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Germany's invasion of Poland
This marks the true beginning of World War II. Hitler wants to regain lost territory and invade Poland. The effects of this occuring was that Poland was now ruled under Hitler's commands, and any remaining resistance was destroyed. -
Period: to
1939-1945
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Germany's Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg was extensive bombing to destroy the enemy’s air capacity, railroads, communication lines, and munitions dumps, followed by a massive land invasion with overwhelming numbers of troops, tanks, and artillery. Germany used it against Poland, France and other countries. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler and his army that spread out two thousand miles long, were planning to attack the Soviet Union, and this operation was a crucial point for the war because Germany vastly underestimated the Soviets. This caused Germany to now fight a two front war -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attacked American soil on one of our navy bases located in Hawaii. More than 2,000 Americans died within the two hour attack. Japan and the U.S. had been edging towards war for a few years at this point, and President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, hence America finally joing World War II. -
D-Day
156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest military assaults in history. more than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany did a surprise attack on the Americans, and the U.S. was desperately trying to push the Germans into the Ardennes, and the Allied line took the appearance of a bulge, therefore creating the name of this battle. The purpose was to split the Allied armies and creat a blitzkrieg once again. -
Liberation of concentration camps
The Soviets liberated Auschwitz, the largest killing center and concentration camp. The Nazis forced the prisoners to march westward, which is also known as their death marches. The Soviets only found several thousand prisoners alive when they came. They found hundreds of thousands of men's suits, more than 800,000 women's outfits, and more than 14,000 pounds of human hair when looking through the warehouses at the camp. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Three U.S. Marine divisions landed on Japanese soil, with 23,000 Jap army and navy troops fighting through their system of caves, dugouts, and tunnels. America won the battle and raised the U.S. flag to declare victory. American losses included 5,900 dead and 17,400 wounded. -
VE Day
Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. This is a day of celebration where every country joins together and raises their flags to rejoice in the defeat of the Nazi army. Germany finally surrendered to the Soviet Union in Prague. -
Potsdam Declaration
This was a day after the bombing of Nagasaki. Japan submits its acquiescence to the Potsdam Conference terms of unconditional surrender. And President Harry S. Truman orders a halt to atomic bombing. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
America becomes the first country to drop an atomic bomb during wartime, bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima immediately killing 80,000 people. Its aftereffects were radiation remnants for years. -
VJ Day
Japan surrendered to the Allies on this day. This day is known as "Victory Over Japan Day" or "VJ Day".
