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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan took advantage of the Communist-Nationalist split in China to invade and occupy Manchuria in 1931, but it wasn't until 1937 that border conflicts between the Chinese and the Japanese forces occupying Manchuria escalated into war. Communist and Nationalist forces formed a temporary alliance against Japan, drawing support from Britain, France, and America. In 1938, Germany decided to support Japan in the conflict.
Source: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-war -
German Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany marked the official beginning of World War II in Europe. German forces attacked Poland using Hitler's new "blitzkrieg" doctrine: strategic use of tanks and other mechanized ground forces with overwhelming air support. Aided by Soviet and Slovakian troops, German forces outnumbered and defeated Polish opposition and split the conquered lands with the Soviets.
Source: http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/invasion-of-poland.asp -
German Blitzkrieg
After the events of World War I, The Allied side, expecting a long, drawn-out, defense-heavy conflict, heavily fortified the German-French border to prevent a German attack, forming the Maginot line. However, the German army settled on a more offensive approach to fighting, using new technologies like dive bombers and tanks and targeting a weak spot in Allied defenses at the Ardennes Forest, catching the Allies off guard.
Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/blitzkrieg_01.shtml -
The Fall of Paris
In May of 1940, germany began an offensive against France, bypassing the Maginot Line through the Ardennes Forest. Counterattacks by the Allies proved ineffective and German forces advanced relatively quickly, capturing the French capital just under six weeks after the German invasion of France began. Just over a week later on the 25th, the French government officially admitted defeat.
Source: http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/fall-of-france -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the beginning of World War II's Eastern Front: an invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. Axis soldiers mounted a three-pronged attack and, with surprise and weather on their side, made massive land gains. However, the offensive stalled just outside Moscow, and a harsh winter allowed the Soviets to regroup and halt the German advance.
Source: http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/operation-barbarossa-the-drive-on-smolensk.asp -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7th, six Japanese aircraft carriers launched approximately 450 aircraft towards Pearl Harbor. Dismissing the Japanese aircraft as friendly B-17s from the mainland US, army personnel were caught completely by surprise, and the Japanese succeeded in destroying six airfields and eight battleships. The following day, America entered World War II.
Source: http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/attack-on-pearl-harbor.asp -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting by high-ranking members of the German government in the suburbs of Berlin to discuss and coordinate their "Final Solution to the Jewish Question," later to be known as the Holocaust.
Source: https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005477 -
The Battle of Midway
In late may of 1942, a naval task force left Japan with the goal of claiming the Pacific island of Midway. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, American codebreakers had deciphered the details of the Japanese invasion plan. When the Japanese aircraft carriers launched their aircraft against Midway, they were met by heavy American resistance. In the end, the American forces won the day, destroying four key Japanese carriers in the process.
Source: http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/battle-of-midway.asp -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
When reports of the mass murder of Jews deported from Warsaw to Treblinka leaked back to the Warsaw ghetto, those still there decided to organize and resist deportation. In January 1943, ghetto fighters opened fire on German forces conducting another round of deportations. Another such conflict broke out in April, with 750 ghetto fighters taking on the German army. They lost in the end, but fighting lasted almost a month.
Source: https://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007745 -
Allied Invasion of Italy
Before attempting to defeat Nazi Germany, the Allies decided to first remove Italy from the war. This plan began with an invasion of Sicily. The operation started before dawn, with air and sea landings of over 150,000 Allied troops along the southern coast of Sicily. While operations in Italy succeeded in deposing Itallian dictator Benito Mussolini, German troops continued to fight against Allied forces there.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/invasion-of-sicily -
Operation Gommorah
Operation Gommorah was a series of bombings of the German city of Hamburg by Allied forces, specifically the USA and Great Britain. British bombers attacked by night, with American bombers attacking during the day. All told, the bombings caused over 30,000 deaths and destroyed over 280,000 buildings, dealing a huge blow to German Morale.
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
D-Day
D-Day is one of the most remembered days in World War II, largely due to heavy Allied casualties. D-Day was a large-scale beachhead assault by the Allies intended to take back northern France from Axis occupation. Despite massing fake troops on the shores of Britain to divert German attention, the beaches of Normandy were still heavily fortified, causing many American and German forces to lose their lives.
Source: http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/d-day-the-allied-invasion-of-france.asp -
Battle of the Bulge
Running out of options, Germany tried mount an offensive through the Ardennes to Antwerp; German forces caught Americans by suprise and pushed them back. As the Germans tried to secure the River Meuse, the Allied front began to look like a large bulge, giving the battle its name. A fuel shortage for the Germans gave the Americans the opportunity they needed to halt the German advance, but the battle was costly nonetheless. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was an Allied bombing operation designed to cut of supply lines to what was becoming the war's Eastern Front and lend support to Soviet forces against the Germans. The opperation's largest target was Dresden, a large German city that had so far escaped bombing. The operation was a success, in large part due to Dresden's lackluster defenses against air raids.
Source: http://ww2today.com/13-february-1945-operation-thunderclap-raf-start-firestorm-in-dresden -
Battle of Iwo Jima
In need of a base near the Japanese coastline from which to conduct bombing, American forces settled on the island of Iwo Jima. After preparatory shelling by naval vessels and bombers, three divisions of American marines were sent to wrest control from the Japanese. They succeeded after about a month of fighting, giving American bombers the base they needed.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
Okinawa was the last and largest battle in the Pacific islands, involving 287,000 Americans and 130,000 Japanese. The Americans' goal, as at Iwo Jima, was capturing airbases for a final offensive against Japan. Between Japanese airmen using kamikaze tactics and ground forces digging in further inland instead of defending the coastline, the Japanese stalled the Americans for 82 days. Both sides suffered heavy casualties.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
V-E Day
On May 8th, Germany finally surrendered to the Allies, marking the end of the war in Europe. Oddly, Germany didn't officially surrender to the Soviet Union until the following day.
Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the US's attempt to get Japan to surrender without the need for a costly invasion. Hiroshima was bombed first, instantly obliterating 5 square miles of the city. When Japan still wouldn't surrender, a second, more powerful bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. To this day, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain the only atomic weapons ever used in combat.
Source:http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
V-J Day
Following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan finally surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, officially bringing World War II to a close.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day -
The Nuremburg Trials
The Nuremburg Trials were a series of 13 trials held in Nuremburg, Germany to bring Nazi war criminals to justice for their actions. The best-known one is the Major War Criminals' Trial, which lasted from November 20th 1945 to October 1st, 1946, in which all but three of the 24 individuals being tried were found guilty.
Source: www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nuremberg-trials
