightning war." Hitler believed if he attacked opposing countries quickly then it would casue havoc among the army. The German army was able to move quickly throughout Europe and conquer other nations with little effort. This fast paced war was ale to preserve many lives and save ammunition on both sides becasue Germany was able to cause unorganization among the troops of other nations. -
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World War 2
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German Forces Enter France
German voices rang through the city saying that an 8pm curfew had been imposed as the German soldiers marched through the streets of Paris. France asked America for help and Roosevelt responded by saying they woudl send suppleis but Secretary of State Hull said that was a bad idea. This is because HItler would see this aid as a formal declaration of war. The German Gestapo began thei rdirty work and a giant swastika was fluing beneath the Arc de Triomphe. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was Hitler's invasion of the USSR. He sent three massive armies, each with about 3 million soldiers each, into Soviet territory. However the Nazi Army failed and the USSR was able to push back the Nazis at the Battle of Stalingrad. This forced the Germans to fight a war on two fronts: the East and the West. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
"A date which will live in infamy." This famous wuote sums up what happened that day in Hawaii. At about 8 in the morning hundreds of Japanese planes bombed, sunk, and killed about 2000 soldiers. The Japanese were able to use the elemnt of surprise against the American naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This marked the entrance of America in World War 2. This also started a long lasting fear and paranoia toward Japanese Americans in America. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This battle was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad. This defense stopped German advancement into USSR and argueably turned the tide of the war for the allies. This was one of the bloodiest battle in history with nearly 2 million deaths including military and civilian lives. This was the turning point of the war because German forces were surrounded by Russian forces and stopped the Germans. The city was vital to the German campaign. -
D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy
The biggest amphibious attack in the history of the world. About 156,000 American, British, and Canadian soldiers stormed the beaches of France. The Soldiers landed on the beach in boats with doors that opened from the front and German machine guns were able to tear down hundreds of soldiers in seconds with the MG42. About 4,000 lost their lives during the invasion and it took about 5 days for the Americans to completely secure all of the beaches. The beginning of the liberation of France. -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler was taking a beating from Allied forces. He tried to split the army up into two by coming up with a surprise blitzkrieg into Antwerp. The allied lines took defensive positions in the shape of a bulge which is where the battle's name originated. The 106th Airborne platoon was annihliated but their defeat was able to buy time for the defense of St. Vith. Patton was able to save the town of Bastogne and stop the German counterattack. This was the costliest battle for the US losing 100,000+. -
Battle of Iwo-Jima
The US needed a base near the Japanese to be able to launch a series of attacks into the homeland of Japan. About 23,000 Jaoanese soldiers defended teh island against 3 divisions of marins and air bombardments. The allies were able to take the island after about a month of fighting. This victory gave America a Naval base to be able to use B-29 bombers to attack Japan whihc led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
VE Day
This day marked the end of conflicts in Europe! The German soldiers had finally laid their arms down in Prague after losing over 8000 soldiers. Surrender documents were signed in Berlin. About 1 million German soldiers tried to flee into Czechoslovakia in fear of being taken prisoner by Russia. This was shortly after HItler commited suicide in his bunker about a week earlier and Germany was left without a leader. -
US Bombing of Japan
The UNited States's use of atomic weapons against Japan was teh first and only time ever anyone sued such weapons during war. During the Manhattan Project, scientists such as Oppenheimer and Einstein were tinkering with nuclear research to create and test the first nuclear weapon. Truman authorized the use of the bomb after warning Congress of the danger of a land invasion of Japan. Enola Gay dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima and then the second on Nagasaki just 3 days later. -
VJ Day
JAPAN SURRENDERS! Japan announces its unconditional surrender to the Allies. "Victoryover Japan Day" began to be used after Japan signed a formal surrender onboard the U.S.S. Missouri. This marked the end of World War 2. Truman said that the day Japan surrendered was highly anticipated since the attack on Pearl Harbor. Soldiers were able to return home after years of fighting and rejoice in the arms of their loved ones.
