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German Blitzkrieg
Also known as "lightning war' this was a high speed battle tactic which involved sending quick waves of troops at the enemy. Germany used blitzkrieg in the first years of the war in order to best fight their enemies. This was very effective for Germany and brought them many victories. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland and within weeks the Polish army was defeared. Germany wanted to gain power so they built up their army. Then they started conquering weaker countries, starting with Poland. This led to Germany becoming stronger and gaining power, because NATO did not do anything to stop Germany. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack lasted for two hours. This action was in response the the U.S. decision to srop supplying Japan with oil. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the U.S. joining WWII. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Warsaw was the largest ghettos used for holding Jews. Eventually an organization of residents known as the Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa organized a rebellion. They shot at the guards with smuggled weapons, and achieved a small victory. Eventually the German guards won, many Jews were killed and the others were deprted to camps. -
D-Day
Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normady to begin the invasion of Nazi occupied Europe. This was the Allies best shot at defeating the Nazis, and their success would lead to the end of the war in Europe. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
In the final parts of the war, Allied troops advanced deeper into Germany and came upon the many concentration camps, the first in 1944. They liberated the camps, and gave the people freedom. -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle was Hitler's last effort to push back the Allied forces. His troops succeded in breaking though the Allied troops, creating a bulge shape in the front lines. Eventuallly the American troops pushed them back, setting the Allies up for the final vicotry and the end of the war. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Americans needed a base near the Japanese coast to launch and attack. This battle for the island of Iwo Jima started in February, and after a month of fighting the U.S. finally won. It was a tough battle with many losses, but in the end the U.S. gained the base they needed for the next attack. -
Battle of Okinawa
This was the last and biggest battle in the Pacific Islands. It was an successful attempt to get closer to the Japanese mainland. This victory taught the Americans they could fight the Japanese and win, and it set them up for the next attack. -
VE Day
The Allies had victory in Europe. Nazi Germany agreed to unconditional surrender of it's armed forces. This led to the restoration of Europe and the liberation of camps. -
Dropping of Atomic Bombs
The U.S. made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force the Japanese to surrender without losing andy more American troops. After the second bomb Japan announced their unconditional surrender on August 15th. -
VJ Day
After the U.S dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, they decided to announce their unconditional surrender. This meant WWII was over and people all over the world celebrated.
