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Nuremberg Laws
In 1935, Hitler moved to a braoder legal persecution and instituted the Nuremberg Laws. These laws, which were named for the city that served as teh spiritual center of Nazism, denied German citizenship to Jews, banned marriage between Jews and non-Jews, and segregated Jews at every level of society. Even these extreme laws were not enough for Hitler, and he soon made hints about a "Final Solution" in the future. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, which means "Night of Broken Glass," was a serious attack of violence against Jews. After a Jewish refugee killed a German diplomat in Paris, Nazi officials ordered attacks on Jews in Germany, Austria, and the Sudetenland. Military units and the secret police destroyed over 1,500 synogogues and 7,500 Jewish-owned buisnesses, killing more than 200 Jews and leaving several hundred others injured. -
Bataan Death March
During Word War II, the Japanese military forced American and Filipino prisoners of war to march 55 miles under brutal conditions up the Bataan Peninsula to reach a railway that took them inland where they were forced to march another 8 miles. Many of these prisoners of war were already sick and malnourished. During this grueling journey, more than 7,000 American and Filipino troops died. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a turning point of World War II in the Pacific, in which the Japanese advance was stopped. The Battle took place on June 4th through June 7th. The United States had cracked the Japanese code, and they knew that Japan was going to attack Midway Island. The United States Admiral Nimitz ambushed the Japanese fleet, and the United States sunk 4 Japanese aircraft carriers. While 3057 Japanese were killed, only 362 Americans were killed. -
D-Day
On this very important day, the Allies hit Germany in force. More than 11.000 planes prepared the way, attempting to destroy German communication and trasnportation networks while also softening Nazi beach defenses. D-Day was the first step for Allies taking control in Europe, and it caused Germany to fight a 2-front war. -
Battle of the Bulge
In December of 1944, Hitler ordered a counterattack on the Allies. English-speaking German troops were to dress up as United States troops, cut telephone lines, and change road signs. The Germans caught the Allies by surprise and captured several towns. This counterattack almost succeeded, but the United States troops held the Belgian town of Bastogne. The Battle ended on January 16, 1945, and the Allies went back on the offensive, steadily pushing the Germans out of France. -
V-E Day
V-E Day, which stands for "Victory in Europe" Day, marks the day when Germany surrendered in World War II. Adolph Hitler had commited suicide only about a week earlier, and Germany was completely wiped out. On May 7, in a little French schoolhouse that served as Eisenhower's headquarters, Germany surrendered. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb, named "Little Boy," on Hiroshima. This was the first atomic bomb ever used in war. It killed between 35,000 and 75,000 civilians, and destroyed the Japanese city. The main reason President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan was to save American lives, for he knew it would be very costly if the United States attacked Japan by land. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing 35,000 residents. This bombing was only three days after the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. At this point, Japan was devastated, and unsure whether the United States had more bombs or not. In reality, the United States did not have any more atomic bombs at the time. -
V-J Day
V-J Day, which stands for "Victory in Japan" Day, marks the day the that Emperor Hirohito decided to surrender. Japan officially surrendered on September 2nd aboard the USS Missouri. This marked the end of World War II, and the Allies rejoiced.
