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Pearl Harbor
2,400 U.S. military and civilians lost their lives
1,178 U.S. military and civilians wounded
18 ships and 350 planes sunk or damaged -
Period: to
Battle of Atlantic
German U-Boats were sinking unprotected U.S. and other Allies' merchant ships
Allies began using convoys to protect ships
The Germans were very successful in the beginning, but by mid - 1943, the Allies had the upper hand -
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Battle of the Coral Sea
Prior to this battle, the Japanese were winning every battle and taking over the Pacific
Japan won the actual battle, but the allies were able to stop Japan invasion for the first time
U.S. was beginning to use the Island Hopping technique to weaken Japan’s forces -
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Battle of Midway
Admiral Chester Nimitz intercepted Japanese code
U.S. launched surprise attack on Japan at Pacific island called Midway
U.S. was successful in the Battle of Midway -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked
Hitler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields
Germans nearly won (controlled 9/10 of the city) -
Normandy Invasion (D-Day)
During this time, Soviet Union was pushing into Poland and Allies were pushing North in Italy
Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton influential in leading attack
150,000 Allied troops invaded -
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Battle of Bulge
German tanks broke through American lines (80 mile front)
Fought in Belgium - Germany was trying to capture Antwerp
Very brutal war - one of the most extensive of U.S. military -
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Yalta Conference
Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII
Set up United Nations -
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Iwo Jima
U.S. won
26,800 Japanese troops died
6,000 U.S. Marines died
27,000 Japanese held Iwo Jima -
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Battle of Okinawa
U.S. won
Japan’s last defensive stronghold
110,000 Japanese troops died
7,600 - 12,500 U.S U.S. troops died -
April 12, 1945
At the beginning of his 4th Term, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away
The U.S. went through a major grieving period
Harry S. Truman, as Vice-President, takes the role as President -
Death of Hitler
April 30, 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide
Their bodies were burned -
V-E Day
General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reich
V-E day = Victory in Europe day
1st part of War was over -
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Potsdam
Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Nazi regime
Divided Germany into 4 sections (occupied by France, Britain, U.S. and Soviet Union)
Japan must “unconditionally surrender” -
Hiroshima
In 43 seconds, the city collapsed to dust
It was refered to as "the Little boy"
200,000 Japanese died due to the Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -
Nagasaki
Leveled half of the city
Known as "the Fat man" -
V-J Day
Japan offers unconditional surrender -
V-J Day
Japan Formally surrenders -
Period: to
Nuremburg Trials
International tribunal court tried Nazi officials
12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced to death
200 other officials were found guilty, but given lesser sentences