-
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was when the Japanese Army invaded China and horrifically murdered and sexually assaulted soldiers and civilians. The Japanese left the city of Nanking in ruins and it would take many years to physically and mentally recover. The following year a puppet government ruled Nanking until the end of World War II. history.com/topics/asian-history/nanjing-massacre#aftermath-of-the-rape-of-nanjing -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
The German invasion of Poland to gain lost territory was extremely important because it marked the start of World War II. Hitler began to use his blitzkrieg tactic, destroying many cities and buildings as he made his way through Poland. He also started to set up the SS to torment the population who didn't follow his Nazi beliefs, and concentration camps shortly followed.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) was responsible the early success of Nazi Germany in World War II. The Germans uses tanks and other technologically advanced weaponry to stick deep into their enemy territory. The Luftwaffe controlled the sky with the use of bombs, radio control was also key in this tactical plan.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-german-lightning-war-strategy-of-the-second-world-war -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first solely air battle, it was fought between Germany's air force (Luftwaffe) and Britain's air force (RAF). Due to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was not allowed to have an air force but with the help of the Soviet Union, they started to build one in secret. The underdogs, Great Britain was able to keep up a strong defense, and with the war which kept Germany from further invasion.
history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a United States Naval Base that was bombed by the Japanese military, this action is what sent the USA over the edge and officially joined the war. The goal of this attack was to destroy as many American military goods as possible with the hopes it would allow Japan to get ahead. Luckily for the Americans, some of the ships were repairable or weren't located at this port, which allowed for a strong counterattack later.
iwm.org.uk/history/what-happened-at-pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference took place due to Hitler ordering, Hermann Goering to come up with the solution to the Jewish question and what would be needed to reach that solution. The chief of Jewish Emigration was invited to this conference, along with other Nazi officials in hopes of reaching the best solution. Many horrific ideas such as "working them to death" was suggested but were vetoed due to other restraints.
history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wannsee-conference -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea started when the Japanese attempted to seize the Tulagi and Deybone Islands, so they could use them to control patrol in the Coral Sea. The Japanese wanted to protect the "flank of the Moresby invasion force." After a significant amount of damage hit the Japanese planes, they had to retreat back to Rabaul.
-https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Coral-Sea
-https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/battle-coral-sea -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway began when Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the US Base in Midway with the goal of using Midway to attack Pearl Harbor to gain territory. The United States was able to unveil this surprise early enough to prepare by cracking Japanese communication codes. The Japanese military lost this battle along with many soldiers and weaponry which allowed the USA to begin minimizing their empire and stop their growth in the pacific. nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad is known for being extremely long and gruesome between Russia, Nazi Germany, and the Axis Powers. Initially, the Russians attempted to hold back the Germans for as long as possible but soon the Luftwaffe invaded Stalingrad and destroyed commercial vessels, and sent thousands of civilians to labor camps in Germany. Hitler lost the war which boosted Russian confidence and put Germany in a defensive position.
history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
D-Day
D-Day (Operation Overlord) was where American, Canadian, and British soldiers invaded (German territory) French beaches. The goal was to take down Hitler's regime, it was successful in creating a physiological blow and prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front. The physical attack was extremely gruesome and led to many American casualties.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was known as the last German offensive of the war, it was named for the bulge it created in the Allied line. Along with casualties due to combat, freezing temperatures greatly increased casualties for both countries, this was one of the highest casualties battles for the US in WWII. Soon after Germany lost the battle, they surrendered to the Allied powers.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima started because the Americans were following their tactic of island hopping, where they would invade an island and then use it as a military base. Iwo Jima was the most heavily defended place on Earth, over 20,000 Japanese was entrenched in mountain caves, and only 200 Japanese survived. This American victory was symbolic, it marked the start of the end of the war with Japan. historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/iwo-jima-japan-battle-why-ww2-pacific/ -
VE-Day
VE-Day is celebrated by Britain as the day World War II ended. Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied forces followed by Hitler committing suicide. VE-Day is celebrated annually with parades in the streets and other ceremonies to represent the joy that came from the end of a gruesome war that took so many lives in many countries.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-ve-day -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration was made by Britain, the United States, and China declaring the surrender of Japan as well as the terms of the surrender and other conditions. Due to Japanese beliefs, they rejected this declaration and kept retaliating which led to extreme actions taken by the United States. Although the Potsdam Declaration didn't lead to the immediate surrender of Japan it did influence the post-war government construct.
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/japan/potsdam.pdf -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombed
President Truman made the presidential decision to bomb Japan instead of the alternative of invading which would end in a predicted 1 million American casualties. After the first bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, on Hiroshima which killed everyone including civilians and soldiers. A second bomb was dropped on August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki both of these bombs completely leveled the cities and killed thousands which gave Japan no choice but to surrender 5 days later.
(Used Notes for Info)