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Germany Invades Poland
Germany invades Poland using a new method of attack, called the Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg involves infantry going past enemy strongpoints and leaving them for the tanks to crush. -
Declaration of war
Britain and France both declare war on Germany. They announce to Germany that if they do not pull back the troops, they will declare war. Germany were stubborn and did not listen. So the two countries declared war on Germany -
First major victory for the Axis Powers
Germany and its allies defeat France. Shortly after, the escape at Dunkirk is in full effect to rescue almost all of the allied troops stranded there. -
October 1940 important events
Battle of Britain The battle of Britain ends during the month of October, and also during this month, it is the deadline month for the Jews to move into the Warsaw ghetto. -
Continued Fighting
Germany invade Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, as well as 50,000 troops entering Greece to fight against Italy and Germany -
Operation Barabossa
Operation Barabossa has now gone to full effect, with 4 million German troops ready to invade the Soviet Union, which is the ultimate prize for Hitler -
More territorial disputes
FDR demands Japanese troops out of Indo-China, German army enters Ukraine, and more Japanese forces continue to land in Indo-China -
Pearl Harbor
Source The first attack on the Pacific Theatre between Japan and the US. This attack made the US enter WW2. -
Wannsee Conference
Source The effect of this conference forever changed the meaning of genocide. The Final Solution order was carried out soon after the politicians came to an agreement. This lead to killing 11 million people that were not perfect for the Aryan race. -
Pacific Theatre
The battle of Bataan takes place during the month of April in 1942, and also James Doolittle carries out the bombing of Tokyo. -
Battle of Midway begins
Primary source This three day battle was fought for only a small island with three runways. The US won, and it marked a turning point in the war, but only in the Pacific theatre -
Battle of Guadalcanal
Source This battle was carried out to ensure Austrailia's safety, and is the start to a plan called "island hopping". This plan composes of the American going to different islands to eventually get to mainland Tokyo. This island took six months to take, and there were many casualties. -
D-day
Source This is the day when the allies make a push to land make on mainland Europe. This is called the normandy landings. The allies landed on a couple of shores along the French coast, and that marked the end of the Nazi empire -
Last Push
Source The Battle of the Bulge takes place during this day, and it is the final push to get the allies to repel and retreat. The strategy fails, and in a few months Germany would surrender. -
Yalta Conference
Source The Yalta conference takes place between the allies to determine how Europe should be split after the war would end, since they were guaranteed to win after the success of the Normandy landings. -
Battle of Okinawa
Source A gruesome battle fought between the US and the Japanese over a small island. More than 200,000 people were killed, which is icluding both soldiers and civilians -
Victory in Europe
Germany and its allies surrender, bringing peace to all of Europe. The US can now focus soley on the Pacific front and defeat Japan -
First Atomic Bomb dropped
Life during and after the bomb The first Atomic bomb is dropped on civilians of Hiroshima. It is the first time the Japanese see the power of the atomic bomb. The US warns that if Japan does not surrender within three days, they would drop another atomic bomb -
Bombing of Nagasaki
After the Japanese do not surrender after the first bomb, Nagasaki was also laid to waste, this time by a plutonium bomb. -
WW2 Ends on the Pacific Front
After the two bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese surrender after they were assured that the emperor could keep his throne. WW2 is truly over, and the US establishes itself as the world's number 1 military power.