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Germany Invades Poland
Germany used their new blitzkrieg tactics to invade Poland. They outnumbered the Polish in aircrafts and tanks. In two weeks, Warsaw was surrounded. On the seventeenth, Soviets invaded from the east, and soon, Warsaw surrendered. -
Germany Invades Holland and Belgium
Germany begins invasion on May 10. The blitzkrieg is successful and the Dutch surrender. Queen Wilhelmina flees to England, and Hitler establishes Artur von Seyss-Inquart as the leader of Holland. Belgium also fell quickly. -
Paris Falls and France Surrdenders
The air raids begin on June 3. Germany attacks from the east, but also sends troops to attack from the south. On June 14, Germany enters Paris. The government flees to the southwest. -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
During diplomatic negotiations between America and Japan, the Japanese airforce bombs the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. Over two thousand Americans die. With the crippled Pacific Fleet, America now joins the war. They now have a chance to join forces with Britain against HItler as well as fighting Japan. -
Philippines Fall to Japan
Japan would soon control all of East Asia. General MacArthur pulled his 90,000 troops back to the Bataan Peninsula. His troops suffered from starvation, so he had to escape. He left Corrigidor in March with the words, "I will be back." -
Battle of the Atlantic At Height
The Germans used U-Boats to patrol the Atlantic. They tried to prevent U.S. supplies from reaching Britain. "Wolf Packs," groups of ten U-Boats, would operate in unrestricted submarine warfare. The Allies began using escort ships to protect cargo. The Allies gained an advantage for the Battle for the Atlantic with a new RADAR-like system developed by the British. -
Battle of Midway
After Pearl Harbor, codebreaking was used to discover Japan's plans. Admiral Nimitz brought three aircraft carriers to Midway Island. One, the Yorktown, was lost in the battle. About 5,000 Japanese men died. The battle removed the Japanese threat in the Eastern Pacific. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Russian civilians and soldiers fought fiercely to defeat the Germans attempting to invade the city. Thousands died, but Germans were defeated. General Von Paulus and the German 6th Army retreated. Over one hundred thousand German soldiers died before he surrendered. -
Allies Land at Anzio, Italy
Allied forces began to proceed north through Italy in September. By January of 1944, American forces have arrived just south of Rome. Exposed Allied forces on the beaches were trapped. On May 23, aircraft support arrived to help the troops escape. Their next goal was to take over Rome. -
D-Day: Allies Land in Normandy, France
On June 6, 1944, Allied troops reached Northern France. Dwight D. Eisenhower led 200,000 Allied troops onto the shores. On Omaha beach, American died as they got out of the boats. Eventually, the Allies pushed forward. In two months, Paris was in control of the Allies. -
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Japanese on Iwo Jima hid underground on the island. The Allies' guns bombarded the island, but had little effect on the hidden soldiers. The troops landed and began the attack, but the Japanese were prepared. They could see the Allied troops, but they were themselves invisible. Poison gas, napalm, and hand grenades enabled the Allies to win the battle after sustaining heavy losses.
