-
Invasion of Manchuria
On September 19, 1931, the Japanese launched an attack on Manchuria. The allies protested weakly so Japan viewed the rest of the world as "all talk" and that they would not do anything about Japans actions. Therefore, Japan used this opportunity to invade a Chinese territory (Manchuria) in efforts to expand. -
Importance
This is important because it lead to the Japanese occupation of China during World War II. Also, as a result of this, the US issued a statement basically saying that they refused to recognize any situation or agreement that Japan may enter into as a result of the invasion -
Battle of Atlantic
The Battle of Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in WWII. It was the struggle of the Allied and German forces for the control of the Atlantic Ocean. The Allies desired to keep the flow of men and supplies going between North America and Europe, while the Germans wanted to cut these supply lines. This battle lasted until May 8, 1945 -
Importance
The Battle of the Atlantic was important because the allied victory of the war would not have been possible without the victory at sea. Technology also played a huge role during this battle. -
Blitzkrieg into Poland
The Blitzkrieg into Poland was the invasion of Poland by the German army called the "blitzkrieg". To Hitler, this would bring living space for the German people and be the starting point to ultimately rule Poland. This resulted in Poland's government and military leaders to flee the country the next day. On September 8th, Germany and the USSR created an agreement outlining their zones of occupation. -
Importance
The Invasion served as a reality check to the British and French that Hitler had taken too much territory in Europe and were determined to stop him. -
German Invasion of France
The German Invasion of France is also known as the Fall of France. Hitler was eager to follow up his victory over Poland by attacking France. During the six weeks that this occurred, German forces defeated Allied forces by mobile operations and conquered France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The invasion consisted of two main operations, case yellow and then case red. -
Importance
This event was significant because this conquest brought hundreds of thousands of Jews under German control. In an armistice agreement was signed with Germany, they occupied northern France and all of France's Atlantic coastline down to the border with Spain. -
Dunkirk
The battle of Dunkirk was a battle in Dunkirk, France between the allies and Germany. It was the defense and evacuation to Britain of British and other allied forces from May 26 to June 4 1940. Naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats were used in the evacuation. -
Importance
The Battle of Dunkirk was important because several hundred thousand British and Allied troops were surrounded by the Germans. If the Germans attacked aggressively, they would have captured a quarter of a million men, stripping Britain of its army and so the British were able to begin their evacuation from the beaches. It was a near miracle for England and Churchill. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was an important battle in World War II. After Hitler and Germany had conquered most of Europe, the only major country left to fight them was Britain. Germany wanted to invade Britain, but first they needed to destroy their Royal Air Force. Germany bombed airport runways and British radar. The bombings continued but Britain did not stop fighting back. Eventually, Hitler began bombing large cities. The British were able to fight the Germans off with their air force and win. -
Importance
This battle was very important because finally after Germany has been defeating most European countries, Britain was able to keep fighting and keep their Royal Air Force in tact so they could fight Germany off. They were successful despite the destruction of their large cities. -
Germany takes Greece
The Battle of Greece was the invasion of allied Greece by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during WWII. It began when the Italian army attacked Albania. Following that, German troops invaded from Bulgaria, creating a second front. The Greek army found itself outnumbered in its effort to defend against both Italian and German troops. Greece was occupied by the military forces of Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. -
Importance
The significance of this invasion is Greece was in political and economical crisis due to the German occupation after the war. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Over the course of the operation, about three million personnel of the Axis powers invaded the western Soviet Union along a 1,800 mi front. German forces achieved major victories and occupied some of the most important economic areas of the Soviet Union. Despite the successes, the Soviet winter counteroffensive pushed German troops back. -
Importance
The failure of Operation Barbarossa proved a turning point in the fortunes of the Third Reich. It also opened up the Eastern Front, which became the site of some of the largest battles and casualties. -
Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was the Japanese surprise attack on the US Navy. They destroyed many ships and killed many soldiers. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes and bombers flew to Pearl Harbor and dropped bombs and torpedoes on the war ships and attacked the US fighter planes on the ground so they could not take off and fight back. The citizens of the United States were in shock and were trying to avoid war, but could not avoid this. This led to the engagement of the US in WWII. -
Philippines 1942
The Battle of the Philippines was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan. The Japanese launched the invasion by sea. The defending forces outnumbered the Japanese but were of non-combat experience. -
Importance
This event was significant because the US had been trying to not engage in War after the first one leading to the depression. It came as a shock to the US that the Japanese would attack them but they could not just stand by and take it. The US declared war soon after. There was also discrimination against Japanese-Americans for a while in the US after the attack. -
Importance
The Battle of the Philippines of 1942 was considered the worst military defeat in US History. About 23,000 American military personnel were killed or captured. The defense of the Philippines was the longest resistance to the Japanese Army in the initial stages of WWII. -
Bataan (battle and March)
The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense Japanese invasion of the Philippines during WWII. Despite the lack of supplies, the Filipino and American forces were able to fight the Japanese for 3 months. The American and Filipino defenders ended up surrendering to the Japanese.
