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Japanese Invasion of China
The Sino-Japanese War began when China resisted the expansion of Japanese influence in their territory, the war was declared on December 9th, 1938. The war was divided into three phases, a period of brisk Japanese advances in late 1938, a period of stand stills until 1944 and the last period, which is when allied powers sent counter attacks in the pacific and on Japan's home islands. -
Germany Invades Poland
Despite warnings of war, Hitler (German forces), mainly consisting of members of the Nazi Party and those controlled by Adolf Hitler launched a surprise attack on Poland. Poland was outnumbered by German soldiers and lost. World War II has officially begun. -
Operation Barbarossa (Germany invades USSR)
Germany breaks non-aggression pact between the two countries. Operation Barbarossa was a code name for the Germans in WW2. It was used for their invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. The Soviet forces defeated the German troops, which made for a significant turning point in the war. The Soviet Union Switches to the Allies. -
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise aerial attack from the Japanese. This attack led to the entrance of the US in WW2. Two waves of Japanese aircraft attacked the Hawaiian naval base on Oahu Island. The Japanese forces disturbed US naval vessels and US aircraft on the island's airfield. 2,403 Americans (68 civilians included) died in the attack. As a result, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
On June 6, 1944, More than 150,000 allied troops of land, air, and sea forces landed on the beaches of Normandy. France in plans of invasion, pushed back Axis forces until Germany was forced to surrender less than a year later. The Normandy invasion resulted in over 6,000 lives lost. It's referred to as "D-Day" due to the amphibious operation using the term "departed-date." D-Day put allies on a decisive path towards victory. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive strike of the Western Front during WW2. It was an unsuccessful attempt to push the Allies back from German home territory. After they invaded Normandy in June, the Allies moved across northern France into Belgium during the summer but lost momentum in the autumn. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
On January 27, 1945, Allied troops moved across Europe against Nazi Germany and they found concentration camps, and mass graves with over a million murdered. This was part of the Nazi's "Final Solution" while they also participated in other inhumane nazi crimes in Poland. Starting with Soviet forces that liberated Auschwitz's camps. American forces then liberated concentration camps. -
VE Day
On May 8th, 1945, the European phase of WW2 ended with the unconditional surrender of Nazi German forces to the Allies. The event became known as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
The US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. In 1945, President Harry S. Truman, declared the dropping of the two bombs on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. August 6th Hiroshima was bombed and three days later so was Nagasaki. -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan on August 15,1945. On this date, Japanese Emperor Hirohito broadcast the surrender.