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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan entered war with China by invading in order to gain power in the east. The impacts led to further Japanese power and China lost power. -
Germany’s Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland to expand the Nazi territorries. Poland was defeated weeks from the invasion, and surrendered to Germany and the Soviets. -
German Blitzkrieg
A form of warfare used by German forces in World War II. In a blitzkrieg, troops in vehicles, such as tanks, made quick surprise strikes with support from airplanes. -
Fall of Paris
also known as the Battle of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries during the Second World War. Beginning on 10 May 1940, the battle defeated primarily French forces. -
Atlantic Charter
A joint declaration released by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill following a meeting of the two heads of state in Newfoundland. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack of the Japanese on Pearl Harbor was a suprise attack to weaken the U.S. before it was ever entered into war. This led to The U.S. joining the Allies against Germany and Japan. -
Battle of Midway
A naval and air battle fought in World War II in which planes from American aircraft carriers blunted the Japanese naval threat in the Pacific Ocean after Pearl Harbor. -
D-Day
Officially the Normandy Landings, this attack was the start of the Battle of Normandy. Many american casualties came from this battle, but the Allies remained Victorious. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Soviet soldiers entered the Majdanek camp in Poland, and later overran several other killing centers. They entered Auschwitz and there found hundreds of sick and exhausted prisoners. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
A major battle in which the U.S. Marines landed on and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during World War II. This caused the Japanese to severely fall behind the Allies, yet they still did not surrender. -
Battle of Okinawa
the largest amphibious landing in the Pacific theater of World War II. It also resulted in the largest casualties with over 100,000 Japanese casualties and 50,000 casualties for the Allies. -
VE Day
the public holiday celebrated to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
A B-29 bomber dropped the first in-war atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender to the U.S. Tens of thousands died, and these weapons were named "cruel bombs" -
VJ Day
news of the surrender was announced, sparking spontaneous celebrations over the final ending of World War II. A formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.