-
Japan Invades China
The Japanese army invaded the heart of China. Emperor Chiang was forced to move the capital of China to Chungking. He lost contol of the costal regions first then most of the major cities. In an effort to beat the Japanese he teamed up with the Communist army of Mao Zedong. -
Rape of Nanking
Nanking the capital of China fell to the Japanese forces.To break the Chinese resistance General Matsui ordered that the city be destroyed. Most of the city was burned and Japanese troops launched a campaign of atrocities against civilians. The Japanese troops murdered an estimated 150,000 male "war prisoners", and an 50,000 male civilians and raped at least 20,000 women and girls. That is how the fall of Nanking got its name the "Rape of Nanking". -
Germany Invades Poland
In August of 1939 German soldiers were placed in Polish uniforms and shot, Hitler said that the Polish had done this and on the first of September Germany invaded Poland. Upon Germany's invasion a Polish Home Army was esetablished. On September 21st, Reinhard Heydrich told several of his commanders that Jews needed to be kept in a certain spot to be protected from the German army. Over 100,000 people died int these protection camps. -
German Blitzkrieg
It was the German military strategy of using fast moving tanks, wiht motorized infantry and artillery supported by dive-bombers. The strategy was put forward by Colonel John Fuller, chief of Tank staff in Great Britain. When Hitler obtained power, the German government opened up about tank building. In 1934 the German Army began the creating of the Panzer tanks. These tanks and this strategy was introduced during the invasion of Poland. -
Operation Barbarossa
With the conquests Hitler had already accomplished, he then decided to take a risk. This risk was to invade the Soviet Union. When the German army was close to Moscow, the High Command ordered the General Gurerian to concentrate their forces towards the Soviet Army near Kiev. This was the move that unravelled the German army. -
Pearl Harbor
The large fleet of Japanese carriers holding some 450 aircrafts set sail for Hawaii. By now Americans new the attack was imment and tried desperately to communicate with the associates in Hawaii.The first wave of the attack occured at 7:55 a.m. on "Battleship Row". The Japanese opened fire from every possible angle. By the time the second wave took place at 9:55 a.m. there was already too much damage. Some people said there was already enough damage done, 8 battle ships were out of commision. -
Wannsee Conference
Reinhard Heydrich held the confrence to determine what to do with the amount of inmates in Germany's concentration camps. The people at the meeting came to a conclusion which became known as the Final Decision. This began the extermination of the Jewish population. This made an impact of the population of people in German concentration camps. -
Battle of Midway
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto decided that he would try and capture the US base on Midway Island. Unknown to the Japanese commander the US forces had broken the communication code and informed Admiral Chester Nimitz. Nimitz was able to assemble two task forces. With 3 carriers, 8 cruisers, and 15 destroyers the US headed for Midway. 100 aircrafts from Nagumo's carriers launched an attack. The Japanese Navy in the end lost most of their aircrafts and was forced to withdraw. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This monumental battle was just considered a turning point in the war. The invaders saw Stalingrad as an essential part of their campaign in southern Russia. On September 3, 1942, the German Sixth Army under Paulus reached the outskirts of Stalingrad. The Russians then built up their forces and kept bringing in reinforcements. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad was a great humiliation for Hitler, who had elevated the battle’s importance in German opinion. He now became more distrustful to many. -
Operation Gomorrah
On this day British bombers raided Hamburg. The explosive power of this attack was equivelent to the attack that Germany had released on Britain. British attacks on Hamburg continued until November of that year. Operation Gomorrah proved to be devastating. -
D-Day
Dwight Eisenhower was in charge of the operation that became known as Operation Overload. Churchill presed for a quickened attack before they played into the hands of Germany and Japan. This day was carried out by 29 divisions including a free French divivion. -
Battle of the Bulge
The allied front in southern Belgium was composed of two American armies. At first the offensive tactic was a success, but then it was over as soon as it had begun. Most of the American forces had resisted the attack promptly. Ten days after the initail attack the American army took St. Vith from the German starting line. -
Operation Thunderclap
Aruther Harris devised this plan to break the German people. To take maximum impact he made his target Dresden. His attack was planned on this city because it hadn't been attack during the war and the town had anit-aircraft guns. The result was 135,00 people dead. This was immediately followed by the American air strike on Japan. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Douglas MacAruther decided to capture the island of Iwo Jima that was protected by 20,000 Japanese veterans. The Japanese were bombarded by the 5th Fleet under the command of Admiral Raymond Spruance. Over 250,000 men and 900 ships were involved in this operation. The US Marines managed to capture the Mount Suribachi with strong Japanese resistance. -
Battle of Okinawa
