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Battle of the Atlantic
German U-Boats were sinking unprotected U.S. and other allies merchant ships. Allies began using convoys to protect their ships. The allies also used a sonar system to detect U-Boats. The Germans were very successful in the beginning but by the end the allies had the upper hand. -
Pearl Harbour
Japan was working on expanding their empire throughout the pacific. 2 full blown attacks on Pearl Harbor. 2,400 U.S military and civilians killed, 1,178 wounded and 18 ships and 350 planes sunk or damaged. -
Pearl Harbour
U.S. declares war on Japan. -
Pearl Harbor
Germany and Italy declare war on U.S. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
Prior to this the Japanese were winning every battle and taking over the pacific. In May 1942 the U.S. and Australia stopped Japan from invading. Japan won the actual battle, but the allies were able to stop the Japan invasion for the first time. U.S. was beginning to use the island hopping technique to weaken Japan's forces. -
Battle of Midway
Admiral Chester Nimitz intercepted Japanese code. U.S. launched surprise attack at Pacific island called Midway. U.S won the battle of Midway.The Japanese lost 4 carriers, a heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, 275 planes, 4,800 men, and heavy damage to their remaining vessels. America lost 1 carrier, the Yorktown, a destroyer, 150 planes and 307 men. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Germans violated a nonaggression pact with the soviets and attacked. Hitler wanted to capture their oil fields. Hitler forced the Germans to stay put and the Soviets used their advantage and won. Soviets lost 1,100,000 in the attack and started moving westward afterwards. -
FDR's Death
At the beginning of his fourth term Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away and the US went through a major grieving period. Harry S. Truman takes over as president. -
Normandy Invasion (D-Day)
During this the Soviet Union was pushing into Poland and the Allies into Italy. Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton were influential in the attack. 150,000 allies invaded. There was a 60 mile stretch of beach, 4,000 landing craft, 600 warships and 11,000 planes. This is the largest land-sea-air operation in history and Omaha beach is known as the most brutal area. -
France Freed
France was freed from Nazi control. -
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Battle of the Bulge
German tanks broke through American lines which had an 80 mile front. It was fought in Belgium and Germany was trying to capture Antwerp. Very brutal war and one of the most extensive of the U.S. 120 G.I's captured and killed. Germans were winning at first. 120,000 Germans died and lost 600 tanks and guns and 1,600 planes leading to defeat. 80,000 Americans died and they were close to defeat. -
Yalta Conference
Took place before the war was over. It was Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII and they set up the United Nations. -
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Iwo Jima
An island in the Pacific critical for U.S. win. 27,000 Japanese held down the island and 26,800 died. 6,000 marines died. -
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Battle of Okinawa
Japan's last defensive and they used 1,900 kamikaze attacks. 110,000 Japanese troops died. 7,600-12,500 U.S. troops died and the U.S won. -
Hitler's Death
Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide by gunshot and cyanide. Their bodies were burned and it becomes the cover of Life Magazine on May 7, 1945. -
V-E Day
General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the third Reich. V-E day means victory in Europe day. The first part of the war was over. -
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Potsdam Conference
Truman, Stalin and Churchill, who later became Clement Atlee all met in Potsdam to draw up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Nazi regime. They divided Germany into 4 sections occupied by France, Britain, U.S and the Soviet Union. Berlin was divided in the east. They made the Nuremberg Trials to persecute Nazi leaders. They made Japan unconditionally surrender. -
Hiroshima
Atomic bomb named "Little Boy." In 43 seconds the city collapsed to dust. -
Nagasaki
Atomic bomb named "Fat Man" and it leveled half the city. 200,000 Japanese died from both Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. -
Japanese Surrender
Japan offers unconditional surrender. -
V-J Day
V-J= Victory in Japan Day(Formal Surrender)