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German Blitzkrieg (1939-1940)
During sometime in 1939 blitzkrieg was used as a military tactic to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile forces and locally concentrated firepower. German military tried using blitzkrieg when invading Poland sometime in 1939 then after it was successful they used this tactic when they invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in 1940. -
Germany's invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939 Germany forces bombard Poland on land and from the air as Adolf Hitler seeks to regain lost territory and ultimately rule Poland. World War 2 has officially started. -
Fall of Paris
During sometime in 1940 the Germans enter Paris and the Parisians awaken to the sound of a German-accented voice announcing on a loudspeaker that a curfew was being imposed for 8pm that evening as German troops occupied Paris. And by the time the tanks had rolled into Paris, 2 million Parisians that fled. Then, in short order the German Gestapo went to work: arrests, interrogations, and spying was the order of the day, as a gigantic swastika flew beneath the Arc de Triomphe. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is a U.S naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded. -
Battle of Bulge
In December 1944, Adolf Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe by means of a surprise blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp. Caught off-guard, American units fought desperate battles to stem the German advance at St.-Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and Bastogne. As the Germans drove deeper into the Ardennes in an attempt to secure vital bridgeheads, the Allied line took on the appearance of a large bulge, giving rise to the battle’s name. -
D-Day
On June 6th, 1944 the 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. Then, within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
The first major camp to be liberated was Majdanek near Lublin, Poland in July 1944. Surprised by the rapid Soviet advance from the east, the Germans attempted to hide the evidence of mass murder by demolishing much of the camp, but parts - including the gas chambers were left standing. Some prisoners were taken from the camps by train, but most were force-marched hundreds of miles, often in freezing weather and without proper clothing or shoes. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was an epic military campaign between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan in early 1945. Located 750 miles off the coast of Japan, the island of Iwo Jima had three airfields that could serve as a staging facility for a potential invasion of mainland Japan. American forces invaded the island on February 19, 1945, and the ensuing Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for five weeks. -
VE Day
On May 8th, 1945 both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. It happened when German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
On August 6,1945, the American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A blast equivalent to the power of 15,000 tons of TNT reduced four square miles of the city to ruins and immediately killed 80,000 people. Tens of thousands more died in the following weeks from wounds and radiation poisoning. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, killing nearly 40,000 more people. A few days later, Japan announced its surrender. -
VJ Day
After the dropping of the atomic bombs Japan finally recognized that victory was impossible, the Japanese government accepted Allied surrender terms without qualifications on August 14, 1945. That same day, President Harry S. Truman announced from the White House that the Japanese acceptance met the terms laid down at the Potsdam Conference for unconditional surrender. As soon as the news of Japan’s surrender was announced on August 14, celebrations erupted across the United States.
