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Rape of Nanking
"The Rape of Nanking", also known as "The Nanking Massacre", was a brutal assault that took place in the Chinese city of Nanking. This horrible attack, which lasted for over six weeks, was done by the Imperial Japanese Army: Japanese soldiers killed hundreds of thousands of people, and between 20,000 and 80,000 women were raped. The city was left completely destroyed, and it took decades in order for its citizens to recover. http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre -
German Blitzkrieg
A "Blitzkrieg" is a military tactic that includes the use of military forces and local firepower to create confusion and disorganization among the enemy forces, so that it will be easier to attack . This military tactic was tried out to invade Poland in 1939, and it was applied again in 1940 to invade Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. The effect of this event was that a substantial part of Europe fell into German control. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact
The Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact was a Nonaggression Pact signed by Germany and Soviet Union, through which the two countries agreed not to militarily attack each other for 10 years. The german chancellor Adolf Hitler took advantage of this agreement in order to easily attack Poland. The pact was broken in 1942 with the Nazi attack to the Soviet Union. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/german-soviet-nonaggression-pact -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain took place in the United Kingdom, and it was fought between the German Air Force and the British Air Force. It happened because Germany wanted to include Britain in the Reich's influence. It was one of the greatest battle during WWII. It ended in October, when Hitler decided to quit the British invasion. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-britain -
Operation Barbarossa
"Operation Barbarossa" was the name given to the Nazi war operation consisting into the invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany attacked the Soviet border with 3 millions soldiers and three thousand tanks. This attack, that was supposed to ensure the victory of Nazi Germany, contributed to the end of the Reich, due to the fact that Soviet Union was more resourceful compared to Germany. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941 the US naval base of Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese Air Force. During the attack many naval vessels and airplanes were destroyed, and many civilians lost their lives. The following day the US Congress declared war to Japan. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a Battle that was fought by the US navy and the Japanese Navy near the Midway Islands, one year later the Pearl Harbor attack. The US navy defeated Japan, and this victory allowed to the allied power to pass to an offensive position. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Allied Invasion of Italy
On July 10, 1943, the Allied invasion of Italy started. In the month of August, the Allied had already conquered Sicily, and by this moment the Mussolini government fell. At this point, the Italian peninsula got split: the South, under the control of the new Government and surrendered to the allies, and the North, which was governed by a puppet government under the control of Nazi Germany. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the Bulge was fought by the United States and Germany in Belgium. Hitler's main purpose was to split the allied armies by applying a blitzkrieg. Even though initially Germany gained some victories, At the end the American army defeated the Germans. Despite the American victory, the significant losses slew down the planned attack to the heart of Germany. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
D-Day, Battle of Normandy
The Battle of Normandy was one of the last battles of WWII. On June 6, 1944, 156,000 allied soldiers arrived on the French coasts of Normandy with the purpose of freeing Western Europe. By the end of 1944 Northern France was liberated from the German control. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought between the US and Japan near the Island of Iwo Jima. the battle took place especially because the US military strongly needed a military base in that strategic territory.
In March, 1945, the battle ended signing the US victory over Japan. After the battle, the Japanese army surrendered. The US army lost 5,900 soldiers in the battle http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
Between August 6 and August 9, 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to facilitate Japanese surrenders. The US were the first country to use atomic bombs like that, which caused tens of thousands of deaths of civilians. This event signed the end of World War II http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a battle fought between the Allied Powers and Japan. On April 1, 1945, 80,000 U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops attacked the Pacific island of Okinawa. This battle, which was also part of the "Operation Iceberg, represented one of the most important battle against Japan, and also one of the most bloodiest. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
The V-E Day
The V-E day is an expression that the US use to refer to May 8, 1945. This was the day in which the allied definitely defeated Nazi Germany in Europe. Germany had been defeated in Prague, Copenhagen, Oslo and Berlin by the Soviet army. On May 9th Stalin publicly announced Nazi Germany's defeat. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
The VJ Day
VJ Day, abbreviation that stands for "Victory over Japan day", is a term referred to August 14, 1945. This was the day in which the official surrender of Japan to the allies was announced publicly. The VJ day marked the official end of World War II. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
