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Japan’s Invasion of China
Japanese leaders believed it was the nation’s destiny to preside over Asia. They carried this out by displacing their Western imperial rivals while dealing with the anti-Japanese nationalism among the Chinese. Japan invaded China in order to tap into their reasources and markets.
Source: the Japan Times -
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German Blitzkrieg
German Blitzkrieg was a method of military campaign intended to bring about a swift victory. Troops attacked with tanks and the support of airplanes in the rapid "lightning" strike. The attack was used to create disorganization and confusion. -
Fall of Paris
Germany launched an attack on Paris in early June. Paris was declared an open city, as the government fled to Bordeaux. The first German troops entered the French capital on 14 June, little more than a month after the campaign began. British troops were sent to aid the French however they were evacuated immediately.
Source: BBC UK -
Pearl Harbor
Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base near Honolu, Hawaii. Over 2,400 Americans died and 1,000 were wounded as a result. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.
Source: History.com -
Wannsee Conference
At the Wannsee Conference, Nazi officials meet to discuss the details of the “Final Solution” concerning the “Final Solution” of Jews in Europe. Many ideas were proposed as the “Final Solution”, including deporting the Jews to Madagascar and using and gas chambers. The meeting was meticulously recorded and as a result, was used as evidence during the Nuremberg war crimes trials.
Source: History.com -
Bataan Death March
After the U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese, Filipino and American troops were forced to march 65 miles to the prison camps. Thousands of the prisoners died during the march because of the heat and the harsh treatment from the Japanese.
Source: History.com -
Battle of Midway
The United States defeated Japan in naval battle by breaking Japan’s code and inflicting permanent damage. The United States placed carriers at the predicted targets of Japanese attacks and surprised their fleets in a counterattack during Japan’s attack on Midway Island.
Source: History.com -
Allied invasion of Italy
On the day of the landing, the Italian government secretly agreed to the Allies’ terms for surrender. On July 10, 1943, the Allies began their invasion of Axis-controlled Europe with landings on the island of Sicily, off mainland Italy. Mussolini was captured by Italian partisans and summarily executed. German forces in Italy surrendered on May 1.
Source: History.com -
D-Day
The Battle of Normandy resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches and the landings have been known as the beginning of the end of WW2.
Source: History.com -
Battle of the Bulge
German offensive is launched against the Allies in the Ardennes Mountains region on the Western Front. The Battle of the Bulge was the costliest action ever fought by the U.S. Army, which suffered over 100,000 casualties.
Source: history.com -
Battle of Iwo Jima
American soldiers make their first strike on the Japanese Home Islands at Iwo Jima. Despite the difficulty of the conditions, the marines wiped out the defending forces after a month of fighting.
Source: history.com -
VE Day
The day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms. About 1 million Germans attempted a mass exodus to the West when the fighting in Czechoslovakia ended, but were stopped by the Russians and taken captive.
Source: history.com -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
A plane called the ENOLA GAY dropped an atomic bomb on the city of HIROSHIMA. Instantly, 70,000 Japanese citizens were vaporized. In the months and years that followed, an additional 100,000 perished from burns and radiation sickness.
Source: ushistory.org -
VJ Day
Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.
Source: history.com -
Liberation of concentration camps
The Red Army liberated Auschwitz in south-western Poland. The Germans opened negotiations for the surrender of the nearby concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. The liberators also encountered around 50,000 'survivors'.
Source: history.com
