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Japanese Invasion of China
Chinese and Japanese troops had a confrontation at the Marco-Polo bridge. The confrontation escalated and led to an undeclared war between the two countries. This came about because of Japanese imperialism. Japan looked to invading China as a way to gain more land. This event would eventually lead to tension between Japan and China’s allies.
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German Blitzkreig
Germany employed a technique whose name translates to “Lightning War.” This technique involved using the tank and the dive bomber to make quick decisions and break right through the enemy’s weak spots. It took the allies, who were not used to this style of warfare, by surprise. The effect of this was that no one was ever fully prepared to deal with German attacks.
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Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact
This was a deal between Germany and Russia that neither would take military action against the other for 10 years. Stalin did this so he could have more time to build up the Soviet military and to stay on Hitler’s good side. Hitler agreed to the pact so he could invade Poland without Russian involvement. However, the pact was broken as the Nazis invaded Russia.
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Germany's invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland under the guise that the country had threatened them. The real reason for the invasion was because Germany had to give up some colonies to Poland in the Treaty of Versailles. The Poles were at a disadvantage and eventually surrendered Warsaw. Because of this, Poland was occupied by Germany until 1945. Germany also gained the confidence to invade other countries as well.
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Fall of Paris
On the 9th of June, Germany launched an offensive on Paris. It was part of Hitler’s plan to occupy France. Days later, the French government would leave the city open as they fled to Bordeaux. The next day, June 14th, German soldiers would come in and occupy the city. The fall of Paris signaled the fall of the rest of France and the beginning of Germany’s control over the country.
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Operation Barbarossa
Barbarossa was a failed plan by Hitler to invade the Soviet Union. Hitler wanted to conquer the country and capture Slavs and Jewish people. Nazi forces were stalled by Soviet defenses as winter approached. A crushing defeat in Moscow caused the Nazis to pull back and abandon the plan. The operation’s failure pushed Nazi Germany into a two-front war against the Allies.
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Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, the Japanese air force launched an attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack was so sudden that the base was not able to properly defend itself and many casualties were sustained. The intention of the attack was to have America be distracted and demoralized while Japan took the Philippines. However, this started the Pacific War and led to Japan’s eventual downfall.
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Wannsee Conference
The conference was planned with one topic in mind: to find a “final solution to the Jewish question.” It was never outright stated, but extermination was the name of the game. Those involved suggested things like sending people to concentration camps in Poland to be worked to death or mass sterilization. The recordings of this event served as important evidence during the Nuremberg Trials.
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Bataan Death March
On April 9th, General Edward King Jr. surrendered his troops at Bataan after a long battle. That day, the nearly 75,00 troops were ordered to march from Mariveles to San Fernando. As they walked, thousands died; they were starved and beaten by their captors. Thousands more died in pow camps at their destination. After the war, Bataan was liberated and the man that conducted the march was executed by firing squad.
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Battle of Midway
The battle was in defense of a US naval base on Midway Island. The plan the Japanese air force had made to surprise attack the base was intercepted by the US, who began preparing. When the attack came, the US was ready and was able to shoot down many Japanese aircraft carriers. As a result of the event, confidence in the US skyrocketed as the Japanese were put on the defensive for the rest of the war.
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Battle of Stalingrad
This was a long and bloody confrontation between Germany and Russia over the city of Stalingrad. The battle lasted 7 months and was the cause of hundreds of thousands of casualties. Germany wanted to take the city because it was symbolically important to Russia. Germany’s loss at Stalingrad was the first to be acknowledged by Hitler and put the Axis on the defensive.
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Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah was a plan by the British Air force to bomb the German city of Hamburg. Those in the British air force used a device to confuse the Nazis’ radar and performed raids at night. Bombings would continue until November and cause massive amounts of destruction. Morale among German officials took a significant hit as a result of the raids.
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D-Day
Operation Overlord was a plan by the Allies to invade Normandy and liberate France. Five ships full of troops landed on five different spots on the coast of Normandy and they pushed through Nazi forces. Hitler mistakenly believed that the invasion was a distraction and failed to prepare his troops. The operation was a success, and in the next few months, France was liberated from German control.
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Operation Thunderclap
Operation Thunderclap was a plan made by the allies meant to end the war. However, the plan was never executed, as they could not justify going through with the details of the plan, which involved bombing Berlin. Instead, they chose to bomb Dresden. This was considered by many to be a bad move as many refugees were living in the city at the time and the damage to the city was expansive.
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Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was seen to be an important island to the US Marines as it had many bases that could be used in an invasion of mainland Japan. They thought it would only take a few days with troops and bombs, but the Japanese army employed tactics to avoid the damage caused by the initial attack. Eventually, the US was able to gain control of the island, but it was too destroyed to be used as a vantage point for the US.
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Battle of Okinawa
This was the last major battle of WWII as well as one of the bloodiest. Allied forces invaded Okinawa as a last push toward Japan. Both sides fought fiercely for the island, but in the end the US was victorious. Due to the kamikaze strategy employed by the Japanese army and the fighting on land, casualties were well into the hundreds of thousands.
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VE Day
VE Day was the day after Grand Admiral Dönitz surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Forces. This day was meant to commemorate the day that the Allies defeated Germany and brought an end to the war. On this day and the previous day, those in allied counties rejoiced in knowing that the fighting was done. However, Japan still refused to back down.
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Dropping of the atomic bombs
When Japan refused to back down after Germany surrendered, the US decided to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. These events combined totaled 12,000 deaths and many more left with radiation poisoning. Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s complete surrender days later. The effects of these bombings would be felt for years to come.
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VJ Day
The day Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender, many Americans heard the news over the radio. The days August 14th and 15th became known as Victory over Japan Day and celebrations were held all over the country. Months after this event, on September 2nd, Japan’s formal surrender took place. The war was finally, officially over.
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler’s last major offensive on the Western front. The battle took place in the Ardennes forest, and thousands of casualties were sustained by the US. On Christmas Day, the weather cleared enough for the Allied air forces to be able to strike. Soon Allied troops were able to break through German defenses and claim victory. This battle helped pave the way for an Allied victory of WWII. Text and Picture Source