The March of Bataan was when the Japanese forced the captured American and Filipino soldiers to march 80 miles across the Bataan peninsula. The march lasted 6 days. -
Importance
Not only was the Battle and March of Bataan a huge loss for us, but the largest surrender in American history. This fueled the Americans with anger and determination to fight for their country and the lives lost. -
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid was an air raid by the United States on the Japanese capital, Tokyo and other places on the island. It was the first air operation to strike the Japanese home islands. -
Importance
Despite the minimal damage that occurred, American morale was boosted and in Japan it caused them to feel doubt. -
Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral sea was a major naval battle between the Japanese navy and naval and the air forces of the United States and Australia. It marked the first air-sea battle in history. The Japanese were seeking control of the Coral sea but were intercepted by allied forces. Both sides suffered damages to their carriers, but the Japanese ended up not having enough planes to cover the ground attack resulting in an allied victory. -
Importance
The Battle of the Coral Sea was important because it not only marked the first air-sea battle in history, but was a huge turning point in the war in the pacific because the allied forces were able to stop the Japanese from advancing. -
Midway
The Battle of Midway was one of the most decisive naval battles of WWII. The United States was able to crack a Japanese code and prevent the Japanese's planned ambush. The Japanese sought to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific. The Allied forces were proved victorious in this battle. -
Importance
This battle was significant because it was a huge victory for allied powers in the Pacific against the Japanese. The Japanese were devastated for their loses such as four aircraft carriers, 248 aircraft ships, and over 3,000 sailors. -
Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the largest and deadliest battles in WWII. The German air force, Luftwaffe, bombed the Volga river and than the city of Stalingrad. The Soviet troops were not going to give up so they gathered and made a counter attack by trapping the German army inside of Stalingrad. Due to the poor conditions, the majority of the German army surrendered. -
Importance
This Battle marked a turning point in the war. The German army took such a defeat that they did not advance any further into eastern Europe or Russia. -
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein was fought in Egypt between the Axis Forces and the Allied Forces. The Axis army of Italy and Germany suffered a great defeat by the British army. -
Importance
This allied victory led to the retreat of the Afrika Korps and the Germans surrender in North Africa. It also ended the long fight for the Western Desert. The British and commonwealth forces won this battle without the help of the Americans. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was an Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa. The objective was to gain complete control of North Africa from French Morocco to Tunisia. It was also to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. -
Importance
The Importance of Operation Torch was that it was the first time the British and Americans had worked together to plan an invasion and proved successful. -
Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was Germany's last chance to regain dominance on the eastern front during WWII. A massive planned assault on Soviet troops was created but had given the Soviets enough time to prepare. Ultimately, Germans plan to wipe out the Soviet army once and for all had failed. -
Importance
The Soviets won the battle of Kursk and ended Hitler's dream of conquering Russia. It was the biggest tank battle of WWII. -
Anzio
The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian campaign of WWII. The campaign was the result of the allies inability to penetrate the Gustav Line following their landings at Salerno. It took lots of courage for the allies to hold the beach head until they marched into Rome. -
Importance
Though the Battle of Anzio was one of the bloodiest battles fought in Western Europe by the Allies, the success of the Allied landings on the beaches were due largely to the grip of the allied forces and proved them to be heroic. -
D-Day
D-Day, also code named operation overlord, took place on June 6th, 1944. Allied forces landed on five beaches along a 50 mile stretch of the coast of France's Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Allied forces launched a combined naval, air, and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. This long and costly campaign was to free north-west Europe from German occupation. -
Importance
D-Day is considered very important because without D-Day, Adolf Hitler would have deployed many more divisions to resist the Red Army. He would have had more time to develop, and deploy, his modern weapon of terror, the V2. The war might have continued indefinitely. -
Philippines 1944-45
