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China Falls to Japan
Japan occupied a large part of eastern China, which were the more fertile regions of the country. China was not unified at the time because the government didn't have control. Troops were ordered to capture cities along their 730 mile trip.
Japan wanted to expand their empire. They wanted to show that they were strong. -
Invasion of Manchuria (continued)
Japan invaded Manchuria because they believed that their empire should be equal to the size of the Western empire. Japan was angry that the US and China raised their tariffs. China was weak and Japan had control of a railway in South Manchuria. They needed a reason to invade China. They bombed the railroads of Manchuria and claimed that the Manchurians did this and were acting aggressively. -
Invasion of Manchuria
The invasion led to end of exchanging between the United States and Japan. This made the Japanese have to look somewhere else in order to get materials. They looked south of them and saw oil and rubber. -
Blitzkrieg into Poland
Germany invaded Poland. Blitzkrieg used massed tanks, aircrafts and paratroopers to encircle the enemies. In less than a month, the Germans defeated the Polish military. German troops parachuted in the Netherlands, while tanks rolled through Belgium and Luxembourg. They crushed the French lines and moved through France, trapping the British and French in Belgium.
The outcome of the Blitzkrieg gives Germany the confidence to threaten surrounding European countries with theses attacks. -
Battle of the Atlantic
German submarines entered American waters. At night, American cargo ships were easy targets because of the light from cities on shore. Citizens on the East Coast dimmed their lights every evening and used blackout curtains.
The US set up a convoy system, because Germany had sunk 360 ships. The convoy improved the situation by making it more difficult to attack American ships. It motivated the US to improve technology and tactics, which helped them succeed. -
German invasion of France
The invasion lasted six weeks. British and French commanders believed that the Germans were going to attack through Belgium. However, the Germans went through the Ardennes Forest in southern Belgium. Their tanks broke through the French lines.
As a result, more than 300,000 French and British troops were evacuated across the English Channel. Britain was left alone to deal with Germany and Italy. Italy posed a threat to Britain’s position in Egypt and its control of the Suez Canal. -
Dunkirk
German troops drove the Allied forces back to the English Channel. Hitler ordered his troops to stop from moving into Dunkirk because he didn't want to risk tank forces. The three day delay allowed the British to evacuate. 338,000 British and French troops were saved as a result.
The timing at Dunkirk allowed British and French to avoid a great loss of troops. France felt betrayed because the British didn’t stand up to German troops. France surrendered to Germany shortly after this battle. -
Battle of Britain / The Blitz
German air forces attempted to attack Britain, but the British Royal Air Force drove them out. They used a new invention called radar which let them know where German planes and searchlights were.
The Blitz lasted for fifty-seven consecutive nights where bombs were dropped in London and areas surrounding it. The King and Queen chose to stay in bomb shelters instead of fleeing elsewhere. In total 15,000 people died. -
Germany takes Greece
Greece wanted to remain neutral until Italy pressured them to allow troops to cross the border of Albania and were given three hours to come up with their decision. Italian forces invaded. Greece was able to capture some parts of Albania.
Britain provided aid to Greece, but they were outgunned and outnumbered. Greece falls under German territory. -
Operation Barbarossa
This was the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler believed that if his plan was successful, this would create more living space for the Aryan race. Over three million German soldiers marched across the Soviet’s frontier. Barbarossa was the turning point in the war. It forced Germany to fight a two-front war.
It was the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. The Nazis had to fight a two-front war. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese bombers, fighter planes, and torpedo planes attacked the U.S. Naval Base in Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor was the reason why the United States entered World War II. 20 American naval vessels, eight battleships, and 300 airplanes were destroyed. The Japanese wanted to destroy our Pacific fleet, so we didn’t impede on their southern expansion.
They hoped this would keep the United States out of war. To the contrary, the United States declared war on Japan on December 8th. -
Philippines 1942
Japan wanted to capture the Philippines because it was crucial for their effort to control the Southwest Pacific. Not to mention that the Philippines was home to a few US army bases. The emperor of Japan at that time believed that all Asian countries belonged to the Japanese government.
All American forces in the Philippines were surrendered to Japan. -
Bataan (battle and march)
The Battle of Bataan was a 3 month battle initiated by Japan. After the surrender of General King to the Japanese, 60,000 to 80,000 prisoners were captured. The prisoners of the war were forced to walk from Bataan to Balanga. Many were abused and murdered by the Japanese.
