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Battle of Poland- September 1. 1939- October 6, 1939
*Germany uses blitzkrieg to overpower Polish army
*Britain & France declare war on Germany
*Make it to Warsaw (capital of Poland) in less than a month
*Germany begins enforcing racial policies
*Jews had to wear white armbands with blue Stars of David
*Expelled 1000s of Poles and replace them with Germans
*Begins World War II -
Battle of Dunkirk- May 26, 1940- June 4, 1940
Location: North of France
Involved: British Expeditionary Force and Allied powers
-Naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats were used in the evacuation.
-Germany’s invasions of low countries.
-German Blitzkrieg attack on Netherlands.
-Over 300,00 soldiers were rescued.
-The evacuation boosted Morale.
-The evacuation was successful. -
Battle of Britain- July 10, 1940- October 3, 19
Location: English Channel
Involved: Germany and UK
-Defense of Great Britain against unremitting and destructive air raids conducted by the German Air Force from July through September 1940, after the fall of France.
-Won by Royal Air Force
- Germany’s armored forces completed their blitzkrieg invasion of France. The French government collapsed on June 16 and was replaced by a regime that immediately sued for peace.
-Demonstrated courage and the country’s military. -
Operation Barbarossa - June 22, 1941-December 5, 1941
Location: Soviet Union
Involved: Germany, Red Army, Soviet Union
-Code name for German invasion of Soviet Union
- Among the units were 19 panzer divisions and in total the Barbarossa force had 3,000 tanks, 7,000 artillery pieces, and 2,500 aircraft.
-Soviet tanks equal to German.
- The invasion along a 1,800-mile front took the Soviet leadership completely by surprise and caught the Red Army in an unprepared and partially demobilized state.
-Largest invasion force of the war -
Pearl Harbor- December 7, 1941
Location: The U.S. Naval Base in Oahu Island, Hawaii
Involved: Japan and U.S.
-Surprise attack on U.S. naval base.
-Destroy U.S. fleet
-Weaken the resolve of the American People.
-The Japanese failed
- Before the Pearl Harbor attack, Americans maintained an isolationist stance and were resistant to become involved in the war in Europe. It was the most important naval base. -
Battle of Midway- June 3, 1942-June 7, 1943
Location: Midway Islands and Pacific Ocean -Fought entirely with aircraft
- The U.S. destroyed Japan’s first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots
-Japan abandoned its plan to expand its reach in the Pacific.
-The U.S. had a successful victory. -
Battle of Kursk- July 5, 1943-August 23, 1943
Location: Kursk and Russia
Involved: Germany and Soviet Union
-Unsuccessful German Assault on the Soviet Union in the city of Kursk.
-To recover the offensive on the Eastern Front, the Germans planned a surprise attack on the salient hoping to surround and destroy the Soviet forces within the bulge.
-Encountered deep antitank defenses and minefields, which the Soviets had emplaced in anticipation of the attack.
-The Soviets won.