-
The Japanese Invasion of China
On July 7th, 1937, a full scale war between Japan and China began. The Chinese and the Japanese fought until America joined in 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
Marco Polo Bridge Incident started the great war. A soldier had gone missing from the Japanese ranks and a group of soldiers asked the Chinese permission to cross the bridge to look for him in the nearby town. Permission was denied, and the group tried to force it's way into the town, only to be met with resistance. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Hitler originally signed a treaty with Poland in order to prevent a French-Polish agreement against Germany before they had time to rearm. Then, on September 1st, they invaded, defeating the Polish army within weeks. Warsaw, the nation's capital, surrendered on September 27. The invasion was to quench Hitler's thirst for new land to settle his superior race. This event sparked the entrance of the UK into the war -
The Fall of Paris
Germans rolled tanks in, capturing the city without much resistance. They took the city to start the invasion of France. -
German Blitzkreig
The Germans first used the tactic of Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, in the invasion of Poland. It involves a concentration of offensive weapons that drove a breach into the opposing force, allowing tanks to roll in and cause shock and panic. Planes and other such aircraft kept the forces from getting food and other supplies. Eventually, the Germans would surround the group and force surrender. This proved to be a successful technique and was used many time throughout the war. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked the naval base of Pearl Harbor hoping it would cripple the nation long enough to invade certain regions of China without American intervention. There were over three thousand casualties, and four ships severely damaged, not including the USS Arizona, which was sunk. Americans were angered by this attack and within hours, and had joined the war. -
Battle of Midway
Six months after Pearl Harbor, we won the Battle of Midway. Allowed the U.S. to take the offensive position in the Pacific war. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Soviet forces surrounded Nazis in Staingrad and crushed them while they were weak from the Russian winter. Nazi attempt to invade Russia was a fail. -
Allied Invasion of Italy
150,000 allied troops on the beaches of Sicily. Italian government soon surrendered. There was a strong German presence in Italy at that time, which was the reason for the invasion. -
D-Day
On June 6th, 1944, Operation "Overlord" took place, in which American and Canadian troops dropped on Normandy's beaches. After a successful diversion attempt, the German forces moved closer to the Belgium border. The Allied forces broke through the beachhead in which they were trapped in late July. By August, much of the German force was either surrounded or destroyed. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Japan was using the small island of Iwo Jima as an airfield to intercept the American B-29s that were being sent to the battlefields of other islands. Americans invaded the island in mid-February in order to stop the planes from doing this. It is considered the bloodiest battle in the history of the Marines, lasting almost an entire month. -
Battle of Okinawa
A bigger battle than Operation "Overlord," the Battle of Okinawa had over 100,000 casualties for the Japanese, and 50,000 of the Allies, and is considered the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war. The battle, which started because Americans wanted to destroy what was left of the Japanese fleet, ended on June 22nd. -
VE Day
Called Victory in Europe Day, this date elebrates the end of WWII in Europe, and is a day of remebrance for those that were killed in the war. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6th, 1945, a B29 carried a new weapon, named the Little Boy, and dropped it on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The atomic bomb killed almost 70,000 citizens immediately, between 90,000 nad 145,000 altogether, and destroyed the city. The second bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki three days later, killing between 40,000 and 80,000 people. A week later, the Japanese surrendered, and WWII finally came to an end. -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan Day, aka. VJ Day, is the celebration of the end of the war. A formal surrender was held in Tokyo bay on the USS Missouri. President Truman declared September 2nd as the day of celebration.
