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Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was the mass murder and ravaging of Chinese citizens and soldiers in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China. It began on December 13, 1937, during the Sino-Japanese war that proceeded World War II. This massacre lasted six whole weeks and it is estimated that over 300,000 people died. Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica -
German Blitzkrieg
"Blitzkrieg," is a German word meaning 'Lightning war" it was Germany's strategy to avoid a long war in the first phase of world war II in Europe. Germany's strategy was to defeat its opponents in a series of short campaigns. This strategy was used in the invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Source: Encyclopedia.ushmm.org -
Fall of Paris
Paris fell to Nazi Germany on June 14, 1940, one month after the German Wehrmacht stormed into France. Eight days later, France signed an armistice with the Germans, and a French state was set up with its capital at Vichy. During the occupation, a curfew was imposed, food was rationed, and coal for heating was in short supply. Jews in Paris were forced to wear the yellow Star of David badge. Source: History.com -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at pearl harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii. It was made by the Japanese that precipitated the entry of the United States into World War II. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor broke or destroyed nearly 20 US ships and more than 300 airplanes. Dry docks and airfields were also destroyed. 2,403 sailors, soldiers, and civilians were killed and about 1,000 people were wounded. Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica and History.com -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of senior government officials of Nazi Germany to discuss a "final solution" to the Jewish question. It was held in the berlin suburb of Wannsee on January 20, 1942. Various gruesome proposals were discussed, including mass sterilization and deportation to the island of Madagascar. Some proposed simply transporting Jews from everywhere in Europe to concentration camps in Poland and working them to death.
Source: Jewish Virtual Library and History.com -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the resistance by Polish Jews under Nazi occupation in 1943 to the deportations from Warsaw to the Treblinka extermination camp. The revolt began on April 19, 1943, and was crushed four weeks later, on May 16. A total of 13,000 Jews were killed, about half of them burnt alive or suffocated. It was considered the largest single revolt by the Jews in World War II. Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica -
Allied Invasion of Italy
On September 3, Montgomery's 8th Army began its invasion of the Italian mainland and the Italian government agreed to surrender to the Allies. By the terms of the agreement, the Italians would be treated with leniency if they aided the Allies in expelling the Germans from Italy. Source: History.com -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
The Normandy invasion or D-Day was the allied invasion of Western Europe. The landing of US, British, and Canadian forces on five separate beachheads in Normandy, France caused all of northern France to be liberated by the end of August. The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide against the Nazis. It was a significant psychological blow, and it also prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front against the advancing Soviets.
Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz, the largest killing center and concentration camp complex, in January 1945. American forces then liberated concentration camps including Buchenwald, Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenbürg, Dachau, and Mauthausen. Many lives were saved during the liberations. Source: Encyclopedia.ushmm.org -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was a World War II conflict between the US and Japan. The US invaded the island of Iwo Jima as part of its Pacific campaign against Japan. It was a costly victory for the US, and the battle was one of the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. In some of the bloodiest fighting of World War II, it's believed that all but 200 or so of the 21,000 Japanese forces on the island were killed, as were almost 7,000 Marines.
Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica -
VE Day
On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II. It was the day Germany surrendered its military forces to the Allies. Source: History.com -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration was an ultimatum issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China on July 26, 1945. It was calling for the unconditional surrender of Japan. The declaration was made at the Potsdam Conference near the end of World War II. The Potsdam Declaration gave the Japanese a way out of the war that avoided complete ruin and unconditional surrender. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, during World War II, were the American bombing raids on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This marked the first use of atomic weapons in war. Tens of thousands were killed in the initial explosions and many more would later succumb to radiation poisoning. Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica -
VJ Day
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day” or “V-J Day.” Source: History.com -
Battle of The Bulge
Battle of the Bulge also called the Battle of the Ardennes, was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II. It was an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory. The catastrophic losses on the German side prevented Germany from resisting the advance of Allied forces following the Normandy Invasion. Less than four months after the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany surrendered to Allied forces. Source: Encyclopedia of Britannica