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Japanese invasion of China
This event occurred when China tried to resist the expansion of Japanese influence. Japan had then gained control of Manchuria after invading China which led to the control of China's railroads. https://www.britannica.com/event/Second-Sino-Japanese-War -
Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking occurred because of the Japenese general Matusi Iwane ordering his troops to destroy the city of Nanking. This led to a huge massacre as around 150,000 "war prisoners" were executed along with 50,000 men and at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages were raped while some were murdered in the process. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-rape-of-nanking -
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German Blitzkrieg
The Blitzkrieg was a military tactic used by the Germans to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile forces and locally concentrated firepower. Because of its success, it led to short military campaigns, which helped preserve life and limit the amount of artillery used. It was first used in Poland and then after its success, German used it on Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Germany invades Poland
On this day German forces had attacked Poland on land and air. Adolf Hitler wanted total control over Poland. This led to Great Britain declaring war on Germany. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland -
Fall of Paris
On this day Germany had started to invade Paris with tanks. About 2 million Parisans had already fled. America had froze the assets of the Axis powers. Canadian troops were sent into Paris to try free the people. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris -
Operation Barbarossa
Adolf Hitler had sent his troops in to start invading the Soviet Union. The Germans ended up not being successful because of the harsh winter in the Soviet Union. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/operation-barbarossa -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is a naval base located in Honolulu, Hawaii that was attacked off guard by the Japanese forces. This damaged nearly 20 American naval ships and around 300 airplanes. 2,400 Americans died in the attack (some being civilians) and 1,000 were injured. After this assault president, Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Midway
This battle was between the United States and Japan. This would help determine who would have an advantage in the Pacific. With the United States winning, it put them in a position where they can attack Japan. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-midway -
Bataan Death March
The U.S. had surrendered on the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese which led to 75,000 Filipino and American troops being forced to make an awful march to a prison camp that was 65 miles away. The heat and Japanese guards harsh treatment made the journey very hard. Thousands had died on the way there. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bataan-death-march -
Allied Invasion of Italy
The allies invaded Rome in 1943. The Allies ended up taking over Rome which led to the control of Italy. This helped the Allies even more in their effort to win the war. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was an event in Germany in which the Jews being held in Warsaw, Poland tried to prevent the deportations to Nazi-run extermination camps. 7,000 Jews were killed in the revolt while 50,000 who had survived were sent to extermination camps. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/warsaw-ghetto-uprising -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
D-Day was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and it required a lot of planning. One of the reasons why D-Day was successful was because the Allies misled the Germans on where they were invading. D-Day resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day -
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Liberation of Concentration Camps
As the Allies pushed forward, they had come across many sick and starving people held in concentration camps. As the Allies kept moving, many Germans had tried to hide the evidence by mass murders. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/liberation-of-the-concentration-camps -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was an attempt to split allied forces up to strengthen their chances of winning. The Germans used their blitzkrieg method to try and gain in the battle. The Germans ended up losing the battle. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-the-bulge -
Operation Thunderclap
Many Allied firebombing runs had occurred in Germany. It destroyed many buildings and around 135,000 people were killed. It sounded like thunder as the bombs went off https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/firebombing-of-dresden -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle for Iwo Jima was between the U.S. and Japan. It was one of the bloodiest battles in WWII with many casualties on both sides. With the U.S. winning, it gave them an advantage on being able to attack Japan. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
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Battle of Okinawa
This was a battle between the U.S. and Japan. They both fought for control of the land because it would be a great strategic map marker for either side. With many ships that were sunk and all the kamikaze pilots, the U.S. had gained the land. https://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/battle-of-okinawa.php -
VE Day
On May 8th, victory in Europe had occurred when the German troops had surrendered. Germany had surrendered after they lost more than 8,000 soldiers to the Soviet Union. 13,000 POWs were released to head back to Great Britain while around 2 million Germans were taken into custody by the Russians. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
The atomic bomb had been in the works to be used on the Germans during the war. By the time the bomb was finished Germany had surrendered. Harry S. Truman was warned by his advisors that if American troops kept trying to invade there would be many casualties. The atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to thousands of deaths. A few days later Japan announced its surrender. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
On September 2nd, Japan had finally surrendered after the atomic bomb was dropped on two of their cities. This brought the six years of hostility to an end for the U.S. and Japan. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
