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Rape of Nanking (History.com)
The Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male “war prisoners,” massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland (History.com)
Germany invaded Poland to regain lost territory and ultimately rule their neighbor to the east. Germany's blitzkrieg approach was characterized by extensive bombing early on to destroy the enemy’s air capacity, railroads, communication lines and munitions dumps, followed by a massive land invasion with overwhelming numbers of troops, tanks and artillery. -
German Blitzkrieg (History.com)
Germany's blitzkrieg was characterized by extensive bombing early on to destroy the enemy’s air capacity, railroads, communication lines and munitions dumps, followed by a massive land invasion with overwhelming numbers of troops, tanks and artillery. -
Fall of Paris (History.com)
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 puppet French state was set up with its capital at Vichy. -
Battle of Britain (History.com)
The Battle of Britain in World War II was between Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Luftwaffe, Nazi Germany’s air force, and was the first battle in history fought solely in the air. From July 10 through October 31, 1940, pilots and support crews on both sides took to the skies and battled for control of airspace over Great Britain, Germany and the English Channel. -
Pearl Harbor (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Pearl Harbor attack, (December 7, 1941), surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, by the Japanese that precipitated the entry of the United States into World War II. The strike climaxed a decade of worsening relations between the United States and Japan. -
Battle of the Coral Sea (Britannica)
Battle of the Coral Sea, (May 4–8, 1942) World War II naval and air engagement in which a U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force that had been heading for strategic Port Moresby in New Guinea. The Battle was fought over control over the Coral Sea. -
Battle of Midway (Britannica)
Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor, securing dominance in the region and then forcing a negotiated peace. The Battle of Midway turned the tide of the war. Japanese and American naval powers were roughly equalized. The American Navy won the battle of midway which made it harder for Japan to attack Pearl Harbor. -
Battle of Stalingrad (Britannica)
The Battle of Stalingrad occurred between the German forces and Russian forces. Germany was marching through Russia attempting to make it all the way to Moscow in hopes to take it over. Russia defeated the Germans in the Battle of Stalingrad which stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies. -
Operation Gomorrah (History.com)
British bombers raided Hamburg, Germany in Operation Gomorrah. British aircraft dropped 2,300 tons of bombs on Hamburg in just a few hours of time. More than 1500 German civilians were killed in the first attack of Hamburg. Over time the entire operation had dropped 9000 tons of explosives and killing 30,000 civilians. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion) (History.com)
During World War II (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. -
Battle of the Bulge (Britannica)
The Allies won the Battle of the Bulge, resulting in significantly higher casualties on the German side despite their surprise attack on Allied forces. Losing 120,000 people and military supplies, German forces were dealt an irreparable blow, while Allied forces suffered only 75,000 casualties. -
Battle of Iwo Jima (Britannica)
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest. On April 1, 1945, the Navy’s Fifth Fleet and more than 180,000 U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops descended on the Pacific island of Okinawa for a final push towards Japan. Over 150,000 casualties total in the entire battle of Okinawa. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
The dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki seemed like a crucial step which needed to be made in order to end World War 2. The dropping of the atomic bombs resulted in roughly 200,000 deaths between the two bombs dropped. This was the final blow to Japan and within a few days, the war was over.