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Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is an intense military campaign used to capture a swift victory. This war tactic was used heavy in WW II by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi army. They would invade areas so fast and attack the enemy by surprise so they had no time to prepare. That resulted in victory of the Nazis. Most of the Nazi success was due to the Blitzkrieg strategy. -
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Japan controlled the Manchurians railway in 1930. The Japanese accused the Chinese of damaging the railway and attacked them. Within a year the Japanese had conquered all of Manchuria and killed thousands of Chinese soldiers and people along the way. The League of Nations advised Japan to give Manchuria back to China but they refused, resulting in Japan pulling out of the League of Nations. This started bigger conflict when Japan invaded China. -
Rape of Nanjing
The Rape of Nanjing or Nanking was a brutal massacre on the Chinese. This happened after the Japanese's invaded and seized control of Nanking. Lasting for 6 weeks, the Japanese imperial troops killed and raped Chinese soldiers and people. The records of the Japanese were destroyed after they surrendered so the number of fallen victims is unknown. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Hitler and Stalin formed a non aggression pact with each others country's to prevent any fighting between them. Within their agreement they also agreed to invade Poland from either side and split the land in half once captured. The arrangement was still valid when Hitler broke the pact and surprisingly sent troops into the Soviet Union to conquer. -
Siege of Leningrad
This blockade was also known as the 900 day siege. Leningrad, formerly know as St. peters-burg was the first target of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. They had planned to move out in May to start the attack on the Soviet Union but it was delayed until June, trying to work so quickly to prevent fighting in the Russian winter was one of the reasons for the failure. This incident killed over 1 million people. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a attack on the United States. Pearl Harbor is a the US naval base on Hawaiian territory. The imperial Japanese Navy Air Service caught the US by surprise with the devastating attack. 2,403 soldiers were killed and over 1,000 wounded from the attack. This would be the event to draw the United States into war. -
Women in the War
The role women played in the war varied from country to country. In some countries the women were able to fight with the men in combat but in some they were used to help differently. In the US the women weren't allowed to fight in combat in the war. Because the public opinion would not tolerate it. Instead they were used to drive trucks, provide medical assistance, administration, electricians and more. The American women played a big part in WW II behind the scenes. -
Battle of Midway
Only 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Midway began. This is thought to be one of the most important battles in the pacific during WW II. This battle was fought using almost only air craft and the US successfully defeated the Japanese. This is known as the most important battle and a turning point in the war because it halted the Japanese. Their plan to expand and keep spreading out fighting was significantly slowed down. -
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles in Tunisia. This was during the North African Campaign in WW II between the Axis and Allied forces. Ruled by Germany at the time, was attacked by British forces. Slow and steadily making progress through Tunisia, the Axis forces were withstanding the invasion at the beginning of the battles but fell short to the Allied forces at the end. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
Also known as Operational Overload was the Allied invasion of Western Europe. The allies were Britain, America, Canada and France that attacked the German troops in Normandy, France. The force of 15,000 won a victory that people think of as the turning point for Europe in WW II.
