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Japanese invasion of China
This is when china went on a full scale resistance to japan. Japan at this time was going around trying to gain territory. This is significant because it will lead to something very important down the line. In December 9, of 1941 a war is started between china and japan. Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Sino-Japanese-War -
German Blitzkrieg
In German Blitzkrieg translates to “lightning war”. And this is exactly how the germans fought. This was a very effective offensive attack that uses mobile forces such as tanks and other ground supports backed up by heavy air support. This strategy limited the loss of soldiers and ammunition. This is important because It provided the power that they needed to be able to sweep through Poland, Norway, Belgium, Holland and France with astonishing speed and force. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
At this time Nazi Germany possessed overwhelming military superiority over Poland. Germany continued to assault Poland to demonstrate the Germans ability’s. Then the Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland and the polish had to surrender. The Soviet Union and Germany both attacked but the initial attacks from Germany are what weakened them most. This is important because after this the Soviet Union and Germany in a way that they called the German-soviet Non-aggression pact. Source could not fit -
Fall of Paris
The Parisian’s awaken to the sound of a German over a loud speaker telling them that they were imposing a curfew of 8pm. Not to long after German tanks came into Paris. Then the germans arrested, interrogated, and spied on Paris. This is a significant event because this is one of the things that started to get America involved with the way was healing Paris. -
Operation Barbarossa
This is an invasion that was launched on the Soviet Union during ww2 codenamed Operation Barbarossa. Hitler hoped to repeat Blitzkrieg and have it done fast. This was germanys largest invasion, and one of the most powerful invasions in history. This invasion when as planed at first but then Germany sustained heavy casualties as the soviets numerical advantage and strength were greater than expected. In the end Germany failed and this showed that the Germans were not undefinable. -
Pearl Harbor
This was a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base near Hawaii. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the base. They destroyed or damaged 20 naval vessels, and 8 battleships, and over 300 airplanes. Over 2,400 Americans died and another 1,000 were injured. This is a significant event because this is then the United States of America joined WW2. -
Bataan Death March
This is when Filipino American troops surrendered at Bataan peninsula. Then about 75,000 troops were captured and forced to make a 65-mile march to pro Simon camps. They did this in intense heat and harsh treatment from the Japanese guards. Thousands perished during this Death March. This is significant because it was one of the first main battles that America was in. -
Battle of Midway
This battle was a four day air and sea battle. The U.S. pacific fleet was out numbered and still managed to take out 4 of the Japanese aircraft carriers while only loosing one of it own. This is significant because it showed that the supposedly invincible Japanese navy could be beaten. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was a battle between Russia and Germany and the axis powers. There were 2 million fighting and almost 2 million killed or injured. Germany wanted to take over Stalingrad because it was a big manufacturer city, and was providing lots of supplies for the war. Also for some reason Russia had a connection to it. This is significant because Russia was able to keep the city and it gave them confidence, This also put Germany on the defensive. -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee conference was a big meeting that was held for High-level German officials. This is where they discussed the implement of the “Final solution of the Jewish question”. In other words mass killing of Jews.This meaning in important because there were about 11 million Jews, some of them not even living on German-controlled territory, would be eradicated or killed. -
Operation Gomorrah
The germans had just finished boxing Britain in July but now the tables have turned. The British 2,300 dons of bombs on Hamburg, Germany in just a few hours. They also used a new radar-jamming device called the “window” to help with their attacks. To make maters worse for Germany the U.S. became bombing run in northern Germany. This had a major impact because there were 30,00 people killed and 280,000 building destroyed. Also German officials sought to come to terms with defeat. -
D-Day(Normandy Invation)
This is when 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on 5 beaches along 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified coast. There were thousands of paratroopers and glider troops on the ground. The invasion began at 6:30, there was heavy resistance at the Omaha beach and the U.S. had 2,000 casualties. But by the end 156,000 allied troops showed up and helped. This was important because it lead to Paris being liberated, and the germans were not longer in northwest France. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was hitler’s last major affective attack during ww2 agains the western front. His goal was to split the allies in their drive to Germany. This battle was especially hard because of the frigid weather conditions. During the battle the allied line began to bulge at one point because of the germans(Hence the name). The germans also dropped soldiers behind the U.S. armies in U.S. uniforms that spoke English. The germans surrendered and this is significant because this was their last attack. -
Liberation of concentration camps
This is when all of the big concentration camps that were made during ww2 were saved. This included Auschwitz, the largest killing center and concentration complex. Millions of people had been put into these camps but only a few thousand made it out. This is significant because the camps had been the cause of lots of loss and they are finally over. -
Operation Thunderclap
This was when the allied forces did firebombing raids against the German city of Dresden. This killed about 25,000 people. This left a horrendous scale of destruction but really did not do much because the germans were already on the verge of surrender. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was an in invasion that was made by the U.S. on the Japanese island of lwo jima. There were 21,000 Japanese forces on the island and all but about 200 of them were killed. After the fight was over the strategic value of the attack was questioned. According to postwar analyses, the imperial Japanese navy had been to crippled by earlier ww2 clashes that they had already been unable to defend the empire’s island. So it either let the U.S. pass or was an unnecessary step. -
Battle of Okinawa
This battle happened on Easter Sunday, more than 180,000 U.S. troops went on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards japan. This battle was part of operation iceberg. The massacre was of this battle was worse than the D-day invasion. In the end the allied forces won this battle. This battle was significant because it was the last major battle of ww2. -
VE Day
This is when both Great Britain and the United States celebrated the victory. They put out flags and banners, rejoicing the defeat of the “Nazi war machine”. This event is significant because this shows that the germans were officially out of the war. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
This is when America dropped the worlds first atomic bomb on Japanese city of Hiroshima. This bomb killed about 80,000 people and thousands more due to radiation. Then they dropped a second bomb that killed about 40,000 people. This is a significant event because this forced japan to surrender and they are not also out of the war. -
VJ Day
This day is when japan announced surrender ending ww2. The allied forces had won. Since this day August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over japan day” or simply “V-J day”. This is significant because we had won the war and the fighting was finally over. -
Works cited
I could not fit the works cited with the events so I will put them here.
-Japanese invasion of China (1937): https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Sino-Japanese-War
-Germany's invasion of Poland (1939): https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939
-German Blitzkrieg (1939-1940): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Works cited continued
-Operation Barbarossa (1941): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa
-Pearl Harbor (1941): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor
-Wannsee Conference (1942): https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution
-Operation Gomorrah (1943): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
Works cited continued
-D-Day (Normandy Invasion - 1944): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day
-Battle of the Bulge (1945): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge
-Operation Thunderclap: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden
-Battle of Iwo Jima (1945): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Works cited continued
-Battle of Okinawa (1945): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa
-VE Day (1945): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe
-Dropping of the atomic bombs (1945)
-VJ Day (1945): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
-Fall of Paris (1940): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris
-Bataan Death March (1942): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
Works cited continued
-Battle of Midway (1942): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-midway-begins
-Battle of Stalingrad (1942): https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad
-Liberation of concentration camps (1945): https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps