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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan's invasion of China was mainly due to china's need for resources. Japan wanted to become an economical and militaristic juggernaut. But in order for that they needed resources. Cited -
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking is refered to the time when the Japanese Imperial Army marched their way to China's captial city of Nanking and proceeded to slaughter 300,00 out of 600,00 civilians and soldiers in the city over the course of six weeks. Cited -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. From East Prussia and Germany in the north and Silesia and Slovakia in the south, German units, with more than 2,000 tanks and over 1,000 planes. Warsaw surrendered to the Germans on September 27, 1939. Britain and France, standing by their guarantee of Poland's border. Cited -
German Blitzkrieg
The German term blitzgrieg means "Lightning War". Used to cause disorganization on enemy lines. Its successful execution results in short military campaigns, which preserves human lives and limits the expenditure of artillery. Cited -
Period: to
WWII
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Operation Barbarossa
Adolf Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union: three great army groups with over three million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and three thousand tanks smashed across the frontier into Soviet territory. Cited -
Pearl Harbor
Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating. They destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels, more than 300 airplanes, More than 2,000 American soldiers and sailors died, and another 1,000 wounded. Cited -
Wannsee Conference
High-ranking Nazi Party and German government officials gathered at a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to discuss and coordinate the implementation of what they called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." Cited -
Bataan Death March
Approximately 75,000 American and Fillipino troops were forced to march an agonizing 65-miles to the Japanese prison camps. The marchers made the trek in scorching heat and were put under harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Cited -
Battle of Midway
Thanks in part to major advances in code breaking, the United States was able to preempt and counter Japan’s planned ambush of its few remaining aircraft carriers, inflicting permanent damage on the Japanese Navy. Cited -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Residents the Jewish in the ghetto Nazi-occupied Warsaw, staged an armed revolt against deportations to extermination camps. Cited -
Invasion of Italy
The Allied forces launched their invasion of Italy on 3 September 1943. It began with British forces skipping across the Strait of Messina to Calabria. A few days later, more British and American forces landed several hundred miles to the north at Salerno. Cited -
D-Day
More than 160,000 Allied troops were placed along a 50-mile heavily fortiefied French coastline to fight the Nazi's. More than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were wounded or killed. Cited -
Battle of The Bulge
Adolph Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest , Adolph Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe by means of a surprise blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp. Caught off-guard, American units fought desperate battles to stem the German advance at St.-Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and Bastogne. Cited -
Operation ThunderClap
Operation Thunderclap’ had been under discussion within the Allied Command for some time, the proposal was to bomb the eastern-most cities of Germany to disrupt the transport infrastructure behind what was becoming the Eastern front. Cited‘ -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The American amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima during World War II stemmed from the need for a base near the Japanese coast. Following elaborate preparatory air and naval bombardment, three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Cited -
Battle of Okinawa
The last and biggest of the Pacific island battles of World War II, the Okinawa campaign involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. At stake were air bases vital to the projected invasion of Japan. Cited -
Victory in Europe Day
The eighth of May spelled the day when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms. Cited -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender is a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. -
Atomic Bombing of Japan
The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Though the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan marked the end of World War II, many historians argue that it also ignited the Cold War. Cited -
Victory over Japan Day
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day". Cited
