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Japanese Invasion of China
Japan invaded China as it had many resources to fuel its expansion during WWII, such as iron. The war against China had lea to 4 million Chinese casualties with 60 million made homeless. -
Germany's Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland because Adolf Hitler wanted to give Germans "lebensraum" in Eastern Europe, overturn the Treaty of Versailles, prevent anti-German alliance, free city of Danzig and the Polish corridor, teach British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain a lesson, as well as follow the Nazi-Soviet Pact he signed with Stalin Consequences included the end of Second Polish Republic, beginning of WWII, murder of 65,000 Polish troops, and 904,000 total Polish losses -
German Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg or "lightning war" was a German war strategy involving a coordinated military effort by tanks, mobilized infantry, artillery, and aircraft, to overwhelm the enemy that associated with a series of quick and decisive short battles to deliver a knockout blow to an enemy before it could fully mobilize. Nazis used this to conquer most of Europe. Consequences of this included devastating effects on Poland and France and a use of war tactic first used in WWII by Germany -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the German code name for the invasion of Soviet Union during WWII. This event occurred as Hitler wanted to end communism in the Soviet Union, and take Stalin by surprise. However, its failure meant that Germany was confronted by a two-front war. Consequences of Operation Barbarossa included the encirclement battles of Kiev in September and Bryansk-Vyazma in October, each netting 600,000 prisoners, as well as a beginning of the end of Hitler. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese Imperial Army attacked the Pearl Harbor as the U.S. had placed a trade embargo on Japan for trying to take over more territory, which meant that the Japanese could not receive crucial materials, such as steel and aviation fuel, and as a result Japan bombed the Pearl Harbor as a precaution, in a surprise air attack. Consequences of this attack included the U.S. entering the WWII as well as the deaths of thousands of Americans and Japanese. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, fought just a month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, was the turning point of the Pacific Campaign as it stopped Japan's regional conquest. Since it was the closest remaining U.S. base to Japan, it was strongly defended by the U.S. The U.S. was victorious as a result of breaking the Japanese Naval Code. The consequences of this are the turning of WWII in the favor of the allies -
D-Day
D-Day was the allied invasion of Nazi occupied France during WWII. This was a turning point during the WWII as it caused a two-front war for Germany, which it could not win, and was due to the Pearl Harbor (which caused the U.S. to enter WWII and thus aid U.K.), as well as the need to bring down Germany for breaking the Treaty of Versailles. Consequences of this event meant the fall of Nazi Germany, as well as causing a second front for Hitler. -
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge was the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies in WWII, and the largest battle fought by Americans in WWII, costing 81,000 American lives and 100,000 German killed or captured. This was the Nazis attempt to push the Allied front line west from Northern France to Northwestern Belgium. Consequences of the German defeat in this battle meant that there was nothing more left to oppose the advance of the British and Americans into Germany from the west. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima was a part of the three-point plan the Americans had for winning the war in the Pacific. This battle was fought as Iwo Jima was of great tactical importance to Japan and holding on to it meant a lot to them. Consequences of this included a display of how far Japanese would go to save their country, which influenced the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa was fought for acquiring a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland. Consequences of this resulted in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as this was very costly. -
VE Day
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) was on May 8 1945, which was the the official end of WWII in Europe. This day marks the unconditional surrender of Germany and is celebrated in the U.K. and the U.S. Consequences of this include the end of fascism in Europe. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima took place as a response to the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as to end the WWII quickly. The consequences of dropping "the little boy" included the instant death of eighty thousand people, and many more through radiation. -
Atomic bombing of Nagasaki
The atomic bombing of Nagasaki took place in order to force Japan's surrender and minimize American casualties, as well as to use the atomic bomb before the USSR declared war on Japan to establish U.S. dominance. The consequences include the destruction of thousands of lives and the beginning of the Cold War. -
VJ Day
Victoryover Japan Day (VJ Day) is marked as the surrender of Japan and the end of fascism in the world on both August 14th and 15th. The consequence of this is it brought to an end the six years of Japan's hostilities in the Pacific to a highly anticipated close.
