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Germany's invasion of Poland
Germany's invasion of Poland is what is known for starting WWII. Hitler framed Poland for an attack to create a reason to invade and then took his opportunity. Germany's military was very strong compared to Poland. This led to Britain and France declaring war on Germany on September 3rd. It was too late for Poland, and Warsaw surrendered on September 28th.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939 -
German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg was a military tactic made by and used by the German military at the beginning of WWII. Blitzkrieg was used in the attack on Poland. This tactic consists of overwhelming the attack with a huge amount of artillery and troops. This causes a quick takeover of the territory if done correctly and proved efficient for Germany on Poland and France. But this tactic still had flaws so its use was stopped by Germany. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
Germany attacked France on June 5th and targeted Paris. Unfortunately, the French's defense wasn't adequate enough and the German troops marched into Paris. On June 14th, the German troops took control of Paris. This was a huge part of the war as it took France's resistance toward Germany out and make Germany even stronger. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-France-World-War-II/The-fall-of-France-June-5-25-1940 -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was a mostly air-fought battle between Germany and Britain's air force in WWII. Germany started by initiating a bombing campaign to try to overtake the air force, but Britain's air force had the technology and better planes. This allowed them to defend and damage a lot of German's air fleet. This was the first time Germany was stopped in the war resulting in a large turning point and showing that it was possible Germany could be defeated.
https://www.britannica.com/ -
Pear Harbor
In 1941, the US was staying out of trouble, but Japan wanted to change that due to the US making sanctions and supporting China. Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, a strong naval military base. Pearl Harbor was devasted after the attack and the damage was very significant. This led to Franklin Roosevelt declaring war on Japan on December 8th, 1941 and marking the US's entry into WWII. https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference is where the Germans developed the infamous "final solution". This was the plan to exterminate all the European Jews they could. This conference was held in Wannsee and 15 German officials attended and outlined the plan for the final solution. This was very important because the holocaust was one of the most devastating events in history and this is what started the most cruel part of it. https://www.britannica.com/event/Wannsee-Conference -
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was the result of the Battle of Bataan between the US and Filipino troops against the Japanese. The US and Filipino troops had to surrender to the Japanese on April 9th, 1942. They were forced to make a treacherous march of over 65 miles. During this march, it was extremely hot and they had very limited food and water. Around 10,00 of the troops died either by the Japanese killing them, or not being able to stand the conditions.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/ -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle where Japan tried to capture the island called Midway. Japan thought they were at the advantage but the US intercepted their plans. This made the US navy launch its own surprise attack on Japan. They destroyed much of Japan's naval air power and 4 aircraft carriers. The US proved victorious. This was very important because it gave most of the control of the pacific to the US instead of Japan. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway -
Battle of Stalingrad
One of the most important battles of WWII, fought between Germany and the Soviet Union in Russia was the Battle of Stalingrad. At first, Germany was advancing quickly and taking control all over the city. This didn't last long as the Soviet Union's defense began surrounding them and cutting out their resources. This led to the battle becoming a very close quarters and brutal fight between the Soviets and Germans. The Soviet Union proved victorious on February 2nd, 1943.
ttps://www.britannica.com -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
The Normandy invasion was one of the most important battles in WWII. The allied powers planned a huge invasion of France which was German controlled at that point. The allied powers took many precautions and tricked Germany of the actual location of the attack. Germany was very defensive but the allies proved even stronger by taking France back. This was the beginning of the end of Nazi control in Europe and is known as a military feat for how effective it was. https://www.britannica.com/event -
Battle of the Bulge
This was a surprise attack by the German Army on Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. The name was created because of the "bulge" the front line would have. The conditions were horrible and both sides were faced with famine and hypothermia. Even with these conditions, the allies were able to plan an attack that forced the Germans to retreat on January 25th, 1945. This was huge but also was one of the bloodiest battles of the war with 75,000 Allied casualties.
https://www.britannica.com -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a naval battle between the US and Japan. Iwo Jima was a relatively small island, but Japan had it fortified with many strong defenses. After a month of very bloody battle, the US secured control of the island. Both sides faced huge casualties. This battle is what made the very infamous picture on top of Mountain Suribachi where American soldiers placed a flag. This battle symbolizes courage and sacrifice and how strong the US Army was.
https://www.britannica.com/ -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a battle fought on an Island south of Japan between the US and Japan. This was the last island before the US had access to the mainland so it was a very significant but tragic battle. The Japanese used insane attacks like Kamikaze on US naval ships. This resulted in 10,000 American deaths and 110,000 Japanese deaths. The US was victorious but Okinawa faced significant damage and huge population loss. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Okinawa -
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was a conference held between leaders of the allied powers to reorganize Europe after the war. They had to decide the reparations to the axis powers and what to do with Germany. Although they agreed on many things, the Soviet Union and the US disagreed over whether to give free elections to European countries as both wanted more control. They were able to develop the united nations which was a great accomplishment and a pledge for peace. https://www.britannica.com/ -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still one of the most controversial things done in WWII history. Truman had to decide whether to invade Japan and lose thousands of troops and prolong the war or to use a new incredibly strong technology untested in real conditions before. Truman believed that in order to reduce American loss, the dropping of the bomb had to be used, this sparked huge disagreements about whether it was necessary.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org