The battle delayed Japan from capturing islands in the Pacific. The march displays the brutality of the Japanese. -
Doolittle Raid
On April 18th, we attacked Tokyo as a revenge for the Pearl Harbor attack. There wasn’t much damage, but it boosted the morale for American citizens. The pilots made it to the Soviet Union or China safely.
We needed to show Japan that we will not give up and would get them to surrender. -
Coral Sea
This was the first battle the Japanese and Americans fought in. It took place off the northeast coast of Australia. The Allied vessels blocked the Japanese attack on Port Moresby. The US lost one carrier, tanker, and destroyer and 66 planes. The Japanese lost three carriers.
This was the first time the Japanese advance was stopped. There was no decisive winner. -
Midway
Japan made a plan to capture Midway, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that served as an American military base. The Americans broke the Japanese code and as a result understood their plan. Admiral Nimitz’s plan destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers.
The Battle of Midway was a victory for the Americans. They broke the Japanese code and destroyed the Japanese. -
Guadalcanal
This battle was fought on a jungle covered island near Australia. Each side won small battles. Then, the Japanese fled the island.
The Americans gained another island in the Pacific and pushed the Japanese further back. -
Stalingrad
German forces were defeated while attempting to capture an industrial port city in the Soviet Union. It was one of the most deadly battles of World War II. It was a devastating loss for Germany.
It was the turning point in the war, along with a victory from the Allied Forces. They defeated Hitler and the Nazis. -
El Alamein (2nd battle of)
Britain won a victory over Germany and the Afrika Korps. The battle took place in Egypt and resulted in the securing of the Suez Canal. If the Afrika Korps got the Suez Canal, this would ruin the ability of the Allies to supply themselves.
The Allies secured the Suez Canal. The Allies won and this marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of WW2. -
Operation Torch
American forces landed in Morocco and Algeria. They trapped German and Italian troops and drove them towards the west. They surrendered, even though Hitler told them to keep fighting.
This was the first time the British and United States worked together on an invasion. It also created a second front. -
New Guinea
Japan conquered the north coast of the island. This location was expanded from the west of the island to the northeastern part. The Japanese ran out of steam and were unable to capture Port Moresby. They were pushed back by the Allies, which gave us control of most of the island.
New Guinea was a key part of Japan's defense. -
Kursk
This was the biggest tank battle of the war. 1,500 tanks were involved. It involved over 4 million people from both sides. This battle lasted 50 days and concluded with a Soviet victory.
The Battle of Kursk represented the last German offensive on the Eastern front. The Soviets knew about Germany's plan prior to the battle, and the Germans delayed their attack. This allowed the Soviets more time to get organized. -
Sicily
The Allied forces launched one of the largest combined operations of World War II. This battle lasted thirty-eight days. Sicily became a part of the Axis, but later fell to the Allied forces.
It served as a launch point for the invasion of Italy and served as a training ground for the officers and soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy. -
Salerno
The army landed along the Salerno coastline while British units landed on the peninsula itself. Salerno was chosen because it was the northern-most point for the Allies to fly planes from its base in Sicily. German and Italian troops mounted a heavy attack on the beach. The Allies responded by launching artillery fire.
The United States Lieutenant called the 82nd Airbone in for support. We were able to push further north, closer to Naples. Salerno was in the Allied hands. -
Gilbert & Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands represented the perimeter of the Japan's empire. The Admiral of Japan knew that we were eyeing the islands, but he couldn't figure out where we would invade. Koga, the Japanese Admiral, lacked aircraft carrier, so he sent submarines to reinforce the islands that were most exposed to American attacks.
This was not an easy victory for the Allies. This allowed the Pacific Fleet to advance to the Philippines and pushed the Japanese further back. -
Anzio
Troops of the U.S. Army arrived on Italian beaches near the towns of Anzio and Nettuno, thirty miles south of Rome. By noon on the first day, British and American units met their first day objectives and moved three miles by nighttime. German commanders were surprised because they didn't think this would take place during January.
German troops were unprepared to react offensively. We caught them off guard. This was a victory for the Allies, as we marched into Rome. -
D-Day
A part of Operation Overlord, D-Day was a battle when 156,000 American, Canadian, and British troops landed on five beaches along France’s Normandy region. Along with requiring a lot of planning, the Allies created a campaign designed to mislead the Germans about where they were invading.
