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Germany's Invasion of Poland
Hitler and his nazis invaded the country of Poland and shocked the world. Hitler claimed that this was a defensive action to protect his country. Through this however, Hitler only expanded his power. -
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German Blitzkrieg
Germany used its so called lightning war to take over neighboring territories from the air and ground. They did this because they wanted to expand as fast as possible. As a result new war techniques came from it. -
Pearl Harbor
The japanese suprise attacked the US naval base of Pearl Harbor. They did this to neutralize the American fleet. As a result, the Americans entered the war. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Russians managed to hold off the Germans at the city of Stalingrad. Germany moved through here to attempt to secure oil fields. Military and civilian casualties measured nearly 2 million, and is considered the turning point of WW2 -
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Allied Invasion of Italy
Allies landed amphibiously on the Southern coast of Italy and liberated it as they went along. They chose Italy because it would allow the allies to attack from the North in France and the South in Italy. The surrender of Italy resulted in a blow to the morale of the Germans. -
D-Day
Americans, Canadians, and English soldiers stormed the beaches in Normandy and broke Hitlers sea wall. The only way they could end the war was by invading and getting to the source, Berlin. It was the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Germans suprise attacked the Germans on the western front. They did this to split the line of allies in half. It resulted in massive losses on both sides however. -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
Allies amphibiously but faced great losses. They had to invade the island to get a base closer to Japan. It was an incredibly bloody battle, resulting in nearly two thirds of marine losses in world war 2. -
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Battle of Okinawa
The Americans invaded and bombed the Japanese on Okinawa. The Island was considered a part of a three point plan for the far east for the allies. It resulted in heavy losses for both times. -
VE Day
The Nazis surrendered leading to a victory for the allies. This came up because of the nazi party's unconditional surender. It resulted in the end of the war in Europe but not Japan. -
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Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
America dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. America wanted to end the war without anymore american casualties. Dropping these bombs resulted in the deaths of a total 220,000 japanese civilians. -
VJ day
Japan formally surendered because of the atomic bombs. The threat of more bomb drops forced them to surrender. This reulted in the end of WW2