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Rape of Nanking
Over a period of 6 weeks, Japenese forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of people in the Chinese city of Nanking.Between 20,000 to 80,000 women were sexually assaulted because Japan wanted a larger empire. Nanking was left in ruins and took decades to recover. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
1.5 million German troops invaded Poland and bombed Polish airfields, along with German U-boats attacking Polish naval forces. Hitler believed that Poland would bring living space for the German people.This was the start of WW2 and the Polish living conditions decreased tremendously. -
Fall of Paris
German troops entered Paris and took over the whole city and gave citizens curfews, arrested them, interrigated them, and the Germans spied on the people of Paris. Germany thought that by taking over Paris they woud gain more power and troops. In result of this people fled, President Roosevelt froze the assests to the Axis powers, and another battle started and the war continued. -
German Blitzkrieg
The German army attacked Poland with tanks, planes, boats, and guns very rapidly, so that there was no way for them to fight back.This was designed to create disorganization and throw the "enemy" off guard and kill quicker. The effect was that Poland got annihilated. -
Pearl Harbor
A bunch of Japanese planes(hundreds) bombed the American Naval Base, known as Pearl Harbor, killing and wounding thousands in the process. Japan did this because the U.S. stopped supplying them with oil since they were taking over innocent countries and Japan became very angry. In result, the U.S. had to enter the war and many citizens died. -
D-Day
The Allies landed on 5 beaches along a 50 mile stretch of heavily fortified French coasts in order to ambush the Germans. In order to get into Germany the Allies had to get past the coast and defeat the Germans there. They succeeded, the Germans became weak, and Hitler was loosing hope. -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler tried a surprise blitzkreig attack on the Allies and caught off guard they couldn't hold the Germans from driving in. Eventually, they fought battles and took the shape of a bulge, succeeding and neutralizing the Germans. The Germans thought that they could weaken and hopefully end the Allies. Over 100,000 American soldiers died, the Germans had a fuel shortage, and there were many setbacks(like weather and planning). -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Three U.S. marine divisions landed on this island and fought 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops but the Americans won after 1 month of fighting. America needed a base near the Japanese coast so they attacked here. 5,900 Americans died and 17,400 were wounded, along withthe entire garrison wiped out. -
VE Day
Called Victory in Europe day because the Nazi's surrendered, leaving the Allies with a victory. Germany was weakened and could no longer fight. So the Allies defeated the Nazi's and won the European war. -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last and biggest of the Pacific Island battles. The Japanese used suicide tactics to defeat the enemy. They crashed their boats into one another to blow them up. This was fought in order to defeat Japan and to regain the U.S.'s possesions in the Pacific. Lots of soldiers and people died. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
An American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb on Japan killing about 40,000 people. Japan wouldn't surrender so President F.D.R. told them that the U.S. would bomb them and we did eventually. The effect was that Japan surrendered and they had decades of radiation and loss. -
VJ Day
Called Victory in Japan Day because Japan surrendered and a ceremony was held. Japan had no more power to fight and the U.S. wanted to remember this day forver. The war ended and the Allies won. Japan was left in ruins.