This was the turning point of the war. The Allies starting taking France back and were moving to Berlin. -
Guam
The Japanese stationed many troops there from the time they captured it in 1941. We needed to recover Guam so we could use it as a base of operations for further assaults against the Japanese. It was difficult for troops to keep their supply lines opened and the Japanese were running low on food and ammunition.
The Japanese line collapsed but they refused to surrender. Some Japanese soldiers held out in the jungle. Guam was turned into a base for Allied operations. Five airfields were built. -
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France. Many of the leaders were arguing about the execution of it. After the Normandy landings were successful, the Allies were able to move forward with Operation Dragoon. German troops were attacked and were forced to withdraw inland.
They continued this until France was free from German occupation. The Germans finally left by retreating through the Vosges Mountains. -
Philippines 1944-45
The Philippines campaign of 1944-1945 was the American invasion of the Philippines to recapture the islands that had been taken by Japan. The Naval Battle of Leyte Gulf was attempted to prohibit the Allied invasion.
On June 30, 1945, the Philippines was finally declared secure. Less than a week later, the Philippine Islands were liberated. All twenty-three divisions of the Japanese troops were destroyed. Over 12,000 Japanese were killed. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
This was the first major battle fought on the Pacific side and largest naval battle. The Japanese used aircrafts loaded with explosives and made suicidal crashes on the US. We gained control of the Philippines again.
It was an Allied victory. -
Bastogne
Germany wanted to capture Bastogne, which provided a road to opened up expansion for Germany. The Germans attempted to drive a wedge between the British and American armies. They wanted to capture the port of Antwerp to deny the Allies use of the port.
Germany lost more than they could replace, making it Hitler's last offensive move. They lost 100,000 men, 700 tanks and 1,600 aircraft. The American forces were able to keep their lines intact and inflict heavier losses for Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Germans hit a weak spot in the Allied lines and created a bulge that was 50 miles deep. Some of the US troops were trapped in the middle of the bulge. The United States dug in, stopped the attack, and forced a retreat. We lost 80,000 soldiers and Germany lost 120,000.
It was Germany’s last offensive move during the war. The German losses were greater than they expected. -
Yalta Conference
FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met in Russia. Russia agreed to declare war on Japan after Germany surrenders. FDR and Churchill promised the Soviet Union some of their territory that was lost after the Russo-Japanese War.
They were thinking ahead to how the Nazi territory should be divided up and the Nazi's punishment. They were going to hunt down Nazi war criminals and bring them to trial. Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan, since we helped them bring down the Nazis. -
Iwo Jima
The Marines landed in the Pacific. This was the largest and bloodiest battle in history. The US suffered 7,000 casualties. This battle increased the bombing operations and air support against the Japanese.
The US captured the tiny island. They also captured photos. -
Okinawa
This was the first home island of Japan to be invaded. This battle showed the immense strategy involved and determination of the Japan to resist the invasion. It involved over 500,000 troops. Americans lost 12,000 lives and Japan lost 100,000. It lasted three months.
The Allies won. -
Hitler's Suicide
Adolf Hitler killed himself with his wife by taking cyanide. Just in case the cyanide wouldn’t do the job, he shot himself.
Shortly after this, the Nazi Party surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces. The dream of a “1,000 year Reich" are over. -
German Surrender
Germany signed an unconditional surrender at the Allied headquarters in France. Victory in Europe (VE Day) has been declared a national holiday.
This concluded World War II in Europe. -
Potsdam
Potsdam was a meeting between Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to discuss post WW2. It took place outside Berlin. Each side will take reparations. They were going to divide up Germany and create a Council of Foreign Ministers. This marked the end of the alliance.
The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and demanded nothing but unconditional surrender from them. The Manhattan Project was addressed. If the bomb had worked as planned, help from the Russians was not necessary. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The US was the first and only nation to use the atomic weapon during wartime. The Enola Gay released ‘Little Boy’ that wiped out 90 percent of the city and killed 68,000 instantly. Thousands died later of radiation exposure. Three days later another bomb was dropped. ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 35,000 people instantly.
The Emperor at the time announced his unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address. It demonstrated that the United States was a world power. -
Japanese Surrender
It was signed on September 2nd, 1945. Japan surrenders unconditionally due to the massive shock and destruction. Their navy and air force were destroyed. The Japanese emperor ordered the government to surrender.
This marked the end of World War II.
