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Japan invades China
Before 1937, China and Japan fought in small, localized engagements called "incidents". The last of these incidents was the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of 1937, marking the beginning of total war between the two countries. -
The Holocaust
Between 1941 and 1945, Jews were targeted and methodically murdered in the largest death toll of the 20th century. This event was part of a broader aggregate of acts of oppression and killings of various ethnic and political groups in Europe by the Nazis.Never before had there existed places with the express purpose of killing people en masse. These were established at Auschwitz, Belzec, Chełmno, Jasenovac, Majdanek, Maly Trostenets, Sobibór, and Treblinka.Dr. Josef Mengele, who worked in Auschw -
Munich Conference
The agreement was signed in the early hours of 30 September 1938.The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of the Sudetenland in the face of ethnic demands made by Adolf Hitler. -
Non-Aggression Pact
A national treaty between two or more states/countries agreeing to avoid war or armed conflict between them and resolve their disputes through peaceful negotiations. A Pact may include a pledge of avoiding armed conflict even if participants find themselves fighting third countries, including allies of one of the participants. -
Germany invades Poland
German forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west. As the Germans advanced, Polish forces withdrew from their bases of operation close to the Polish-German border to more efficent lines of defence to the east. -
Blitzkrieg
"Lighting War"
forces a breakthrough into the enemy's line of defense through a series of short, fast, powerful attacks and once in the enemy's territory, proceeds to dislocate them using speed and surprise, and then enclose them.Many modern historians have come to the conclusion that blitzkrieg itself was never an official doctrine or concept of the Wehrmacht, and that it is a myth that it was officially adopted. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date. -
Lend-lease Act
The act authorized the president to transfer arms or any other defense materials for which Congress appropriated money to the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States. -
Peral Harbor
It is also the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet. The attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941 brought the United States into World War II. -
Wannsee Conference
Legalized discrimination against Jews began immediately after the Nazi seizure of power on 30 January 1933. Violence and economic pressure were used by the Nazi regime to encourage Jews to voluntarily leave the country. -
Bataan Death March
80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II. Approximately 2,500-10,000 Filipino and 100-650 American prisoners of war died before they could reach their destination at Camp O'Donnell -
Battle of Midway
One of the most important naval battles of World War II Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. -
V-E Day
Was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's surrender of its armed forces. -
D-Day
160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily forted French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. -
Battle of the Bulge
Allied troops were fatigued by weeks of continuous combat, their supply lines were stretched extremely thin, and supplies were dangerously depleted.incurred the highest casualties for any battle during the war. The battle also severely messed up Germany's war making resources.One of the few advantages held by the German forces in November 1944 was that they were no longer defending all of Western Europe. Their front lines in the west had been considerably shortened by the Allied offensive. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire.Bloody fighting and severe casualties on both sides, the Japanese defeat was assured from the start.To the Japanese leadership, the capture of Iwo Jima meant the battle for Okinawa, and the invasion of Japan itself, was not far off. -
Battle of Okinawa
Was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II.Japan surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.Japanese air opposition had been relatively light during the first few days after the landings. However, on 6 April the expected air reaction began with an attack by 400 planes from Kyushu.Operation Ten-Go was the attempted attack by a strike force of ten Japanese surface vessels. -
The bombing of Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Hiroshima was described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged.On August 15, just days after the bombing of Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies.Atomic bombings killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki. -
V-J Day
August 15 is the official V-J Day for the UK, while the official U.S. commemoration is September 2.The name, V-J Day, had been selected by the Allies after they named V-E Day for the victory in Europe.The term has been applied to both of the days on which the initial announcement of Japan’s surrender was made.Americans began celebrating "as if joy had been rationed and saved up for the three years, eight months, seven days since Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941. -
Warsaw Pact
Primarily motivated by Soviet desires to maintain control over military forces in Central and Eastern Europe. Meant to maintain peace in Europe, guided by the objective points and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. After the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, the alliance was transformed into the subsequent Collective Security Treaty Organization.