After the battle of Iwo Jima the US forces focused on the near by island of Okinawa. The island was well defended by 120,000 troops and 10,000 aircrafts. After a 4 day bombardment some 1,300 ships moved into position off the west coast of Japan. Reinforced by the 3rd Amphibious Corps and the 6th Marine Division the Americans were able to fend off the Japanese forces ending the battle in June. Losing more than 12,000 Americans and 110,000 Japanese. -
Liberation of concentration camps
As American forces closed in on the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald, Gestapo headquarters at Weimar telephoned the camp administration to announce that it was sending explosives to blow up any evidence of the camp. A prisoner answered this call and said that the camp had already been blown up, which of course was not true. The camp held thousands which needed desperate medical attention. Among these was Elie Wisel who late won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. -
VE Day
The national holiday known as the Victory Day in Europe. Millions took to the streets to celebrate the surrender of Germany. Representatives from the Allied forces met in Reims, France, with the Germans to sign the official documents of the surrender. In London spotlights formed in a "V". -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over Japan. A blast equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT exploded on the city of Hiroshima. 80,000 people were immediately killed. Tens of thousands died in later weeks due to wounds and radation poisoning. Three days after the bombing of Hiroshima another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki killing 40,000 more people. A few days after that Japan announced its surrender. -
Potsdam Declaration
okyo released a message to its ambassadors in Switzerland and Sweden, which was then passed on to the Allies. The message formally accepted the Potsdam Declaration but included the proviso that "said Declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as sovereign ruler." When the message reached Washington Truman called off the atomic bombing set for Japan. -
VJ Day
On this day victory over Japan was celebrated in the United States. On the USS Missouri, the Japanese foriegn minister, adn the chief of staff of the Japanese army signed the instrument of surrender. Among others in attendance was Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, who had taken command of the forces in the Philippines upon MacArthur's departure and had been recently freed from a Japanese POW camp in Manchuria. Shigemitsu would be found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to seven years in prison. -
Bibliography
"History of Poland." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSpoland.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 18, 2014).
"Operation Barbarossa." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSbarbarossa.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 19, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Battle of Midway begins." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-midway-begins (accessed February 20, 2014).
"Battle of Stalingrad." History. http://www.history.com/videos/battle-of-stalingrad -
Bibliography
"Blitzkrieg." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWblitzkreig.htm?menu=2WWweapons (accessed February 20, 2014).
"The Rape of Nanking." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking (accessed February 26, 2014). -
Bibliography
"United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWusaaf.htm (accessed February 20, 2014).
"NANJING MASSACRE." History. http://www.history.com/topics/nanjing-massacre (accessed February 18, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Pearl Harbor." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWpearl.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 19, 2014).
"Wannsee Conference : Nazi Germany." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERwannsee.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 20, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Operation Gomorrah is launched." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched (accessed February 21, 2014).
"BATTLE OF THE BULGE." History. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge (accessed February 26, 2014). -
Bibliography
"The U.S. army liberates Buchenwald concentration camp." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-us-army-liberates-buchenwald-concentration-camp (accessed February 22, 2014).
"V. E. Day." Spartacus Education. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWveday.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 23, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Hiroshima." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWhiroshima.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 23, 2014).
"Japan accepts Potsdam terms, agrees to unconditional surrender." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/japan-accepts-potsdam-terms-agrees-to-unconditional-surrender (accessed February 23, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Allies celebrate V-J Day." History. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vj-day (accessed February 24, 2014).
"D-Day." Spartacus Educational. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWdday.htm (accessed February 24, 2014). -
Bibliography
"Iwo Jima." Spartacus Education. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWjima.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 22, 2014).
"Okinawa." Spartacus Education. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWokinawa.htm?menu=2WWchron (accessed February 22, 2014).
