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Japanese Invasion of China
After a victory against shanghai, the Japanese plotted to attack Nanking. Scared of losing against them in battle Nationalist leader Chiang Kai Shek ordered the removal of all Chinese troops from the city. Over a period of six weeks, Imperial Japanese Army forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians in the city of Nanking. The capital of Nationalist China was left in ruins, and it would take decades for the city and citizens to recover. cite www.history.com -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg is described as a method of offensive warfare designed to strike a swift, focused blow at an enemy. It is used to confuse enemies. For example armored tanks and air support. These attacks are meant for a quick victory, preventing the loss of soldiers and artillery. In history, it is mostly remembered during WWII when the Nazi Germans used this technique to plow through Poland, Norway, Belgium, Holland, and France with shocking force. cite www.history.com -
Fall of Paris
By the time German tanks occupied Paris, 2 million Parisians had already fled. The German Gestapo went to work, with arrests, interrogations and spying were the new normal. The reason for France's quick surrender as they were not prepared they had a divided political elite, lack of military leadership, and no strong military tactics. Paris stays under the Nazis control for four years, Paris is liberated by the French and U.S army. cite www.history.com -
Operation Barbarossa
On June 22nd, Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union, with over 3 million German soldiers and thousands of tanks bombarding Soviet territory. The invasion covered a front from the North Cape to the Black Sea, at this point in history the quality of weapons and an organized army to this degree was not familiar which made it a turning point in the war. cite www.history.com -
Pearl Harbor
Peral Harbor is located near Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a U.S naval base that was attacked by Japanese forces; hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they destroyed nearly 20 American naval vessels, eight battleships, and over 300 planes. More than 2400 American s died in the attack, including civilians and 1000 people were wounded. The day after the attack President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. -
Wannsee Conference
A conference was held containing people from various Nazi ministries discussing what they should do with the Jewish people. The meeting involved some gruesome suggestions including m ass sterilization and deportation to Madagascar. Or working them to death was deemed too time-consuming. Months later gas vans in Poland were killing 1000 Jews at a time, they saw this as the solution. -
Bataan Death March
The day after Japan bombed the U.S naval base, the Japanese invasion of the Philipines began. Within a month, the Japanese had captured Manila, and the Philipines, and Americans were forced to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula, which was a prison camp. The prisoners had to make the hike in intense heat and were subjected to harsh treatment, thousands died. -
Battle of Midway
The battle of midway was an intense battle between the U.S Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy that occurred six months after the attack on pearl harbor. The U.S navy dominated the air-sea battle and its successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island, ruined Japan's hopes of neutralizing the United States as a naval power. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
During the second world war the Battle of Normandy which lasted from Jun e 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Al.lied liberation of Western Europe from the Nazi's control. 156 000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the coast of Normandy. The invasion was one of the largest military attacks in history and required thorough planning. The plan was to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August, all of northern France had been liberated. -
Battle of The Bulge
Called the greatest American battle of the war. It was Hitler's last major offensive against the Western Front. It lasted six weeks and took place during the cold winter across 85 miles of the densely wooded Ardennes Forest. The allied line took on the appearance of a large bulge, Hitlers aim was to split the allies in their drive toward Germany. The failure of this plan paved the way to victory for the allies. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
In January 1945, the armies encountered warehouses filled with excessive amounts of other people's belongings. Most of the people who owned them were dead, murdered by the Nazis in the concentration camps. Although the camps seemed silent then soldiers soon found it filled with people. thousands of them left to die by SS guards who evacuated the camps after trying to cover up their crimes. As they saw the soldiers the prisoners hugged, kissed, and cried. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was an intense military campaign between the U.S Marines and the Imperial Army of Japan. The island of Iwo Jima was located 750 miles off the coast of Japan. The island had three airfields of mainland Japan. American forces invaded the island on February 19, 1945, and the battle lasted for five weeks. It was a gruesome battle, 21000 Japanese forces on the island were killed. In the end, neither the .S Army nor the U.S Nay was able to use Iwo Jim as a WWII staging area. -
VE Day
On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe; put out flags and banners, celebrating the defeat of the Nazi war machine. -
Dropping of The Atomic Bomb
August 6, 1945, during WWII. An American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It killed 80 000 people, tens of thousands later died to radiation exposure. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing 40 000 people. The emperor of Japan Hirohito surrendered in WWII. -
VJ Day
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered to the allies, effectively ending WWII. Since then August 14 and 15 have been known as The Victory Over Japan Day. Aldo this term has been used for September 2 1945 when Japan's formal surrender took place. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan's involvement in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities finally to a close. -
works cited
All information is from www.history.com
pictures are from www.history.com, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, britannica.com
