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The Maginot Line
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The Maginot Line
The Maginot Line was a system of defenses that became famous for failing to stop a German invasion. The name came from the French Minister of War. It consisted of weapons and reinforcements along France's eastern border. The line was made years before WWII to protect themselves from Germany. They were caught off guard by the German attack and quickly fell to the impressive blitz attack. -
Rape of Nanjing
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Rape of Nanjing
The Japanese slaughtered around 150,000 male "war prisoners", killed an extra 50,000 male civilians. They raped around 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of who were disfigured or killed in the process. The army was destroying towns and their city, along with more than a third of the buildings. A lieutenant general had also participated in acts of murder and rape. He was found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and was executed. -
Munich Conference
In this conference, the leaders of Great Britain, France, and Italy agreed to allow Germany to enclosure certain territories of Czechoslovakia. With the countries agreeing, it made Czechoslovakia surrender everything to Nazi Germany. Czechoslovakia had no say in what could happen in their area, they had to go with the flow. The reason they wanted Czechoslovakia was that it would strengthen Germany and remove them as a threat. As well as unite all the Germans into one nation. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
This pact was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union who enabled these two powers to divide Poland between them. Hitler and Joseph both had bad feelings about each other nations. They both agreed to not do any harm together as a nation or individually towards each other. Both knew their propaganda would have to work hard to change current public views in their nations. Diplomats from both countries knew the deal held a set of secret clauses. -
Invasion of Poland
The British and French issued security contracts to Poland. The Germans secretly sent submarines into the Atlantic, and signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union. The Germans invaded Poland, outnumbered, they retreated, Great Britain and France issued war. The Soviets invaded Poland, refusing to link up with Germany and divide Poland as agreed. On September 27th Warsaw surrendered, October 3rd the last Polish forces surrendered. Great Britain and France proved weak to intrude. -
Battle of Britain
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Battle of Britain
Hitler made plans for an invasion, named Operation Sea-lion. German aircrafts came to bomb airfields and destroy planes. Outnumbered, the British relied on interception and decryption of German messages, along with other technology they had. Allied pilots who survived being shot down could be rescued on the ground, but lasting Germans would be captured. International pilots re-armed the troubled British airmen. German losses mounted awfully, Hitler set aside his invasion plans on September 17th. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, destroying the US Pacific Fleet. When Germany and Italy announced war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war. The reason why Japan did this attack was as a protective action to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from meddling with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories. Pearl Harbor was a cue to Americans and gave them a reason to fight for their lives and their freedoms. -
Women in the War
Women first began to fly for the US Army Air Forces. Numbering over 1,100, was liable for carrying aircraft from factories to airbases. Women became mechanics, parachute riggers, and more. Finally recognized as part of the military, WASPs were able to obtain veteran benefits. The Integration Act opened up the newly formed US Air Force to women. WAC veteran Sgt. Esther Blake was the first woman to enlist in the US Air Force. -
Battle of Stalingrad
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Battle of Stalingrad
After the Soviet attack, both sides became exhausted in the winter warfare. Hitler decided to restore his armies and focus on a spring offensive differently. They seized Voronezh, Sevastopol, Rostov, and pushed on across the Don River. The Soviets heavily re-armed Stalingrad, the fighting went into the winter. The Soviets broke the Axis lines north and south of Stalingrad and surrounded the city. The Germans isolated in Stalingrad fought but gave up, a tragedy that cost Hitler over 300,000 men. -
Battle of El Alamein
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Battle of El Alamein
El Alamein was the turning point of the North African campaign of WWI. The Axis army of Italy and Germany, defeated by the British Army. Bordered the sea and the Qattara Depression, a sea of quicksand impassable to mechanized forces. British planned an offensive that would end the Axis threat to the Middle East. Hitler ordered a huge re-enforcement, allowing the Axis to fight a defensive campaign. The Axis forces were in an absurd position and made to resign, loss of about 240,000 prisoners. -
The Kiev Offense
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The Kiev Offense
The Panzer Army caused a massive Soviet attack. Ukrainian Front's goal was to go west to take various towns, to cut the rail link to Army Group Center. Manstein begged Hitler to release the Panzer Corps to have enough forces to retake Kyiv but was rejected. 1st CIB had started the attack in November. Kyiv was captured, the 4th Panzer Army was reinforced with weapons. The only break for Germany, when the 27th Army drained itself when autumn came, it halted all operations. -
D-Day(Normandy Invasion)
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D-Day(Normandy Invasion)
D-Day was the start of Allied operations that would free Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany, and end WWII. Airborne assault going in Normandy. Over 13,000 men, the paratroopers were flown in southern England. Many were injured and killed during the attack, equipment was lost, but the paratroopers fought bravely, confusing the German commanders and keeping the German troops busy. The British and Canadian attacks accomplished their main goal of securing the left flank of the invasion force. -
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
During this time, an American B-29 bomber had dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This killed around 80,000 people and tens of thousands would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing around 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito declared his country’s unconditional surrender in WWII in a radio address on August 15, citing the crushing power of “a new and most cruel bomb.”.
