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Japanese invasion of China
Japan invaded the province of Manchuria, China, due to lack of resources. Japan did this because they lacked the raw materials to fuel their country. By 1937, Japan had taken control of significant parts of China, and claims of Chinese war crimes became frequent. -
The Rape of Nanking
Nanking, China's capital, falls to Japanese forces during the Sino-Japanese War, and the Chinese leadership flees to Hankow, further inland along the Yangtze River. Japanese General Matsui Iwane ordered the destruction of Nanking in order to shatter the spirit of Chinese resistance. The Japanese slaughtered an estimated 150,000 male "war captives," 50,000 male civilians, and at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were tortured or murdered in the process. -
Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact
A 10-year non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union was part of the diplomatic agreement. Provisions for economic cooperation and territorial expansion were also included. The Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union paved the path for World War II. -
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German Blitzkrieg
The German Blitzkrieg was a military tactic calculated to create psychological shock and disorganization in enemy forces through the employment of surprise, speed, and superiority in material or firepower. The reasoning for this was Germany believed that this was the best approach to avoid a long war in the early stages of WWII this effective technique, Germany was able to conquer numerous countries until being defeated by the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. -
Fall of Paris
On the battlefield, France was up against a far better-prepared German force, which used both superior weapons and smart tactics. It wasn't a close match. France suffered a humiliating defeat and was quickly occupied by Germany. A dangerously divided French political elite, a lack of excellent military leadership, and rudimentary French military tactics all contributed to its defeat. -
Pearl Harbor
On the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted a surprise bomb attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese Navy did this in order to prevent the US Navy from interfering with their operations in the South Pacific. In the attack on Pearl Harbor, 20 American ships and over 300 planes were crippled or destroyed. Most importantly, 2,403 sailors, soldiers, and civilians were killed, with 1,000 more injured. -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference brought together Nazi officials to coordinate a plan known as the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." They weren't debating whether or not to use the plan; instead, they were debating how to use it effectively. The meeting was held with the interests of gaining government support and informing participants about Hitler's role in the plan's coordination. This meeting influenced the development of gas chambers and the beginning of the Jewish people's mass murders. -
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Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March was an 80-mile walk across the Bataan Peninsula by 76,000 captured Allied soldiers (Filipinos and Americans). The Japanese intended for the soldiers to march to an inland railhead after surrendering after a three-month fight and then be taken by train to a prisoner-of-war camp. Due to malnourishment, dehydration, and violence, this march claimed the lives of about 10,000 Allied soldiers. -
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D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-Day was the day that the Allied troops, which included soldiers from the United Kingdom, the United States, and countries such as Canada and Australia, landed on the beaches of Normandy in France and began breaking through the German army's defenses. D-day occurred because they needed to defeat Germany and in order for that to happen they needed to take the pressure off of the soviet union, splitting the German army in half. D-day resulted in a success. -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany's final major military operation in Europe, and its goal was to push the Allies out of German territory, but it failed. The Germans' initiative backfired, resulting in many fatalities and a loss of military surprise, and they surrendered to the Allied forces four months later. -
Liberation of concentration camps
In 1945, Allied and Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz, the Nazis' largest killing center, and began to liberate other concentration camps. This was done in order to free the camp's inmates from their deplorable surroundings and expose the camp's atrocities to the rest of the world. The liberation of concentration camps resulted in many deaths and the small percentage who survived were weak from lack of food and resources. -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The invasion of the island of Iwo Jima by American forces lasted five weeks and is remembered as one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. Because it was a strategic invasion for the Allies, they did so. They could use the island's airfields without arousing suspicion on the Japanese mainland, and they planned to use it as a WWII staging place. The Allies eventually won, but they were unable to complete their plan for the island, despite being able to restore and use the airfields. -
VE Day
The conclusion of the fight with Hitler's Germany, known as V-E (Victory in Europe) Day2, occurred first. On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered, and residents in Toronto and other Allied cities poured out of their offices and schools to begin the celebration. The city of Toronto organized concerts, parades, religious services, and fireworks in the parks on May 8, 1945, which was named the official day of celebration. -
Dropping of the atomic bombs
During World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber detonated the world's first deployed atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. The explosion killed an estimated 80,000 people on the spot, with tens of thousands more dying later from radiation poisoning. A second B-29 detonated another A-bomb on Nagasaki three days later, killing an estimated 40,000 people. -
VJ Day
Three months after VE Day, came V-J (Victory in Japan) Day, the Pacific War with Japan came to an end. The news arrived on August 14, 1945, in the evening. The celebrations resumed across the city, but especially in Chinatown, this time commemorating the end of a six-year war.