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Japanese invasion of China
Japanese expansion in East Asia began in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria and continued in 1937 with a brutal attack on China. On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, thus entering the military alliance known as the Axis Powers. Seeking to curb Japanese aggression and force a withdrawal of Japanese forces from Manchuria and China. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/world-war-ii-in-the-pacific -
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German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg was known as 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. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blitzkrieg-lightning-war -
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Fall of Paris
Paris fell to the Germans. The French, having decided not to fight in the capital itself, have withdrawn south of the city.
In deciding not to defend Paris, the French Command aimed at sparing it the devastation which defence would have been involved. The command considered that no valuable strategic result justified the sacrifice of Paris. https://www.theguardian.com/world/1940/jun/15/secondworldwar.france -
Pearl Harbor attack
Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces. Just before on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
15 high-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss and coordinate the implementation of what they called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/wannsee-conference-and-the-final-solution -
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Battle of Midway
Aircraft from four Japanese aircraft carriers attacked and severely damaged the US base on Midway. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the US carrier forces were just to the east of the island and ready for battle. After their initial attacks, the Japanese aircraft headed back to their carriers to rearm and refuel. While the aircraft were returning, the Japanese navy became aware of the presence of US naval forces in the area. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a brutal military campaign between Russian forces and those of Nazi Germany and the Axis powers during World War II. The battle is infamous as one of the largest, longest and bloodiest engagements in modern warfare. More than two million troops fought in close quarters and nearly two million people were killed or injured in the fighting, including tens of thousands of Russian civilians. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
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Allied invasion of Italy
The British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery begins the Allied invasion of the Italian peninsula, crossing the Strait of Messina from Sicily and landing at Calabria the “toe” of Italy. On the day of the landing, the Italian government secretly agreed to the Allies’ terms for surrender, but no public announcement was made until September 8. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
D-Day
More than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high. https://www.army.mil/d-day/ -
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Battle of the Bulge
German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor. The battle that ensued is known historically as the Battle of the Bulge. The courage and fortitude of the American Soldier was tested against great adversity. Nevertheless, the quality of his response ultimately meant the victory of freedom over tyranny. https://www.army.mil/botb/ -
Liberation of concentration camps
As Allied troops moved across Europe against Nazi Germany in 1944 and 1945, they encountered concentration camps, mass graves, and other sites of Nazi crimes. The unspeakable conditions the liberators confronted shed light on the full scope of Nazi horrors. 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of prisoners from Nazi concentration camps and the end of Nazi tyranny in Europe. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
Conflict between the United States and the Empire of Japan. The United States mounted an amphibious invasion of the island of Iwo Jima as part of its Pacific campaign against Japan. A costly victory for the United States, the battle was one of the bloodiest in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps and was cited as proof of the Japanese military’s willingness to fight to the last man. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Iwo-Jima -
VE Day
On Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, including the United States. Celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War II in Europe. https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VE-Day/ -
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Dropping of the atomic bombs
It appeared to American leaders that the only way to compel Japan’s unconditional surrender was to invade and conquer the Japanese home islands. Although an estimated 300,000 Japanese civilians had already died from starvation and bombing raids. Japan deployed more than 560,000 soldiers and thousands of suicide planes and boats on the island of Kyushu to meet the expected American invasion of Japan https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/atomic-bomb-hiroshima -
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VJ Day
Victory over Japan Day would officially be celebrated in the United States on the day formal surrender documents. More than 400,000 Americans and an estimated 65 million people worldwide had died in the conflict https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/v-j-day#:~:text=on%20Pearl%20Harbor.-,Victory%20over%20Japan%20Day%20(V%2DJ%20Day)%20would%20officially%20be%20celebrated,light%20of%20the%20war's%20destructiveness.