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Japanese Invasion of China
On a day in 1937, the Japanese invaded China. China was rich in resources and almost tripled the size of the United States. Japan wanted to invade Manchuria for resources, then invade China for "man power". After, the Japanese wanted to move south to gain riches. Although Japan was tiny compared to China, Japan believed they would be able to take over China because each section was ruled by a different person. The Japanese began to take over China. -
Japanese Invasion of China (contd.)
China started to develop a union. Once the Japanese noticed this, they planned a big attack. The Japanese attacked Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanking. A clash between the Japanese and Chinese just outside Beijing started an unannounced war. The Japanese invaded Mongolia and were defeated. Later, Japan only concentrated on southern China and southeast Asia. In the end, the Japanese occupied most of China for eight years. http://history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/sino-japanese-war -
Rape of Nanking (contd.)
Also, the Japanese soldiers burned many of Nanking's buildings. The Japanese created a new government in Nanking that was in place until the end of World War II. The viscous killings lasted into February. At the end of the war, Matsui and Tani Hisao were executed for these cruel murders. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre
Picture: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NfWQFNcLvzE/UqXm8hD7ggI/AAAAAAAAAdo/UJn2Dfek0RA/s1600/jap.jpg -
Rape of Nanking
The Nanking Massacre was a series of rapes and murders committed by the Japanese. The Japanese army murdered thousands of civilians and soldiers. On December 13, the Japanese moved their way into Nanking. The people of Nanking already heard horrific stories of the Japanese soldiers. Families, along with infants and the elderly, were massacred. Dead bodies filled the streets. Thousands of women were raped and left for dead. -
Germans invade Poland
The German troops invaded Poland in hopes of creating "living space" for the Germans. The Germans bombed Polish airfields and attacked Polish ships. Adolf Hitler claimed that this gruesome attack was in self-defense. On September 3, 1939 Poland declared war on Germany, fueling up World War II. On August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a pact to split Poland's territory between them. -
Germans Invade Poland (contd.)
The Germans attacked Poland while the Soviet Union came in from the east. On September 28, Poland surrendered to Germany. Although Great Britain and France were alliances with Poland, the nations did little to help Poland during the invasion. Source used: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland
Picture: http://www.mindserpent.com/American_History/introduction/bg/germany_invades_poland.jpg -
Germans Invade Poland (contd.)
Hitler originally planned the attack on August 36, but he discovered a day before that Poland and Great Britain became alliances. This discovery caused Hitler to use propaganda to persuade German citizens into Poland. On August 31, 1939, Nazis disguised in Polish uniforms staged an invasion of Germany by using dead concentration camp members as Polish invaders. Later, on September 1, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3, the British declared war on Germany. -
German Blitzkrieg (contd.)
This style of fighting help the Germans successfully attack many countries, like, Poland, France, and the Russians. Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg
Picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/430938258065276597/ -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg means "lightning war" in English. It is a war tactic that Germans used to disorganize the enemy. The Germans achieved such by using air support, paratroopers, firepower, and communication from the radio. The first use of blitzkrieg was used when the Germans invaded Poland. The simple tactic made is easy for the Germans to surprise the enemy. Blitzkrieg consisted of tanks, aircrafts, and the radio during war. -
Operation Barbarossa
On June 22, 1941 Hitler ordered his army to invade the Soviet Union. Hitler sabotaged the Nazi-Soviet pact by doing so. The long, 1,800 mile invasion caught the Soviet Union and the Red Army by surprise. The German army advanced into the Soviet Union destroying aircrafts and killing thousands of the Red Army men. Later, the Germans were ready to march into Moscow until they were halted by the winter conditions. -
Operation Barbarossa (contd.)
Although the Germans advance stopped due to the weather, Hitler believed that he would have successfully invaded the Soviet Union by the spring. The Soviets crashed through the German army, stunning the Germans. Stalin aggressively protected Moscow. Hitler's unrealistic plans to invade the Soviet Union caused the plan to fail. Operation Barbarossa was a turning point of World War II. Source: https://youtu.be/AgvU_zhjHTU
Picture: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1761.html -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked ships in Honolulu, Hawaii. The United States suffered many casualties along with destroyed naval vessels, battleships, and airplanes. The next day, President Roosevelt and Congress declared war on Japan. The attack from the Japanese made the Americans determined to go to war. The main goal of the Japanese was to destroy the Pacific Fleet but they failed to do so. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
The Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference is when the Nazi Party created Hitler's "final solution". Fifteen Nazi officials, Reinhard Heydrich, and Adolf Eichmann met to discuss their plan. The men brainstormed many ideas, like, moving the internment people to Madagascar or working them to death. The men discovered a perfect solution to get rid of a thousand people at once. Gas vans were used in Chelmno, Poland as the final solution. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wannsee-conference -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a turning point for the Pacific in World War II. Yamamoto Isoroku planned to attack an area close to Pearl Harbor, in hopes of drawing out the Americans for an unprepared battle. Fortunately for the Pacific, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz broke the Japanese code and figured out their plan. Both sides suffered many causalities. Both the Japanese and Americans lost soldiers, aircrafts, and ships.
Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Battle of Stalingrad
Although the German men could have fought their way out, Hitler did not want them to. The German soldiers froze in the harsh Stalingrad winter. On February 2, 1943, the Germans surrendered which embarrassed Hitler. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest battles in history, marked a turning point for the Allies. The Soviet Union prevented Germany from invading their territory. When the German army marched towards the Soviet Union on September 3, they were surprised to be faced with the Russian army. Germany and the Soviet Union suffered from a large amount of causalities, while the Soviet Union's towns were destroyed. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
On May 16, 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto revolted against the German extermination camps. The Warsaw Ghetto members fought against the SS Forces. The Warsaw citizens only had small weapons, while the SS Forces had tanks and heavy artillery. The Germans captured Jews and raided bunkers. On May 16, the Warsaw Ghetto was under German control. Thousands of Jews were killed during the fight. The survivors were sent to labor camps. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
Operation Gomorrah
On July 24, 1943 the British dropped 2,300 bombs on Hamburg. During this operation, the British only lost 12 out of 791 aircraft due to a newly developed invention called the "window". Windows confused German radars. In addition, the United States Air Force dropped bombs in northern Germany. The bombs killed thousands of people and destroyed the cities in Germany. Hitler would not visit these cities. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
D-Day
D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion, also known as Operation Overload, and launched on June 6, 1944. British and Canadian forces stormed to the coast of France. The attack was originally planned on June 5 but was stalled until the next day due to weather conditions. Also, the Allies threw of the Germans by setting up fake props to make the Germans think they were coming from a different direction. The Allies fought their way through Normandy. -
D-Day (contd.)
By August 1944, Paris was liberated. The Germans pulled out of northern France. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
During the Battle of the Bulge, Adolf Hitler planned to throw the Allied powers off by surprise and split them apart. The American units struggled to fight back. The Germans would go throw the Ardennes to Antwerp, which created a "bulge". The Germans had to push through the winter, trying to push the Allies towards the west. The Americans encountered a severe amount of causalities, over 100,000 deaths. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was the Allied powers plan to bomb German cities. The motives of this was to disrupt the infrastructure in eastern Germany. Thunderclap was an important plan since Churchill promised to help the Soviet Union when they moved into Germany. Dredsen, a city in eastern Germany, did not suffer from a bomb. There was a rumor that the Allies wanted to save a city to occupy it when they stormed into Germany. -
Operation Thunderclap (contd.)
On January 13, a bomb was ordered to be dropped on Dresden. The successful air raid killed a large amount of people and damaged the city. Source: http://ww2orc.tripod.com/id15.htm
(None of the sources provided had information about this) -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Americans invaded an island, Iwo Jima, amphibiously. The island was just right off the coast of Japan. The Japanese changed their defense mechanism and fought in caves, dugouts, and tunnels. These installments were hard to find and diminish. The Americans lost around 5,900 people and 17,000 were wounded. The marines successfully fought the Japanese shown by the American flag being raised after victory. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
The battle of Okinawa was a Pacific island battle during World War II. The Japanese navy and army planned air attacks using kamikaze pilots. The battle was on both land and sea, killing thousands of military and civilians. The American defense lines along the island made it difficult for the Japanese. Simon B. Bucker, an American general, died due to a firearm. A Japanese general, Ushijima Mitsuru, died by suicide. -
Battle of Okinawa
The United States suffered from thousands of lives lost, along with destroyed ships and aircrafts. The Japanese lost up to 10,000 people, aircrafts, a battleship, a light cruiser, and four destroyers.The Battle of Okinawa was undeniably the largest island battle. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
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VE Day
VE Day, Victory in Europe, was on May 8, 1945. Great Britain and the United States took place in this celebration as the Nazi party was defeated. VE Day marks the day when German finally put down their arms. Hitler realized he was not going to make it out of this war successfully. VE Day was not celebrated until May 9 in Moscow when Stalin announced it on the radio. Before this, the Russian stopped the Germans and took them captive when they attempted an exodus to the West. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan basically marked the end of World War II. The United States had been working on creating an atomic bomb for awhile. Once the first atomic bomb was tested, Germany was defeated, but the Japanese were still acting up. Truman decided that the Americans needed to do something powerful in order to win the war. On August 6, 1945 a bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. -
Dropping of the atomic bomb
The bomb killed 80,000 people right off the bat and killed thousands of people after due to radiation from the atomic bomb. Later, on August 9, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki which called another 40,000 people. After the second bomb was released, the Japanese finally surrendered. Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
Potsdam Declaration (contd.)
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Potsdam Declaration
Emperor Hirohito wanted the Allies to accept the terms of the Potsdam Conference. One of these terms meant surrender. If Japan did not give in, then the would face destruction. After Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the Japanese surrendered. The Japanese sent a message to Switzerland and Sweden. The message reached to the United States, saying the Japanese would finally surrender. Once the message was received, President Truman stopped any further atomic bombings. -
VJ Day
VJ Day, or Victoryover Japan day, was on August 14, 1945. This day marks when Japan surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II. The Americans were excited on this day. They celebrated. The photo attached is a famous picture of an unknown sailor and woman kissing on VJ Day. Source: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
