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Japanese Invasion of China
Source Japan invaded China in 1937 due to the cheap labour force and resources. Japan really didn't have the things that China had. The invasion of China launched the Second Sino-Japanese War. The war brought significant impact of the Chinese Revolution and many political and economic problems. -
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World War II
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Rape of Nanking
Source One of the brutal attacks China. This attack happened in the city of Nanjing and it happened during the Second Sino-Japanese War. On December 13, General Matsui sent his first troops into the city. More than 150,000 Japanese soldiers were licensed to murder or rape the people living in the city. Men, women, and kids were all killed and some were killed for no reason. Around 20,000 to 80,000 women were sexually abused. The rape of Nanking was also known as the rape of Nanjing. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
SourceAround 1.5 million German troops invade Poland. The Germans bombed Polish airfields and the warships. Adolf Hitler was the Nazi leader and he claimed that the massive invasion was the right thing to do but France and Britain were not interested. Hitler invaded Poland to defend the Germans who lived there. On September 3, France declared war on Germany. -
German Blitzkrieg
SourceGermany sought to avoid a long war so they used the Blitzkrieg tactic against and was successful against Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia. and Greece. Blitzkrieg required offensive weapons such as tanks, planes, and artillery. The reason why they used blitzkrieg because the Germans wanted to build its empire but felt they were getting restricted. -
Operation Barbarossa
SourceThe name "Operation Barbarossa" was the name given Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia. Barbarossa was the largest military attack of World War 2 and was to have consequences for the Russian people. It was based on blitzkrieg. During the Operation Barbarossa, Hitler wanted to invade the USSR to defeat communism and take over the land. -
Pearl Harbor
SourcePearl Harbor is a harbor located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. On December 7, Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. It lasted for two hours and was very devastating. More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors were killed during the attack and 1,000 were injured. On December 8, President Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. The attack was surprising because no one knew about it. -
Wannsee Conference
Source On January 20, 15 Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannse to discuss important things. The topic they were going to discuss about was the "Final Solution." The "Final Solution" was the code name for the systematic, physical annihilation of the European Jews. During the conference most parties knew about the mass murders of Jews and others around the German occupied areas of the Soviet Union. -
Bataan Death March
SourceOn April 9, 1942, the deadly force march began. The march included American and Filipino prisoners that were forced by the Japanese. The march was 63 miles from the southern end of the Bataan Pennisula in the Philippines. Around 7000 to 10,000 people died during the march. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Source The battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II. The battle stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union in marked a turning point of the war. After losing the battle, the German army lost many soldiers. The battle started when the German Air Force bombed the Volga River and the city of Stalingrad. -
Operation Gomorrah
Source In 1943, the German city of Hamburg was bombed. The attack was called the Operation Gumorrah. Joseph Goebbel thought the bombing of Hamburg would lead Nazi Germanu for peace.The bombing brought destruction to the city. Hitler refused to go see the burned out cities. At the end of the attacks 30,000 people died. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
Source On September 3, 1943 allies landed on Italy. The Allied invasion plan was that the northern forces would throw a net across the Italian peninsula while the British army chased down the Germans. The Allies decided to go to Italy hoping that an invasion would remove the facist regime from the war. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
SourceThe battle of Normandy lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. The battle resulted in the Allied Liberation of Western Europe. Nazi Germany was in control. The Invasion required a lot of preparation and planning because it was one of the largest assaults. On June 6, Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy. -
Battle of the Bulge
Source The Battle of the Bulge started on December 16, 1944. It was the largest battles fought on the Western front in Europe during World War II. It was an attempt to push the Allied frontline west from Northern France to Northwestern Belguim.The battle was Hitler's last stand to win the war. -
Operation Thunderclap
Source The ThunderClap plan was a plan that would cause a massive attack on Berlin in the belief that would cost 220,000 victims with 110,000 killed, which would shatter German morale. The plan then, was reconsidered in early 1945. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Source The battle of Iwo Jima Took place in February 1945. It was a three-point plan that Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. Iwo Jima is a very small Pacific island located on Honshu. On the first day, 30,000 US Marines landed on the shores of Iwo Jima. Japanese were ready and waiting for more marines before attacking. After 36 days, the US invaded Iwo Jima. -
Battle of Okinawa
Source The battle of Okinawa took place in April 1945. It was the largest landing in the Pacific theater of World War II. The capture was part of a three-point plan Americans had for winning the war in the Far East. The US military wanted Okinawa to use as a support base for the invasion of Japan in November. More than 100,000 Japanese died. -
VE Day
Source VE Day is a day when both Great Britain and the US celebrate the victory in Europe day. The World War II was officially ended in Europe on May 8, 1945. Both cities put out flags and banners to celebrate the rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. -
Potsdam Declaration
Source The Potadam Declaration was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese forces during World War II. This statement was issued on July 26, 1945. Japan accepted the declaration to surrender. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
Source On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was bombed by an atomic bomb. About 80,000 people were killed and 35,000 were injured. Only 28,000 buildings remained after the bombing. There were many fires as result of the bomb explosions. A second atomic bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. This resulted Japan's surrender. -
VJ Day
Source On August 14, 1945, after six years of war, Japan surrendered to the Allies, which ended World War II. Around the world, there were celebrations happening. VJ Day was also known as Victory over Japan Day.
