-
Japanese Invasion of China
Japanese invaded China because China has abundant natural resources, and Japan wanted to use them to their advantage. The result of this was the second Sino-Japanese War started.
(http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-war) -
Rape of Nanking
Over a course of 6 weeks, the Japanese Army murdered thousands of civillians, soldiers, and people in general in the Chinese city of Nanking. It is known as the Rape of Nanking because 20,000-80,000 women were sexually assaulted during this time. The result of this was that the German Army leader and his lieutenant were convicted and executed.
(http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre) -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
German bombed airfields of Poland and Polish naval ships simultaneously. German claimed it was defensive, but Great Britain and France were skeptical, so they declared war on Germany 2 days later.
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland) -
German Blitzkrieg
The German term for lightning war was a military strategy used to create confusion of the enemy. They used mobile forces and local firepower, which saved the Germans from risking too many bodies. The effect was that Germany executed successful attacks and invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg) -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa is what the Germans named their attack on the Soviet Union. Germans sent over 3 million soldiers. Germany wanted to invade Soviet Union because they wouldn’t have to fight a two-sided war. The impact was that Barbarossa failed, so it was the turning point of the war because Germany did have to fight a two-sided war.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa) -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, USA. This happened because the Japan government didn’t want the US getting involved in their affairs, and because the US had banned trade with Japan. Another reason is because Japan wanted to be the strongest Naval force in the World, but America was in their way. The impact was that America was forced to join WWII.
(http://www.enkivillage.com/why-did-japan-attack-pearl-harbor.html) -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was when 15 Nazi Leaders met in a German suburb to discuss the “Final Solution” for the Jews. This happened because the Nazis and Hitler believed that Jews and other racial groups were inferior, and the result was the Holocaust.
(http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-wannsee.htm)
(https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005477) -
Bataan Death March
The US surrenderd the Bataan Peninsula on the main Phillippine Island to the Japan, and during the death march app. 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march to the death camps, a 65 mile walk.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march) -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was one of the most decisive naval battles in World War 2. In this battle, the US defeated Japan by breaking their code. This battle imposed a lot of damage on the Japanese Army, and the result was that the Allies were able to move into an offensive position, rather than defensive.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway) -
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah was when British Bombers raided Hamburg Germany at night, and America bombed it during the day. They did it because they wanted to try to defeat Germany. The impact was that Hitler knew that he would be defeated because of this.
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched) -
Allied Invasion of Italy
In the Allied Invasion of Italy, the Allies landed in Sicily, then came ashore to Italy. On the same day, the Italian government surrendered to the Allies, but it was in secret, and the announcement didn’t come out until September 8. The result was that the Allies were able to take control of Italy and work their way up through the country.
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland) -
D Day
156,000 troops from the US, Great Britain, and Canada landed on five beaches on the coast of France’s Normandy region. This happened because the Allies decided they needed to put all their force on Germany to try and end the war. The result was that Allies were able to liberate Western Europe from Germany’s control.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day) -
Battle of Bulge
During the Battle of Bulge, Hitler attempted to separate and virtually split up the Allied forces in Northwest Europe. He did this by using a surprise blitzkrieg, and did it because if the Allies were split up, they wouldn’t be as strong. The result of this was that the German forces were neutralized, and their counter offensive was defeated. This was the most costly battle for the US.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge) -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was the name given to the operation where the Allies would bomb the city of Dresden. Their goal was to bomb cities that were big in war production and manufacturing, so that the Nazi War Machine would stop, and Germany and the Axis Powers would be weakened.
(http://ww2today.com/13-february-1945-operation-thunderclap-raf-start-firestorm-in-dresden)
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was when America invaded Iwo Jima, which was an island off the coast of Japan. They did this because they needed a base near the Japan base in order to be successful in the war. The US eventually invaded the island and won the battle. THe result was that 2 of Japan’s air bases were lost because they were contained on the island.
(http://battlesofworldwariiiwojima.weebly.com/long-term-effects.html )
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima) -
Battle of Okinawa
In the Battle of Okinawa, America and the Allies invaded the Japanese island of Okinawa. This battle was Japan’s last chance they had of still being in the war. This happened because the Allies wanted to get Japan out of the war. The result was that Japanese was weakened, but hadn’t yet surrendered.
(http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-okinawa-operation-iceberg.htm)
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-okinawa-ends) -
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day, was when Great Britain and the US all rejoiced, for the Nazi War machine had been defeated. Germany had surrendered the day before, and this almost guaranteed a win for the Allies. Additionally, 13,000 POW from Great Britain were released.
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe) -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The Soviet Union was the first of the Allies to reach the concentration camps in Poland. When the Germans found out, they tried to get rid of the evidence of the mass murder by burning the camps. However, they forgot to get rid of the gas chambers, so these were left behind has evidence. The result was that many people were saved from the camps, but more were also found dead.
(https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005131) -
Dropping of Atomic Bombs
The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs was when the first time nuclear power was used in war. The US dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was a very controversial in the time, and still is today, but it did bring an end to World War 2, though some believe it ignited the Cold War.
(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima) -
VJ Day
Victory in Japan Day, or VJ Day, was the day that it was announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies, with no conditions.
(http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day)
