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Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
It was a nonaggression pact between Germany and the USSR which divided eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. It happened because the Soviets faced the prospect of resisting German military expansion in eastern Europe but hoped to keep at peace with Germany and to gain time to build up the Soviet military establishment. It led to Nazi Germany and the USSR gaining large amounts of territory. Link text -
Germany’s invasion of Poland
At 4:45 a.m., around 1.5 million German troops invade Poland all along its border with German-controlled territory. At the same time, there was the bombing of Polish airfields and the attack of Polish naval forces in the Baltic Sea. It happened because Hitler wanted to expand Germany’s lebensraum. This event led to the start of World War II. Link text -
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German Blitzkrieg
It was a method of offensive warfare used by the Nazis to strike a swift, focused blow at enemies using mobile, maneuverable forces, including armored tanks and air support. This method was used by the Nazis as it ideally led to a quick victory, limiting the loss of troops and resources. The impact of this method was that it allowed the Nazis to sweep through Poland, Norway, Belgium, Holland, and France with great speed and force. Link -
Battle of Britain
It was a military campaign in which the Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom against large-scale bombings by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It happened because Hitler wanted to break the British morale and force their surrender. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces, influencing the ways future battles were fought. Link text -
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Battle of Britain
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Operation Barbarossa
It was the German invasion of the Soviet Union during an earlier than usual winter, which led to German defeat. It happened because Hitler wanted to overthrow the Soviet regime. The failure of German troops signaled a crucial turning point in the war. Link -
Pearl Harbor
Just before 8 a.m., hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the military base Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including 8 battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans were killed too. It happened because the Japanese wanted to destroy the Pacific fleet. This event led to the US joining World War II on the side of the Allied Powers. Link text -
Wannsee Conference
It was the meeting of Nazi officials in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee to plan the final solution to the “Jewish question”. This meeting happened because the Nazis wanted to get rid of the Jewish population in Germany. This conference marked a turning point in Nazi policy toward the Jews and led up to one of the worst genocides in history. Link text -
Bataan Death March
It was when the Japanese military forced 76,000 prisoners of war (66,000 Filipino, 10,000 American) to march over 66 miles in the Philippines. The Japanese military made them do this because they needed to transport these prisoners to the trains to transport them to Camp O’Donnel. The brutal treatment of the prisoners made this event become a legend of the evils of war, a theme for WWII. Link text -
Battle of the Coral Sea
This event happened because the Japanese were seeking to control the Coral Sea with an invasion of Port Moresby in southeast New Guinea. However, their plans were intercepted by Allied forces, and when the Japanese landed in the area, they came under attack from the aircraft carrier planes of the American task force. It marked the first air-sea battle in history, influencing the ways future battles were fought. Link text -
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Battle of the Coral Sea
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Battle of Midway
It was an intense battle between forces of the US and Japanese navies after the US decoded the Japanese plan to attack Midway. It happened because the Japanese hoped to replicate the success of the Pearl Harbor attack by crushing the rest of the U.S. Pacific fleet in Midway. But, the US won: the Japanese abandoned expanding its reach in the Pacific and remained on the defensive for the remainder of WWII. Link text -
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Battle of Midway
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Battle of Stalingrad
Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad, Russia in the bloodiest battle in modern history. It happened because Adolf Hitler wanted the German army to occupy Stalingrad, seeing its value for propaganda purposes. The battle turned the tide of World War II in favor of the Allied forces as the Nazis failed. Link text -
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Battle of Stalingrad
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D-Day
It was when the Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. Its goal, which was achieved, was to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control. It was the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. Link text -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler’s aim was to split the Allies in their drive toward Germany in the Ardennes Forest but the Allied line did not allow this to happen. It was the costliest battle for the Americans in the frigid conditions. It was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. Link text -
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Battle of the Bulge
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Battle of Iwo Jima
It was a bloody battle between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan in early 1945. The US wanted to invade the island of Iwo Jima as it had three airfields that could serve as a staging facility for a potential invasion of mainland Japan. In the end, the US was unable to use Iwo Jima as a World War II staging area, but they did rebuild the airfields for Air Force pilots to use in case of emergency landings. Link text -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
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Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They did this to get Japan to surrender to end World War II. This event led to the end of World War II and showed the terrible effects of nuclear weapons as well. Link text -
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Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
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