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Japanese Invasion of China
The invasion was due to the two countries positions as Communists and Nationalists. Japan wanted China's natural resources. The whole north of China was eventually taken over by Japan. It resulted in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The war ended in a stalemate.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland -
Rape of Nanking
Over the time period of six weeks, Imperial Japanese Army soldiers bloodily killed thousands and thousands of people. These people included not only soldiers, but citizens too. Between 20,000 and 80,000 women were assualted, giving the time its name. It took decades for the city to recover.
http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre -
German Invasion of Poland
On September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated very quickly. Their defeat resulted in Britian and France declaring war on Germany. They invaded Poland because due to the German-Sovet Pact Germany was able to expand their boarders into Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.
http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/invasion-of-poland.asp -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is a term for lightning war and was a military stratagy used by the Germans to help distroy their enemies. Germans used this tactic in teir invasion of Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. Its main goal was to prevent the stalemate that occured in WWI. The outcome of the war tactic was that is allowed the Germans to become one of the strongest military powers and conquer a lot of land before being defeated.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the begining of Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union. The German army was at its peak, but underestimated the conditions it would face in Russia. There were heavy rains and frosts which the army did not have the supplies to combat, and they eventually had to admit the attempt was a failure. The outcome of Barbarossa was that it put Nazi Germany in a two-front war that would lead to their downfall.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
The United States placed sanctions on Japan which caused them to have a shortage of oil and natural resources. In retaliation, Japan launched an attack on the United States by bombing Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Attack majorly damaged the American fleet and stopped the US from interefering for awhile. However, it ultimately lead to the US declaring war on Japan, and then Germany.
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005155 -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting held in Berlin with representatives of the Reich authorities. The meeting was held in response to the Nazi program called, "The Final Solution to the Jewish Question". It resulted in the building of a network of extermination camps that would serve to kill millions of Jews.
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/about/04/wannsee_conference.asp?WT.mc_id=wiki -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the victorious defense of Stalingrad by the Sovets. It is known as the greatest conflict. The outcome was that is stopped the Germans from advancing into the Soviet Union. It also showed the Allires that they had a chance.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Residents of the Jewish ghetto in in Warsaw, Poland, got together and organized a revolt agaisnt deportations to extermination camps. Their revolts were due to their expanding knowledge of the camps and fierce desire not to go. The uprisings inspired other revolts in extermination camps and ghettos across eastern Europe.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
Operation Gomorrah
British bombers raided Hamburg Germany during the night while Americans bombed it by day in what is known as, "Operation Gomorrah". 2,300 tons of explosives were dropped on Hamburg and 1,500 civilians were killed. The effefts were significant and helped the decline of Hitlers regime.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
D-Day
On D-Day, over 150,000 soldiers went to France and liberated it. Germany had been struggling in the East and was losing ground in Italy, but had remained strong in France. The Allies knew that winning France back would be a turning point in the war. the D-Day victory served as the final turning point in the war in which Germany would begin its decline.
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005137 -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge started with the Germans last major offensive move of the war in their attempt to push the Allied Soldiers west from France into Belgium. The Germans vastly outnumbered the Americans, and they were forced to retreat. It was a bloody war that resulted in many American deaths.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Americans invaded Japan through an amphibious attack on Iwo Jima. The marines managed to defeat the Japaneese soldiers defending Iwo Jima. However, despite the positive outcome of the battle for the Americans, it resulted in many casualities on both sides.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap consisted of a collection of Allied firebombing raids against Germany. They cities that were targeted were those German cities which were known for war-production and manufacturing. They resulted in major destruction of German cities.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last and largest battle in the Pacific islands during WWII. Japan lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies lost more than 65,000. The massive amounts of casualties were from fighting on the sea and on the land. The two sides were fighting over vital air bases that were essential in order for Japan to win or lose.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
VE Day
This day comemorates the victory of the United States and Great Britian in Europe over the Nazi war regime. The German troops had finally liad down their weapons. However, confrontations would continue to happen afterwards. The war was offically over.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping the Atomic Bomb
The United States dropped an Atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It served to officially end WWII. However, some say it sparked the cold war. Turman warned Japan it was going to drop an atomic bomb, but Japan ignored him. Two bombs were dropped in an attempt to avoid American casualities.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
Japan finally offically surrendered to the Allies and World War II was completely over. It was brought on by the dropping of the atomic bomb and the outcome was that it fueled hostilities between the two nations.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima
