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Japanese invasion of China
China began resistance to Japan's influence. Japan invaded China to unseat the government.
http://www.britannica.com/event/Sino-Japanese-War-1937-1945 -
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WWII
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Germany's invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland with over 2,000 tanks and 1,000 planes. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, surrendered to Germany on September 27, 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939 because Germany invaded Poland. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005070 -
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German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg was a series of short intense battles and were designed to break quickly through enemy lines. Germany successfully used the Blitzkrieg tactic against Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. It failed against Britain and Russia
https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005437 -
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Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of Russia. The attack was successful at first, but became bogged down with the coming of winter. Germany failed to conquer the Soviets, and ended up having to fight a two-front war. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on the seventh of December Nineteen-Forty-One -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was a meeting of 16 high-ranking Nazis in Berlin on January Twentieth, Nineteen-Forty-Two. The meeting was about the "Final Solution", the Nazi plan to kill millions of Jews in Europe. http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-wannsee.htm -
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah was a bombing raid on Hamburg, Germany by Allied forces (Britain and the United States). The raid continued until November 1943 and killed 30,000 people and destroyed 280,000 buildings. The raid caused despair in Hitler and high-ranking German officials and reduced morale in Germany.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
D-Day
D-Day was an invasion of German-occupied France by over 160,000 Allied forces on a 50-mile stretch of beaches in Normandy. The Allies gained a foothold in Continental Europe as a result.
https://www.army.mil/d-day/ -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was an attempt by Hitler to split the Allied armies of northwest Europe. Germany attacked through the Ardennes to Antwerp. The Allied line took on the appearance of a bulge, giving the battle its name. The Allies stopped the German advance but with heavy casualties. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was a plan in the summer of 1944 for a large bombing offensive by the Allies against Berlin and several other eastern German cities. The plan was shelved in August 1944, but a smaller version was pursued in 1945, resulting in the bombing of Dresden on February 13, 1945. The bombing was viewed by some as a war crime. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bombing_of_Dresden_in_World_War_II -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was undertaken by the United States to make a base near Japan. The island was defended by 25,000 Japanese forces in a network of caves and dugouts. The US Marines defeated the Japanese and took over the island after a month of fighting. The battle produced a famous photograph of Marines raising a US flag on the island. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
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Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the last and biggest of the Pacific island battles in World War II. Japan lost more than 77,000 solders and the Allies had over 65,000 casualties. The end of this battle led to the Potsdam Declaration a few days later. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
VE Day
"VE" stands for Victory in Europe. VE Day was the day German soldiers surrendered throughout Europe. The day is celebrated in the United States and western Europe with the hanging of flags and banners. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The end of World War II came soon after. Many historians argue that these events were the start of the Cold War. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
"VJ" stands for Victory over Japan, and is the day Japan formally surrendered to end World War II. Some recognize August 14, which is the day Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
