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Nuremberg Laws
Jewish must show them as Jewish by wearing an arm band. They have no rights to vote, which means that they lose their citizenship. Marriages of Jewish to non-Jewish were banned. The use of public facilities was banned. Jewish children couldn’t go to school. There were also special social rules for the Jewish. From this we see how Jewish were discriminated. This is important because throughout WW2, Jews have been discriminated. -
Canada Declares War on Germany
King George announced that Canada had declared war on Germany. Canadian coastal defenses were quickly staffed, military troops prepared, and volunteers gathered. In December, parts of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division sailed for Britain, the first of thousands that were to serve overseas during the war.The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division arrived in England in the summer.The War came to a sudden end when German troops without warning,seized Denmark and launched an invasion of Norway. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
On June 4, 1940, the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk on the Belgian coast ended as the German forces captured the beach port.The nine-day evacuation, the largest of its kind in history and an unexpected success, saved 338,000 Allied troops from capture by the Nazis. The action was decided when large numbers of British, French, and Canadian troops were cut off and surrounded by the German army during the Battle of France. This is important because many were rescued. -
Fall of France
France officially surrendered. The Fall of France meant that Hitler controlled nearly all of Western Europe and he could focus on his next target which was Britain. this is significant because it shows how Hitler had targets. -
Battle of Britain
140 000 German troops massed along the English Channel. Hitler knew they had to destroy the Royal Air force first. He ordered the German air force, the Luftwaffe to gain control over air in Britain. He ordered them to attack London. The British used the superior radar which helps RAF to gain control of their air. Germans burned London but had many casualties so they called off. -
Operation Barbarossa Begins
Operation Barbarossa was the name given to Nazi Germany’s invasion of Russia on June 22nd 1941. Operation Barbarossa was the largest military attack of World War 2 and was to have terrible consequences for the Russian people. This event was important because it was the crucial turning point in World War II. It forced Nazi Germany to fight a war against an alliance having really good resources. -
Pearl Harbor
On 7 December 1941, over 350 Japanese aircraft attacked the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, destroying the US Pacific navy and causing thousands of casualties. This was important because it made the USA enter WW2 which eventually lead to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings. -
The Battle of Hong Kong
Just eight hours after attacking Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces began attacking other allied bases in Southeast Asia, like Hong Kong. Japanese forces quickly captured the airport, eliminating the Allies hope of air support. They fought to the end, but on Black Christmas, they finally put their weapons down. Canadians who survived were marched to Japanese prisoner of war camps. Many died due to brutal conditions. This was important since the Japanese killed and ruined may innocent civilians lives. -
Dieppe Raid
On the French port of Dieppe a major raid was launched. Allied leaders decided that the 2nd Canadian Infantry Davison should spearhead a raid on Dieppe which was a French seaport on the English Channel. The allies lost it when they encountered a German convoy at night. After 6 hours the raid was called off with many casualties. Dieppe was the greatest sacrifice of Canadian lives during the war.This was one of the darkest chapters in Canadian military history. -
Battle of Ortona
Ortona was an ancient city that consisted of narrow streets and connected houses. Most of Ortona was reduced to rubble, making it difficult for the Canadians to use tanks and other weaponry. The Germans secured themselves in houses and mined the streets. The fighting was house-to-house. The Canadians blasted their way through walls to get from building to building. The battle continued over Christmas Day, but three days later the Germans withdrew. -
D-Day
Many of the Canadian troops in Britain had spent more than four years preparing to invade France. Finally, allied leaders chose June 5, 1944, as D-Day. This was a day the invasion called operation overload would be launched. Bad weather delayed operation over load for 24 hours. Early in the morning of June 6, 1944, ships were ferrying 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops across the channel to Normandy. D-Day means the day on which a military operation begins. -
VE-DAY
On this day in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. They celebrate Germany surrendering. -
Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, at 8:15am, an American bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over Hiroshima, a Japanese city. This bomb was known as the, “The little boy”. The explosion destroyed 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people. Many people later died due to the radiation of the bomb. Within seconds two thirds of the city was flattened and thousands were dead. -
Nagasaki
On August 11, a bomb called “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki at 11:02 am. At noon, August 15th, 1945 – Emperor Hirohito spoke directly to his people to tell them Japan had surrendered. This second bomb which was dropped on Nagasaki, killed an estimated 40,000 people. -
VJ-DAY
VJ Day which was also known as Victory over Japan Day, was the name selected by the Allies for the day on which Japan surrendered which ended WW2. VJ Day marked the beginning of an energetic two-day holiday celebrating peace and a return to normality.
