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Germany invades Poland (Beginning of WWII)
Germany, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis invade Poland in order to regain lost territory. They use what will later be considered "Blitzkrieg" or lightning war. This set of a chain reaction of events the started the war in Europe. -
Period: to
WWII
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Germany invades France
On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded France to continue their quest to rule lower Europe. 300,000 French and British troops were evacuated over the British Channel to Britain. Germany seized Paris within a few hours of invading France. -
Germany bombs London (Beginning of the Battle of Britain)
This marks the beginning of the Battle of Britain. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler orders the Luftwaffe to bomb London. 300 German bombers and 600 fighters crossed the English channel. The code word "Cromwell" was passed along Britain to warn of incoming German fighters. -
US & UK Lend Lease
The UK was requesting military equipment from the US. The US was not allowed to sell anything related to war. So instead, they lent old naval ships,munitions, industrial items, and more to Britain. In return, the UK gave the US military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean. -
Operation Barbarossa
On this date, Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. He invades with numerous bombers, fighters, tanks and legions. This was a major turning point in WWII for two reasons. One of the reasons is that Germany is fighting it's former ally. The second reason is that they have to fight the dreaded two-front war. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
This day marks when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, a US naval base located in Hawaii. The bombing caused major damage to the US Navy. This caused the US to declare war on Japan and their allies a few days later. -
Germany declares war on the US
Exactly four days after Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, their ally, Germany, declares war on Germany. This declaration marks a major turning point in WWII. The US in now being forced to join the war on the Allies side. This will end up determining the Axis powers' fate. -
Bataan Death March
The march began after US troops surrender to Japan after a battle in the Philippines. On the island of Luzon, 75,000 Filipino and US troops were forced to march 65 miles to prison camps. They were forced to carry the dead or ill on stretchers to the camps (hence the name) for safety. Thousands of individuals lost their lives during the march. -
US victory in the Battle of Midway
The battle took place 6 months after Pearl Harbor. This battle inflicted major damage on the Japanese Navy. It was an intense naval battle that ended in US victory. The Japanese Navy would never be able to recover from the battle. -
Germany Defeated at Stalingrad
The battle started with the German Operation Barbarossa. Germany invades the Soviet Union. The Germans utilize Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, to surprise the Russians. In the end, these tactics prove ineffective because the Soviets end up winning the battle. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
German troops had been crushing the Warsaw ghetto and sending Jews to death camps. By this point, the Jews saw deportation as imminent. This was their sign to revolt. Their efforts proved ineffective as though the Germans defeated the uprising in less than a month. -
D-day
Allied forces sail up to the shores Normandy, France to end Germany's control of Western France. 156,000 some British, US, and Canadian forces storm the beaches of Western France. The allies end up liberating Western France and pushing out Germany. -
Liberation of concentration camps
The process started with Soviet troops move into camps in Poland and releasing the Jews. The troops also overtook many killing centers. Tens of thousands of garments were left behind at the camp, giving an estimate of how many people in total were captured. -
Battle of the Bulge
Nazi German troops attempted to split western Allied troops by means of Blitzkrieg. The US forces fought desperately to ward off the Germans. The Allies' line took form of a bulge, hence the name. These desperate measures ended paying off with an Allies win. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
This was an amphibious attack on a major point for Japan. Iwo Jima was a Japanese air base in the Pacific Ocean. The US Marines waged a battle to the summit of Iwo Jima. This push ended up in US victory. -
US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
A US B-29 bomber dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and another on Nagasaki a few days later. On impact, the bombs killed 90% of the cities' populations and 80,000 people. This move by the US ended the conflict with Japan and WWII as a whole.
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Links
history.com
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bbc.co.uk
