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Japanese Invasion of China
Known as the Second Sino-Japanese War, this was a major war fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan before and during WWII. It was the largest Asian war in the 19th century. The war started in 1937 and ended in 1945 with the surrender of Japanese forces. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, bombing Polish airfields, and attacking Polish naval forces in the Baltic Sea. Adolf Hitler claimed the invasion was defensive action, but Britian and France continued to declare war on Germany, initiating WWII. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is a German tactic also known as "lightning war." It is meant to disorganize enemy forces. Germany tried out this tactic in the invasion of Poland before using the tactic in the invasions of Belguim, the Netherlands, and France in 1940. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the name used for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII, which occurred on June 22nd, 1941. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked American naval base, Pearl Harbor, located near Honolulu, Hawaii. 20 American naval vessels were destroyed and more than 2,000 American soldiers were killed in the attack with another 1,000 wounded. This led to President Roosevelt declaring war on Japan. -
Wannsee Confrence
The Wannsee Confrence was a meeting between several senior officials of Nazi Germany held in Wannsee, located in Berlin. -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer from Saisaih Pt. and Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000-80,000 Filipino and American prisioners of war. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The 1943 act of Jewish resistance that arose in the Warsaw ghetto in German occupied Poland during WWII. -
Operation Gomorrah
Also known as the Bombing of Hamburg. Britian bombers raided and bombed Hamburg, Germany during the night and American bombers attacked during the day. This period of time was called "Blitz Week." A great number of bombs were dropped in Germany in retaliation. -
D-Day
156, 000 American, Britian, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches on a 50 mile stretch of coast of the Normandy region in France. This led to the liberation of Northern France and the Allies defeat of the Germans. The Normandy Landings has been called the begenning of the end of the war in Europe. -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was the code name for a cancelled operation planned for August of 1944. The plan was to attack Berlin and ultimately lead to 220.000 casualties and 110,000 deaths, many of those including German personnel. After this, the German morale was greatly damaged. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battl;e of the Bulge was a massive offensive German campaign launched through the Ardennes region of Wallonia in Belguim, France and Luxembourg during the end of WWII in Europe. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
U.S. Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima and captured it from the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII. -
V-E Day
V-E Day is the day marking the Allied victory in Europe. -
Postdam Decloration
The Postdam Decloration was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
President Harry S. Truman ordered the American bomber Enola Gay to drop a five ton atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, causing 129,000 Japanese deaths. -
VJ Day
On August 15th, 1945, news of the surrender was announced which sparked worldwide celebration. A formal surrender was held on September 2nd, 1945, which President Truman declared VJ Day-the official end of WWII. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a series of battles in Ryukyu Islands on the island of Okinawa. These battles included the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War. -
Battle of Midway
A naval and air battle in which American planes blunted the Japanese naval threat in the Pacific Ocean shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.