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Annexation of sudetenland
The Annexation of Sudetenland was when Germany took over Sudetenland's territory as a way to expand and gain control of military defenses in the area. Hitler's major goal was to unite all of the German-majority areas with Nazi Germany. Once Germany had control of Sudetenland defenses, invading the rest of Czechoslovakia would be simpler. Article -
Pearl Harbor
Japan attacked the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan believed this bombing would immobilize the U.S. Pacific Fleet giving them time to invade the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Japan thought this would prevent the U.S. from entering the war however, this is what caused the U.S. to declare war. Article -
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The Philippines
A day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor the Japanese invaded the Philippines. The USAFFE deployed in the Philippines consisted of about 100,000 Filipinos and 20,000 American soldiers. These troops were placed on half rations and since help was never send the majority were suffering disease and starvation. This caused the surrender of the Philippines causing the Bataan Death March which killed thousands.https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/liberation-of-philippines-cecilia-gaerlan -
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Island-hopping
The United used a military strategy called Island hopping to re-take parts of the Pacific conquered by Japan. They skipped over heavily fortified islands to seize lightly defended areas. https://study.com/academy/lesson/pacific-theater-in-world-war-ii-facts-lesson-for-kids.html#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20used%20a,much%20easier%20said%20than%20done. -
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Japanese Internment camps
During WWII, the United States forcibly ordered Japanese-Americans to relocate to detention camps located in the West in fear of spies or potential attacks. https://www.britannica.com/event/Japanese-American-internment -
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Battle of Midway
US and Japanese forces fought in a five-day-long battle in the Pacific Ocean that changed the course of the war in the Pacific. The U.S. won the battle, sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Midway -
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Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal was the first time since entering the war that the United States had attacked the Japanese marking this a major battle between the United States and Japan in WWII. The Allied success ended Japanese expansion efforts in the Pacific. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle on the Eastern Front of WWII and was the turning point of the war in favor of the Allies. The Soviet Union successfully defended the city from a German attack. -
D-Day
D-Day or Operation Overload was a military operation that brought together the Allied armies' land, air, and sea forces to the beaches of Normandy, France. The goal was to gain a foothold in Nazi France, so they could push inwards towards central Europe and dismantle Hitler's regime. -
Los Alamos
Led by scientist Oppenheimer, the secret Manhattan Project location was called Los Alamos. The site Los Alamos is in a desert far away from everything so they were able to secure the area to test the nuclear weapons which were eventually dropped on Japan. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/manhattan-project-science-at-los-alamos.htm#:~:text=Led%20by%20scientist%20J.,Nagasaki%20Japan%20in%20August%2C%201945. -
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Yalta conference
Toward the end of WWII, the leaders of the Allied countries gathered at Yalta to plan the final defeat and division of Nazi Germany. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldhistory2/chapter/the-yalta-conference/#:~:text=The%20meeting%20was%20intended%20mainly,occupation%20as%20well%20as%20Poland. -
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Meeting at Potsdam
After the war ended allied leaders met in Potsdam, Germany to follow up the prior meeting of Yalta. They agreed to continue the discussion in determining the postwar borders and reconstruction of Europe. https://kidskonnect.com/history/potsdam-conference/#:~:text=THE%20POTSDAM%20CONFERENCE,-When%20war%20ended&text=It%20was%20the%20second%20meeting,Potsdam%20was%20determining%20Germany's%20fate. -
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Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was the last major battle in Europe during WWII. The battle was primarily fought between German and Soviet forces. As a result of Soiviet's triumph, the Nazi party surrendered ending the reign of Hitler's rule. -
Death of Hitler
After it was clear that Germany would lose the Battle of Berlin Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-commits-suicide -
Hiroshima
Due to Japan's unwillingness to surrender the United States bombed the city of Hiroshima, Japan with an atomic bomb. The atomic bomb killed hundreds of thousands obliterating the city. https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/hiroshima-nagasaki-75#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20bombings%20of,end%20of%20World%20War%20II.