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Rape of Nanking
The Japanese Goveral Matsui Iwane ordered the city of Nanking to be burned after his forces took the city in the Sino-Japanese war. 200,000 male civilians and "war prisoners" were killed. 20,000 women were raped and killed in the process. This was done to break the Chinese spirit and conquer more of mainland China. The impact of this event is that Japan identifies itself as a hostile country that is set on the domination of other countries. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
In one, sudden motion German troops invaded Poland, destroyed their airfields, and attacked Polish naval forces. Germany and Russia split Poland. It happened because Hitler needed "living space" and the German people were told that invasion was in response to a Nazi radio station being attacked in Poland. The effect of the event was that war was declared on Germany by France and Britain. Also, the land was used to house concentration camps and ghettos for millions of Jews. -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is an offensive technique used to quickly strike the enemy, tanks and air support. This leads to fewer casualties and a swift victory. Germany used this to quickly invade Belgium, Norway, Poland, and France. Hitler used this technique because he wanted to minimize casualties and bring a swift end to the war. The effect of these techniques being used was that Germany took over a lot of countries in a very short amount of time, due to allied forces unsuspecting a new form of war. -
Fall of Paris
German forces marched and rolled into Paris. France's government was hanging on for dear life and was in need of aid. Germany took the capitol but France did not surrender yet, they waited and hoped for American involvement in the war. This happened because Germany was at war with France, and they wanted to beat France. The impact of this was that America started to get more involved in the war against the Axis, and the Allies were starting to lose hope in the fight against the Axis. -
Battle of Britain
It was fought solely in the air. Was the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe (German air force). Hitler thought the battle would lead to a peaceful surrender, but the British were resilient. This event happened because Hitler wanted to end the war as soon as possible, and he already captured Paris, so it was time to move to Britain. The effect of this event was the mass destruction of Britain, and the British people becoming united for the cause of stopping the Nazis at all costs. -
Operation Barbarossa
German forces invaded the USSR. They severely underestimated the USSR and were not successful. Hitler ordered this because Hitler wanted more "living space" for expanding Germany. It was always in Hitler's plan to take over parts of the USSR, and he finally did it. The impact of this event was that the USSR started fighting against the Axis powers, and once they got German forces out of Russia, they would begin advancing on Germany. Ultimately, it led to another German defensive front. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese forces attacked the navy base and destroyed or damaged 20 American ships. At the time, America was not actively at war with Japan, Germany, or Italy. Japan attacked the US because we stopped sending goods to Japan in response to its conquest of China and other countries. The impact of this event was that America immediately declared war on the Axis countries (Germany, Italy, and Japan), which ultimately led to the victory of allied powers. -
Battle of Stalingrad
It was a military campaign between Russia and Nazi Germany. The result was a Russian victory and the Russian forces pushed the Germans out of the USSR and back into German territory. It led to a turning of tides in favor of the allied forces. The battle happened because the Russians were defending their country, which was being invaded by Germany after they signed a peace agreement. The effect was that Germany was getting pushed back into their country and Allied forces starting winning the war. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Japanese were trying to take control of the Coral Sea by invading Port Moresby in New Guinea. Allied forced intercepted the plan and launched a sea assault. The US navy was victorious and damaged enough Japanese planes for them to give up the ground attack on Port Moresby. It happened because the US wanted to stop the advancement of Japanese forces into the Pacific. This led to the Japanese advancements getting slowed down and eventually the turn of the war against the Japanese. -
Battle of Midway
It was a battle between the US navy and the Japanese Navy. the US was defending its major base located at Midway Island. The Japanese attacked because they were trying to establish naval and air superiority in the western Pacific. The effect of this US victory was that the tide of the war started to turn in the Pacific. Instead of the US losing to the Japanese, the US started to take push into Japanese territories. -
Warsaw Ghetto uprising
Jews living in the Warsaw Ghettos staged an armed revolt to prevent their deportation into extermination camps. Germany took back the ghetto and destroyed a synagogue. The Jews were badly outnumbered and never had a chance, Most got sent to extermination camps anyway. The revolt happened because the Jews were getting killed anyway, and they wanted to have some control of their destiny. A result of the revolt was that other Jews in ghettos or Concentration camps led Revolts against the Germans. -
D-day (Normandy Invasion)
Allied forces stormed the beaches of Nazi-controlled Normandy. The allied forces took the beach and eventually were able to continue into Nazi-occupied Europe. The assault took place because Allied forces wanted to take back Normandy and advance into Germany from another front, through Normandy. The result of this invasion was that the Allied forces could successfully continue pushing Germany onto the defensive. Also, 850,000 more men could continue marching across Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge
It was mainly a US assault on the Ardennes region of Belgium, which was Hitler's last offensive line. It was extremely costly and the US was victorious, pushing Germany into another defensive front. It was cold, chaotic, and the Germans changed road signs and sent spies into the US forces. The battle happened because Allied forces were trying to advance into Germany's last major offense. The effect of the battle was that Allied forces remained united in one offensive front against Germany. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Allied forces invaded Iwo Jima, a Japanese Island with 3 airfields in which was going to be influential in the remainder of the war. The battle happened because Allied forces wanted to take control of the island and use it as a staging area for an invasion of Mainland Japan, which never happened from Iwo Jima, and deliver a large blow to the Japanese Army. The effect of this battle was that the Japanese forces suffered major losses and the Allies started pushing into major Japanese territory. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
American forces dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, completely destroying the cities and all of its inhabitants. They did this to make Japan surrender and end the conflict. They already offered the Japanese a choice to surrender or face total annihilation, Japan did not surrender. The effect of this was a Japanese surrender and ultimately an allied "victory" of WWII. Hundreds of thousands in Japan died because their government made them stay in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
