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Germany's invasion of Poland
In an effort to regain the land Germany lost after WWI, Hitler brutally attacked Poland by land and air hoping to take it over . This event started WWII and this "lightning war" strategy set the tone for how Hitler planned to eventually dominate Europe. -
German Blitzkrieg
This military tactic was first used against Poland at the start of WWII. The term translates to “lightning war” as it was created to disorganize enemies while losing as few troops and ammunition as possible. Because of this strategy, Nazi Germany was able to expand very quickly throughout the beginning of the war. -
Fall of Paris
Germany rolled into Paris with troops and tanks one morning, in an effort to gain even more land for Germany's Third Reich. Because of this the USA froze assets of Germany and Italy, and Canadian troops rolled in to help free France. -
Battle of Britain
This battle was the first in history to be fought entirely in the air. The British Royal Airforce and the German Luftwaffe fought for 4 months with Germany at a disadvantage due to their lack of long range fighting abilities. The British victory caused Hitler to call off his plans to invade the British Isles. -
Operation Barbarossa
To gain more living space for Hitler's "master race", Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union with over 3 million troops in the largest military operation in history. However, Germany had underestimated Soviet determination and before they could reach Moscow, Germany was forced to abandon the efforts, making this one of the most decisive moments in the war. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese made a surprise attck on the US naval base in Hawaii, in an attempt to weaken the US navy and keep the US from standing in the way of their attempts to gain more land and resources. This attack led to the US joining WWII. -
Bataan Death March
As the Japanese took over the Bataan Peninsula on the Philipino island of Luzon 75,000 American and Filipino troops were forced to march 65 miles in intense heat to prison camps. During this march thousands died, and the rest were subjet to incredibly harsh treatment. Because of this the US invaded the island later in the war, avenging its losses. -
Battle of Midway
This battle along with the Battle of Guadalcanal stopped Japan's threat to invade more of the Pacific. It was fought mostly by aircrafts as the Japanese tried to seize Midway Island and the US bases. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Nazi Germany fought the Soviet Union for control of the Russian city of Stalingrad and this battle is often regarded as the bloodiest battle in the history of warfare. Germany lost as they exhausted all of their resources in the brutal Russian winter. This was a pivitol point in the war as it halted Hitler's expansion. -
Allied invasion of Italy
As the Allies invaded Italy from the south, the Italian government aggreed to the terms of surrender, though German forces still remained powerful and present. Despite their alligence with Germany, Italy negotiated with the Allies and surrendered. -
D-Day (Battle of Normandy)
American, British, and Canadian forces landed on the coast of France and carried out the largest amphibious military attack in history. Though the beach was heavily fortified, the Allies managed to reach the Seine River and liberate Paris. This turned the tide of the war and led to Western Europe being released from the control of Nazi Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
This German offensive was the largest battle ever fought by the US army. Its intention was to devide American and British forces in an attempt to capture the port of Antwerp in The Netherlands then cut the Allies off to it. However, weather and low levels of fuel caused Germany to take a brutal loss. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
30,000 marines landed on the coast of the tiny island of Iwo Jima, where Japanese forces were waiting in secret tunnels. It took over a month for the US to capture this 8 square mile island, but once they did it proved that the Japanese and their suicidal tactics were not undefeatable. -
Battle of Okinawa
This was Japan's last major defense in WWII as capturing Okinawa was the core of the plan for Allied victory in the Pacific. Japan's loss of this battle basically marked the end of the war for Japan. -
VE (Victory in Europe) Day
This day marks the official surrender of Nazi Germany and was full of celebrations throughout the world. Though war with Japan still continued, the war was over in Europe and the world was closer to peace. -
Potsdam Declaration is issued
This declaration defined Japan's terms of surrender and stating that if Japan did not comply and end the war they would face utter destruction. Japan's official response was unsatisfactory and ultimately led to the decision to drop the bomb. -
Dropping of the atomic bomb
When Japan did not surrender, the US dropped the first deployed atomic bomb onto the city of Hiroshima, instantly killing 80,000 people. When that failed to elicit Japan's immidiate surrender a second atomic bob was dropped, this time on the city of Nagasaki, which led to Japan surrenderning. -
VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
A formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay as the world celebrated the end of WWII.
