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Pearl Harbor
What: Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. The bombing killed more than 2,300 Americans and completely destroyed the American battleship U.S.S.
Why: The U.S. had placed an embargo blocking the Japanese from receiving crucial materials which angered them very much, so they decided to bomb Pearl Harbor.
Effects/ impacts: 2400 dead, almost 200 planes destroyed and 8 battleships destroyed or damaged. Also was a big cause of the U.S. joining WWII. -
Battle of Stalingrad
What: the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in the U.S.S.R. during World War II
Why: The invading Germans saw the conquest of Stalingrad as essential to their campaign in southern Russia, since from this strategic point on the Volga River they could launch further assaults in the Caucasus
Effects/impacts: stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies -
Allied Invasion of Italy
What: The British 8th army began the Allied invasion of the Italian peninsula, crossing the Strait of Messina from Sicily and landing at Calabria–the “toe” of Italy.
Why: Opposition groups in Italy were uniting to overthrow Mussolini and make peace with the Allies, but a strong German military presence in Italy threatened to resist any such action.
Effects/impacts: On the day of the landing, the Italian government secretly agreed to the Allies’ terms for surrender. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
What: The United States and allied troops invaded at Normandy. Was the largest air, land, and sea invasion in history.
Why: The Allies knew a successful invasion of the continent was essential to winning the war, but so did Germany. So Germany was expecting it and it let to a large war.
Effects/ impacts: Forced the Germans to fight a two front war again just as they had in WWI, weakening them. Started the beginning of the end of WWII -
Battle of the Bulge
What: Was the largest battle fought on the Western Front in Europe during World War II; it is also the largest battle ever fought by the United States Army.
Why: The Germans were attempting to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium.
Effects/impacts: Ended the German army and the Nazi reign, also had a profound effect on the soldiers who participated in the gruesome warm, traumatizing them. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
What: A major battle between the United States Marine Corp and the Imperial Japanese Army, also first major WWII battle to take place on Japanese homeland.
Why: America decided to have the war on Japanese homeland, plus the US needed a place for fighter planes and bombers to land and take off when attacking Japan.
Effects/impacts: The U.S. captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
What: Americans liberated concentration camps such as the ones at Buchenwald, near Weimar, and the V2 rocket slave-labour camp at Nordhausen in the Harz Mountains.
Why: American army units and other armies came across the camps and decided to help the slaves and prisoners who were basically living in hell, so they liberated them, freeing the people.
Impact: The Jews and other prisoners were freed and less peope were in concentration camps practically being tortured. -
VE Day
What: Officially announced the end of World War Two in Europe.
Why: On Monday May 7th at 02.41. German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document that formally ended war in Europe.
Effects/ Impacts: World War II is over and people celebrate it every year as the Victory in Europe Day. -
Dropping the Atomic Bombs
What: An American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
Why: President Harry S. Truman ordered the invasion and bombs to be dropped so the war would come to a speedy end.
Effects/Impacts: Surrender of Japan in WWII had a larger scale impact than the already unfortunate toll of deaths. -
VJ Day
What: The day Japan's formal surrender ceremony was held and they surrendered from WWII.
Why: They surrendered because the atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on their two cities was a very tragic thing and it was hard for Japan to get back up on their feet, let alone fight a war.
Effects/ impacts: People celebrate the US' victory every year, the day is also known as Victoryover Japan Day.
