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Japanese invasion of China
Why did Japan invade ChinaThe Japanese invaded China because they lacked resources and space so dominating China would solve this problem. They also wanted to prove that they were strong and could subjugate other countries. The Japanese quickly captured all key Chinese ports and industrial centers, but CCP and KMT forces continued to resist. In 1940, the war descended into stalemate. -
Rape of Nanking
rape of nankingThe Japanese Army attacked a city called Nanking, killing about 250,000 citizens and raping at least 20,000 women of all age. Japan did this to claim the city in order to get my land and to show that they had a strong military and were unstopable. At the end of this, Matsui and his lieutenant Tani Hisao were tried and convicted for war crimes and were eventually executed. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
germany invades polandAdolf Hitler wanted to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland. For this reason German forces bombarded Poland on land and from the air. The Polish were severely under-equipped, yet attempted to take the Germans head-on with horsed cavaliers. This led to the signing of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Nonaggression Pact. Three days later Great Britain responded by bombing raids over Germany. -
German Blitzkrieg
BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg tactics required the concentration of offensive weapons along a narrow frong. These forces would drive a breach in enemy defenses, permitting armored tank divisions to penetrate rapidly and roam freely behind enemy lines, causing shock and disorganization among the enemy defense. This helped the Germans win the attacks. -
Fall of Paris
fall of parisOn this day Parisians woke up to the sound of a German-accented voice announcing via loudspeakers that a curfew was being imposed for 8pm that evening as German troops enter and occipy Paris. By the time German tanks rolled into Paris, 2 million Parisians already fled with good reason. German Gestapo went to work with arrests, interrogations, and spying. While Parisians who remained trapped in their capital despaired, French men and women in the west cheered as Canadian troops offered hope. -
Operation Barbarossa
barbarossaThis was a massive invasion launched by Adolf Hitler. It was three great army groups with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks smashed across the frontier into Soviet territory. It covered a two thousand mile front. Germans made a great mistake, though. They came as conquerors, not as liberators. The Germans struggled in the weather to the gates of Moscow where Soviet counterattacks stopped them. They had to retreat. Barbarossa failed. -
Pearl Harbor
pearl harborHundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. They managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including 8 battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died and another 1,000 were wounded. The next day war was declared on Japan. -
Wannsee Conference
WannseeThis was a conference organized at Wannsee, a suburb of Berlin, in order to devise a plan that would render a "final solution to the Jewish question". Lots of gruesome proposals were discussed including a simply transporting Jews from all over Europe to concentration camps in Poland and working them to death. Many people objected saying that it would be time consuming because the stronger ones would take longer to die, so they said they would be "treated accordingly". -
Bataan Death March
death march After the U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese, the approximate 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make an arduous 65-mile march to prison camps. There marchers made the trek in intense heat and were subjected to harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Thousands perished because of this gruesome march. -
Battle of Midway
midwayDuring this battle, one the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan during World War II, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers while only losing one of its own. The Japanese had a plan set up that would destroy the Midway and eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet. U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese naval code, however, and the Americans anticipated the surprise attack. Japan suffered from about 2500 casualties while the U.S. suffered only 300. -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
UprisingThe 750 fighters in the uprising fought the heavily armed and well-trained Germans. They lasted nearly a month before the revolt came to an end. The Germans slowly crushed the resistance. Of about 56,000 Jews captured, nearly 7,000 were shot. The remaining Jews were deported to camps. -
Allied invasion of Italy
italy invasionOn September 3, Montgomery’s 8th Army began its invasion of the Italian mainland and the Italian government agreed to surrender to the Allies. By the terms of the agreement, the Italians would be treated with leniency if they aided the Allies in expelling the Germans from Italy. Later that month, Mussolini was rescued from a prison in the Abruzzo Mountains by German commandos and was installed as leader of a Nazi puppet state in northern Italy. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
d day About 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France's Normandy region. This was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history so it required extensive training. They managed to liberate all of northern France and defeat the Germans. -
Battle of the Bulge
bulgeThis was Germans attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwest Belgium. It was the largest battle fought on the Western front. The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault agaisnt a mere 80,000 Americans. They were able to push the Americans into retreat. The U.S. suffered its 2nd largest surrender of troops of the war. The war would not end though until better weather enabled American aircraft to bomb and strafe German positions -
Battle of Iwo Jima
iwo jimaThe Americans invaded Iwo Jima because of the need for a base near the Japanese coast. It was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese arm and navy troops who fought from caves, dugouts, tunnels, and underground installations. Despite the conditions, the marines wiped out the defendign forces. The battle earned a place in American lore with the publication of a photograph showing the U.S. flag being raised in victory -
Battle of Okinawa
OkinawaThis was the last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II. This battle involved 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army and 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. The comanding generals on both sides died during this attack.In total more than 12,000 Americans were killed and more than 38,000 wounded or missing. The Japanese military lost more than 110,000 and had more than 7,000 taken prisoner. This battle showed American they could always defeat Japan -
Liberation of concentration camps
liberationOn this day, the British army liberated its first camp, Bergen-Belsen. The liberators came across around 50,000 survivors with ribs protruding through their dry skin, bellies distended, laying in their own filth. About 20,000 of the survivors were seriously or critically ill. Despite all the efforts, 13,000 inmated died after liberation, most from not being able to digest their food. -
VE Day
Victory in EuropeOn this day German troops finally laid down their arms because of the loss of more than 8,000 soldiers. This day is now celebrated by both Great Britain and the United States by putting out flags and banners. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
dropping atomic bombAn American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first atom bomb over the city of Hioshima in order to test the new weapon and to warn Japan of their strength. The attack left 80,000 people dead on impact and 35,000 injured. Another 60,000 died during that year from the effects of the fallout. After this, it was decided that America would use the atomic bomb to end the war. -
VJ Day
VJ DayOn August 14, 1945 it was announced that Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending World War II. This day is known as "Victory over Japan Day" or "VJ Day"
