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German Invasion of Poland
Because of the German-Soviet pact, the Germans didn't have to worry about retaliation on the Russian front.They falsified claims that Poland was plotting against Germany, even going as far as to stage a fake Polish attack on a German radio station. After a swift defeat of the Polish army, Germany quickly annexed West Prussia, Poznan, Upper Silesia, and Danzig. This gave Germany a prime spot for later when they had to invade Russia. The Holocaust Encyclopedia: Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939 -
German Invasion of France and Capture of Paris
Germany attacked France from the southeastern border of Belgium, easily invading the country as they had been expecting an attack from the center of the country. All of Northern France was occupied by Germany. A new French government was established in the south, but it was little more than a puppet for the Germans. Germany hoped to gain superiority over Britain in a similar manner in the near future. German Invasion of Western Europe, May 1940: The Holocaust Encyclopedia -
German Bombing of London
With invasion plans put on hold and eventually scrapped, Hitler turned his attention to destroying London in an attempt to demoralize the population and force the British to come to terms. For the next consecutive fifty seven days, the British were bombed day and night, at random periods, starting fires and chaos all over the city. It only ended because Germany had to go invade Russia. It left the British shocked and reeling from their losses. Eyewitness to History.com: The London Blitz, 1940 -
Lend Lease
The Lend Lease Act allowed the United States to provide foreign military aid without overextending its reach or going out of its neutrality. It would give money and supplies to any one country it deemed necessary to give aid to, and they did everything except for putting soldiers on the front line. They still believed that it was them who was keeping their isolationism. Lend Lease Act: History.com -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany and its Axis allies performed a massive invasion of the Soviet Union despite its earlier nonaggression pact that they had made. While Russia had been wary of an attack, it was still unprepared for the terror that Germany unleashed on it. Ultimately, the operation failed, the Soviet Union prevailing, but they lost huge casualties, nearly a million men. World War II: Operation Barbarossa - The Atlantic -
Japanese Bombing of Pearl Harbor
There were nearly a hundred U.S.naval vessels stationed at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese dive bombed their ships, seeing as they were tightly packed together for anti-sabotage measures. Many of them were destroyed along with the planes stationed in the nearby airfield. Only six of the planes managed to get into the air to repel the Japanese. It was this event that prompted the United States to finally abandon their isolationism. Pearl Harbor Attack: Britannica.com -
United States Declaration of War
Even Hitler was surprised at the attack on the United States by Japan. Not wanting the United States to beat him to the punch and declare war on them, Germany does it first, jumping headfirst into the fray. The United States declared war on Germany a few days after it had declared war on Japan, the aggressors in the situation. Germany Declares War on the United States: History.com -
Bataan Death March
The Japanese commander knew that he needed to do something with the large amount of prisoners he had captured from the enemy forces. They took away their weapons and refused to give them food or water for three days, forcing them to march. The soldiers were then packed into trains, the ones that could fit anyway, and the others had to walk all the way to camp. The march lasted all of six days, and many men died along the way. World War II for Kids: Bataan Death March - Ducksters -
Battle of Midway
The United States and Japan fought viciously in an almost all aircraft battle, bombing each other. While it looked like the United States was going to lose the battle at first, losing heavy casualties, the tides soon turned in their favor. They removed a great deal of Japanese warcraft and sunk their vessels. Now, their amount of weaponry was more even and comparable, rather than being grossly overwhelming for the Americans. Battle of Midway: Britannica.com -
German Defeat at Stalingrad
After months of fierce fighting and heavy casualties, Germans were forced to surrender to the Soviet forces at Stalingrad. This ended a long string of German victories, and it was a big psychological boost and a raise in morale for the soldiers. The Germans were no longer on top. The war started to become long and grueling after this point for the Nazis. German Defeat at Stalingrad - United States Holocaust Museum -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began after German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport the people that were still alive inside. By the sixteenth of May, the Germans had crushed the uprising and left the ghetto area in ruins. The surviving ghetto residents were deported to concentration camps or killing centers. Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: The Holocaust Encyclopedia -
Normandy Landings
As Operation Overlord went forward, about 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and landed on the coast of Normandy.The seaborne invasion included nearly 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers. They established a beachhead from which the Germans were unable to dislodge them. Within ten days, there were half a million troops at shore, and within three weeks, there were two million. D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy - History.com -
Battle of the Bulge
The war was nearing its end, but Germany refused to give up. They launched a counteroffensive attack that was intended to slice through Allied forces and lower their numbers, turning the tide of the war back in the Axis Power's favor. However, the United States was ready to rebuff them. Their fortitude was tested, but ultimately, they won against the Germans, fending them off, holding their hill. Battle of the Bulge: The U.S. Army -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
As Allied forces moved across Europe, they came across people suffering the full force of the horror of the Nazis. They freed the prisoners from their concentration camps, liberating them and sending the back to their families if that was possible or just evacuating them. Most of their families were dead, but they did try. It was signal that the war was coming to a close. Liberation of Nazi Camps: The Holocaust Encyclopedia -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The United States Marine Corps landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese did not give up their island easily, making the United States fight tooth and nail for control of it. Many soldiers were murdered in the process, blood spilling for days, but eventually, their tactical precision slipped up, letting the Americans prevail. The Battle of Iwo Jima: A 36-day bloody slog on a sulfuric island -
Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
An atomic bomb, called 'Little Boy', was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, and the explosion was huge. Tens of thousands of people were killed, and the city was destroyed. Emperor Hirohito still refused to surrender, so another bomb, nicknamed 'Fat Man,' was dropped on Nagasaki. This was enough to convince the Japanese emperor to finally give into the Allied forces. World War II History for Kids: Atomic Bomb
