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Germany's invasion of Poland
Germany launched a surprise attack on Poland which worked due to blitzkrieg. This happened due to Hitler wanting land which he got. A byproduct of the invasion was France and GB declared war on Germany.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Invasion-of-Poland -
German Blitzkrieg
This is a tactic used by Germany that meant lightning war. This meant that Germany fought fast so the other countries couldn't dig trenches and prepare. It was first tested in the Spanish civil war and first used by Germany to beat Poland which led to the start of WW2.
https://www.britannica.com/summary/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
The fall of Paris became a reality when Germany took Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. Then Germany started pushing for France. Germany took Paris which started showing how dominant Germany was because this also helped Germany get North Africa.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/history-and-stories/fall-of-france/#:~:text=Between%209%20May%20and%2022,Luxembourg%2C%20the%20Netherlands%20and%20Belgium. -
Battle of Britain
The Germany air force was a massive force that headed for Great Britain. Great Britain had a well-experienced air force called the Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force was small but held off Germany but not without Britain being bombed. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Britain-European-history-1940 -
Pearl Harbor
Japan and the US had tension that was building due to the financial support China got from the US. The US and Japan tried to negotiate but never signed or decided on anything. This led to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor which worked until the US joined WWII and destroyed Japan.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack -
Bataan Death March
This was a forced march of 70,000 US and Filipino prisoners of war. They had to march 63 miles to a prison camp but not all of them made it. More than 10,000 either died or escaped. This was enough for the US to convict the leader and kill him.
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Bataan-Death-March -
Battle of the Coral Sea
This was a battle between Japan and the US + Australia. The US and Australia were trying to stop Japan from advancing. The US and Australian forces were successful which created the first major loss of WW2 and stopped them from getting to Port Moresby.
https://anzacday.org.au/ww2-the-battle-of-the-coral-sea -
Battle of Midway
This was an attack from the US on Japan. The reason was to stop Japan from advancing further through the pacific. It was fought mainly in the air and was successful for the US. The win allowed better access to Japan.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway -
Battle of Stalingrad
Germany tried attacking the USSR their plan was to cut off the USSR army transport links. This would give Germany the USSR but the USSR defended well and even burned their own cities. This led to Germany asking Hitler to retreat which he said no which led to Germany's defeat and the bigger turning point of the war. -
D-Day
This was an innovation of the nazi empire that was done by the US, British, and Canada. They landed on beaches and pushed back the nazis. This led to the liberation of France and created a weak point for the USSR.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Normandy-Invasion -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
Nazi forces rounded up 500,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto. This led to starvation and many Jews dying. The Jews had enough and started an uprising called ZOB. They revolted back and were successful for 40,000 Jews were killed or deported for this uprising.
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Warsaw-Ghetto-Uprising -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany where starting to lose land and german territory. Germany realized they needed to fight back and the Battle of the Bulge was their last attempt. The Germanys lost which would push them really close to the end of the war.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was a plan to pave a way for the red army. This was an idea of an air force to shoot and bomb down cities in Germany to allow easy access for the red army. It worked and allowed the red army into Nazi territory.
https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/10737921 -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was an attack from the US on Japan. The main reason was to stop Japan's empire and the danger displayed by Japan in pearl harbor. This fight was one of the bloodiest in US marine history because Japan fought to the last man. US because vicious and helped stop Japan.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Iwo-Jima -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The dropping of the atomic bombs was meant to end WWII. The US dropped both atomic bombs which killed thousands of Japanese citizens. This was the first time atomic bombs were used and were banned after use. It ended WWII but it also could have started the cold war.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-bomber-drops-atomic-bomb-on-hiroshima
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