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Japanese invasion of China
While Japan was looking for Fuel for its growing industries they invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/invasion-manchuria -
German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg was Germany's strategy to defeat its opponents in a series of short campaigns. Germany used this attack on (which were successful):
Poland (attacked in September 1939)
Denmark (April 1940)
Norway (April 1940)
Belgium (May 1940)
the Netherlands (May 1940)
Luxembourg (May 1940)
France (May 1940)
Yugoslavia (April 1941)
Greece (April 1941) https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blitzkrieg-lightning-war -
Fall of Paris
Germany attacked northwest Europe which is known as the Battle of France. The battle resulted in the capture and subjugation of France but also a few other countries (Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium) https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/history-and-stories/fall-of-france/ -
Pearl Harbor
During this time there was an attack on a U.S naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a surprise attack from Japanese forces that caused the damage or destruction of 20 American Naval vessels (8 battle ships and 300 airplanes). Theres was also deaths of 2,400 Americans and another 1,000 people wear wounded https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was where German government officials gathered to discuss the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question". The final solution was the mass killing of the Jewish population in Germany. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
Bataan Death March
75,000 Filipino and American troops on the Bataan Peninsula on the Philippine island of Luzon were forced to make a difficult 65-mile march to prison camps. The troops were divided into groups with 100 men each, and the march took 5 days to complete. Thousands of troops died because their captors starved and beat and bathed the ones who were too weak to walk. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-day was a battle that lasted from June to August of 1944. It resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
Battle of the Bulge
The battle in the Ardennes region of Belgium was Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in World War II against the Western Front. There were six brutal attacks from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945. The attacks resulted in over 100,000 casualties https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Liberation of concentration camps
This is known as the end of the camp system and was marked by chaos and death. It abandoned many sites in 1944 by moving the prisoners away by foot, train, or ship. Then, in January and February 1945, the SS forced over 150,000 inmates out of Auschwitz, Gross-Rosen, and Stutthof; when Soviet soldiers liberated the Auschwitz complex on 27 January, they found less than 8,000 survivors. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a military campaign between the U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan from Feb 19, 1945 to Mar 26, 1945. 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. But once the fighting was over, the strategic value of Iwo Jima was called into question. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
VE Day
On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Battle of Okinawa
This battle was the last battle of WWII and is considered one of the bloodiest. On April 1, 1945—Easter Sunday—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. This was part of Operation Iceberg which was a complex plan to take over the Ryukyu Islands which included Okinawa. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
Potsdam Declaration
This was an ultimatum issued by the United States, Great Britain, and China on July 26, 1945, calling for the unconditional surrender of Japan. The declaration was made at the Potsdam Conference near the end of World War II. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Potsdam-Declaration -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion immediately killed an estimated 80,000 people. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan's Emperor called for an unconditional Surrender, citing the devastating power of “a new and most cruel bomb.” history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki -
VJ Day
V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the end of World War II, one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in history. https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VJ-Day/#:~:text=V%2DJ%20Day%2C%20or%20Victory%20over,the%20world%20erupted%20in%20celebration.