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Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Part of the Japanese army took over Manchuria, a part of Eastern China. They renamed it Manchukuo and instated a puppet government through which to rule. It was because of the lack of action in retaliation for this aggression that the Japanese were able to not only leave the League of Nations but also to continue attacks on China and other countries. Had there been consequences, the Japanese would have been less likely to participate in WWII as part of the Axis. -
Japanese Invasion of China
Soldiers of the Japanese army went to the walled town of Wanping to look for one of their soldiers. A shot was heard, and both sides started firing at each other. Because both the Chinese and Japanese governments refused to make concessions, the conflict between the two caused by the Japanese invasion of Manchuria grew. It was due to this incident- since coined the Marco Polo Bridge Incident- that the Second Sino-Japanese War began, as well as why China and Japan fought throughout WWII. -
Hitler Conquers Czechoslovakia
The Nazis took over Czechoslovakia despite the promise to stop after gaining Sudetenland. They did so in the name of allowing the Aryan race more living space, as well as gaining resources such as coal and iron. It was only after Hitler took over Czechoslovakia that any nation threatened action. Britain pledged to declare war on Germany should the latter invade Poland, and when it did, the British made good on their threat. Had Czechoslovakia not been invaded, this would not have happened. -
Women Help Win the War
As men were fighting, women took on the jobs of their husbands, producing weapons in factories. In other nations, they took more direct roles in combat, acting as medics and even as soldiers. It was because of the women working the jobs necessary to produce weapons and machinery meant to be used in combat. Had they not taken over those roles, the economies of the nations fighting in WWII would have stalled due to the lack of factory workers, and their armies would also have suffered for it. -
German Blitzkrieg
Famously used from 1939-1940, Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) is a strategy that relies on swift attacks using maneuverable forces. Germany used this technique in order to invade Poland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It was one of the main techniques used by Nazi Germany during WWII, as well as what allowed Germany to successfully invade both Czechoslovakia and Poland within a matter of months. This was one of the first ways that nations took full advantage of the modern weaponry they had access to. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
German forces invaded Poland from the North, South, and West based on the orchestrated excuse that Polish forces were attacking German radio towers. Two days after Germany invaded Poland, both France and Great Britain declared war on Germany, thus starting WWII. Had Germany not invaded Poland, the Allies may have found a peaceful way to convince Hitler to free Czechoslovakia. -
Operation Sea Lion
Germany planned on invading Britain, but after a number of roadblocks, it was delayed and indefinitely canceled. Historians have since debated whether it could have succeeded. The British were given more time to recuperate from the major loss in military material at Dunkirk, therefore giving the Allies a fighting chance. By not going on the offense at this point in time, Germany allowed for a thorn to remain in their sides which proved to be a fatal mistake. -
The Holocaust
From 1940-1945, Hitler built six death camps in Poland in order to end as many lives as possible. 6 million Jews were killed, as well as 6 million people of other assorted groups. The Allies were motivated to defeat the Axis Powers due to the Holocaust, both out of fear for their citizens and in the name of justice for those who had died and those who would die should the Allies lose. Churchill, markedly, stated about Hitler that, “his part in the struggle will not be forgotten.” -
Miracle at Dunkirk
The Germans were pushing Allied forces towards the sea when the latter could not travel. Just as the British army was about to surrender, 500,000 civilian ships crossed the English Channel and transported the soldiers. By this point in the war, the US would not have joined the Allies. As a result, if the British army did indeed surrender, the Germans would have had a far higher chance of winning WWII, as they would have successfully combated one of their greatest active threats. -
Germany Launches the Blitz
For 57 nights, German bombers attacked London. Despite the casualties, Britain held strong, as important creations such as the London Bridge and Parliament remained standing. By spending so much time attacking the civilians instead of the army, the British navy and air force were allowed to recuperate. Not only that, but people were made even more angered due to the loss of life and German brutality, making it so that the individual soldiers would fight harder and for a longer period of time. -
Operation Barbarossa
The failed German invasion of the Soviet Union in which they nearly reached Moscow before the Russian winter and the Scorched Earth Policy decimated the German forces. The Germans had invested much of their resources into this invasion. Therefore, when they lost, they became significantly weaker. They also antagonized the Soviet Union, effectively making more enemies fight against, ultimately reducing the Nazi chances of victory. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, destroying much of the American Navy fleet and killing 2,300 people. The United States decided to fight against the Axis, making it so that the Allies’ victory was far more likely due to the fresh, non-war-fatigued troops. On the other hand, for several months, the Japanese military was able to take many of the islands close to them, meaning that the country had more influence and power due to this land. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
156,000 Allied forces landed on the heavily fortified coast of Normandy, starting their path to Paris. The bloodbath was such that thousands of people died on both sides of the war. The Normandy Invasion was the beginning of the successful effort to free France from German rule. However, the loss of life was catastrophic. A survivor stated he could have walked along the entire beach without ever stepping on the sand due to the sheer volume of dead and injured. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Nazis attempted to split the Allied forces in Ardennes, Belgium. They failed after surrounding thousands of Allied troops and the Third Army attacked them. This was the last major German offensive to take place in WWII. Thousands of German troops died here, taking a massive toll on the German army. As a result, it holds a place in history. -
Battle of Okinawa
US troops attacked Okinawa as a part of Operation Iceberg, a plan to invade the Ryuku Islands. The Allies won, but kamikaze fighters, weather, and brutal fighting caused a large death toll on both sides. The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle of WWII and paved the way for American troops to attack Japan. As a result, it allowed an opportunity for atomic bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, quickly ending the war. Like many of the battles of WWII, it was incredibly violent. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
On August 6, 1945, Harry S. Truman ordered an atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima, and days later, on August 9, 1945, Nagasaki in order to bring a quick end to WWII. In Hiroshima, the death toll was greater than 70,000 people, and in Nagasaki, 40,000. For decades after the bombs, the city of Hiroshima has had an elevated cancer rate. It was only after these cities suffered that Japan finally surrendered, finally and definitively marking the end of WWII.
