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WWII
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. -
Japanese Invasion of China
Eruption over the control of the Korean Peninsula. Japanese victory in 8 months, although outnumbered. Treaty of Shimonoseki, signed in April 1895, saw China surrender control of the Liaodong peninsula, west of Korea, and the island of Taiwan.Caused over 20 million causalities.
http://alphahistory.com/chineserevolution/sino-japanese-war/#sthash.F1Ib5PPf.dpuf -
Germany's invasion of Poland
Polish army was defeated within weeks. From East Prussia and Germany in the north and Silesia and Slovakia in the south. German had 2000 tanks, and over 1000 planes. Massive encirclement attack on Warsaw. Finally surrendered. Soviet union invaded eastern Poland, demarcation line for the partition of German- and Soviet- occupied Poland was along Bug River. https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005070 -
German Blitzkrieg
"Lightning War", military tactic designed to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile ofrces and locally concentrated firepower. Tried out in Poland, then Belgium, Netherlands, and France by Germany. In less than six weeks, German army crushed the combined forces of four nations. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/blitzkrieg -
Fall of Paris
Paris looked for helped with America, asking for material aid. When German tanks rolled into Paris, 2 Million Parisians had fled. Gestapo went work: with arrests, interrogations, and spying. Canadian troops rolled in, offering hope for free France. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-enter-paris -
Operation Barbarossa
3 Million troops invade Russia in three parallel offensives. 19 panzer divisions, 3000 tanks, 2500 aircraft, and 7000 artillery peices poured across a thousand mile front.Hitler thought England was holding out against German assaults, refusing to surrender. He created the "Directive No. 21: Case Barbarossa"- plan to invade and occupy. Surprised attack, although Russian army was larger than what the German anticipated, they were still demobilized.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germa -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base, Pearl Harbor. Lasted just two hours, Japanese managed to destroy 20 American naval vessels, 8 batteships, and 300 airplanes. More than 2000 American soldiers and sailors died, and 1000 wounded. The day after, Congress declared war on Japan, three days after, Germany and Italy also declared war on the US, joining America into WWII. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Wannsee Conference
Nazi officials meet to discuss the details of the Final Solution. Devised a plan that would render a solution for the Jewish question. Propsals were discussed, including mass sterilization and deportation to the island of Madagascar, simply transporting Jews from every corner to concentration camps in Poland and working them to death. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-wannsee-conference -
Bataan Death March
The 75,000 Filipino and American troops captured on the Bataan Peninsula begin a forced march to a prison camp near Cabanatuan. Prisoners were forced to march 85 miles in six days, with only one meal of rice during the entire journey. The day after Japan bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines began. Japanese had captured Manila, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/bataan-death-march-begins -
Battle of Midway
One of the most decisive U.S. victories against Japan during World War II. Four-day sea-and-air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers. Japanese triumphed lands throughout the Pacific, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines and numerous island groups. Plan consisted of a feint toward Alaska followed by an invasion of Midway by a Japanese strike force. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-midway-begins -
Battle of Stalingrad
Successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad in the U.S.S.R. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of war in favor of the Allies. German Sixth Army under Paulus reached the outskirts of Stalingrad, expecting to take the city in short order. But the Russians had built up their defenses and continued to bring in reinforcements.
Was a great humiliation for Hitler. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad -
Operation Gomorrah
British bombers raid Hamburg, Germany, by night in Operation Gomorrah, while Americans bomb it by day in its own “Blitz Week.” British aircraft drop 2,300 tons of incendiary bombs on Hamburg in just a few hours.To make matters worse for Germany, the U.S. Eighth Air Force began a more comprehensive bombing run of northern Germany, which included two raids on Hamburg during daylight hours. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/operation-gomorrah-is-launched -
Allied Invasion of Italy
The Allies began their invasion of Axis-controlled Europe with landings on the island of Sicily. Within three days, 150,000 Allied troops were ashore.Army began its invasion of the Italian mainland and the Italian government agreed to surrender to the Allies. Italians would be treated with leniency if they aided the Allies in expelling the Germans from Italy. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. Hitler’s armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Allies were able to land fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France–D-Day was a decided success. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/d-day -
Operation Thunderclap
‘Operation Thunderclap’ had been under discussion with the Allied Command, the proposal was to bomb the eastern-most cities of Germany to disrupt the transport infrastructure behind what was becoming the Eastern front. Also to demonstrate to the German population, in even more devastating fashion, that the air defenses of Germany were now of little substance and that the Nazi regime had failed them. http://ww2today.com/13-february-1945-operation-thunderclap-raf-start-firestorm-in-dresden -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Three U.S. marine divisions landed on the island in February 1945. Iwo Jima was defended by roughly 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops, who fought from an elaborate network of caves, dugouts, tunnels and underground installations. The battle was marked by changes in Japanese defense tactics–troops no longer defended at the beach line but rather concentrated inland. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-iwo-jima -
Battle of Okinawa
Involved the 287,000 troops of the U.S. Tenth Army against 130,000 soldiers of the Japanese Thirty-second Army. Japan had lost more than 77,000 soldiers and the Allies had suffered more than 65,000 casualties—including 14,000 dead. A series of defense lines across the island, both north and south of the American landing beaches, enabled the Japanese to conduct a fierce defense of Okinawa over many weeks. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-okinawa -
VE Day
German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms: Germans surrendered to their Soviet antagonists, after the latter had lost more than 8,000 soldiers.The main concern of many German soldiers was to elude the grasp of Soviet forces, to keep from being taken prisoner. Soviets would lose 600 soldiers before the Germans finally surrendered http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-in-europe -
Dropping of Atomic Bombs
The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Though the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan marked the end of World War II, many historians argue that it also ignited the Cold War. American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/atomic-bomb-dropped-on-hiroshima -
VJ Day
Japanese troops finally surrendered to Americans. Navy battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese foreign minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the chief of staff of the Japanese army, Yoshijiro Umezu, signed the “instrument of surrender.” Representing the Allied victors was Gen. Shigemitsu would be found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to seven years in prison subsequent to the surrender. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-celebrate-v-j-day -
Battle of The Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, so-called because the Germans created a “bulge” around the area of the Ardennes forest in pushing through the American defensive line, was the largest fought on the Western front.250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, 14 German infantry divisions guarded by five panzer divisions-against a mere 80,000 Americans. The battle raged for three weeks, resulting in a massive loss of American and civilian life. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-bulge