The Philippines campaign pf 1944 was the American and Filipino campaign to defeat the Japanese forces occupying the Philippines. American forces were able to bomb Japanese positions using their long ranged bombers. It eliminated the Japanese navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. -
Importance
The Battle was important because after it was over the Japanese Navy was almost completely destroyed which was the goal. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a battle that took place between American and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in depriving Japanese forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The majority of its surviving heavy ships remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War and suffered under heavy sustained aerial attack. -
Importance
The Importance of this battle is that The Imperial Japanese Navy failed to achieve its objective, suffered heavy losses, and never sailed to battle in comparable force thereafter. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle in Europe during WWII. It was Germany's final attempt to drive the Allies off of mainland Europe. The actual battle took place in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium. The Germans attacked the US line unexpectedly killing thousands of American troops. The American troops held there ground despite the strength of the German efforts. -
Importance
This battle was very important due to the perseverance and bravery of the American troops. Their courage and fierce fighting won the battle and sealed the fate of Hitler and the Nazi's. -
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference brought together the big three allied leaders, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill. They discussed Europe's postwar reorganization and the defeat and organization of the occupation of Germany. -
Importance
The importance of this conference was that it gave the Soviet Union control over Eastern Europe. The Yalta Conference was said to be successful by Roosevelt. -
Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima took place between the United States and Japan during WWII. It was the first major battle of WWII to take place on Japanese homeland. The island of Iwo Jima was a strategic location because the United states needed a place for fighter planes and bombers to land and take off when attacking Japan. The Japanese had secret tunnels in which they would hide and when the US least expected, attack from behind. After a few days of battling, the US finally secured the island. -
Importance
The Iwo Jima battle was important because although the Japanese had very smart and logical tactics, the US still managed to capture the island. Unfortunately though, the US ended the battle with 26,000 casualties. -
Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa followed the battle of Iwo Jima and remained between United States Marine and army forces and Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the last major battle of WWII. The invasion was part of Operation iceberg, a complex plan to invade and occupy the Ryukyu islands, including Okinawa. About 7,000 Japanese surrendered, but many chose death by suicide. The battle ended with General Ushijima committing suicide. -
Importance
Both sides of this battle suffered enormous losses, Japan more than America. Winning the battle put the Allied forces within striking distance to Japan. -
Hitler Suicide & German Surrender
On April 30, 1945 Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot. Eva Braun, his wife, committed suicide with him by consuming cyanide. On May 7, 1945, Germany officially surrendered to the Allies, General Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command, signed the unconditional surrender of both east and west forces in Reims, France, which would take effect the following day. -
Importance
Hitler's suicide was very important because of all the events that were all due to him and he deserved to die because of how many innocent people died because of him. The German surrender was also very important because it brought an end to the European conflict in World War II. -
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Instead of pursuing in another invasion, President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan since they would not surrender. On August 6th, an atomic bomb called "little boy" was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, destroying the city as well as killing tens of thousands of people. Despite this setback, Hirohito, emperor of Japan still refused to surrender so three days later, another bomb named "fat man" was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Again the devastation was horrible and Japan surrendered. -
Importance
The importance of this event was that the Japanese were relentless to surrendering until their cities were being threatened and eventually ruined. -
Japanese Surrender
The surrender of Imperial Japan was announced on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting major operations. -
Importance
This event was very significant for it was the mark of the end of the tragic WWII. This also proved to not mess with the United States.
