-
Japanese invasion of China
Japan wanted to become a strong country and a world leader. Some Japanese leaders felt they needed to gain more land by conquering other countries. Attacked China in 1937 -
Germany's invasion of Poland
1.5 million German troops invade Poland all along its 1,750-mile border with German-controlled territory. September 1, the invasion began. Nazi diplomats and propagandists scrambled to head off hostilities with the Western powers. Britain and France demanded that Germany withdraw by September 3 or face war. -
Germans Blitzkrieg
German forces tried out the blitzkrieg in Poland in 1939 before successfully employing the tactic with invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands and France in 1940. -
Fall of Paris
Hitler unleashes his blitzkrieg invasion of the Low Countries and France with a fury on May 10, 1940. 10 million refugees fleeing for their lives the French abandon Paris, declaring it an open city. This allows the Germans to enter the French capital on June 14 without resistance. -
Pearl Harbor
hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels.More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.. -
D-Day
Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
100 bombers attacked the island, followed by another volley from the naval guns.The conflict went on for the next month, until the United States was able to secure the island. Fighting on the island officially ended on March 26. The Battle of Iwo Jima lasted 36 days and cost the United States over 6,000 lives -
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender . -
Dropping of the atomic bomb
President Harry S. Truman, warned by some of his advisers that any attempt to invade Japan would result in horrific American casualties, ordered that the new weapon be used to bring the war to a speedy end. The American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. -
VJ Day
On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri. President Truman declared September 2 to be VJ Day.
