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France's Maginot Line was a massive defense fortification system made between 1930 and 1940, in response to WWI. The Line was built a long Eastern France in order to stop any possible German invasion. Though the purpose of the line eventually back fired on the French, as German troops were able to get past it easily in the German Invasion of France in 1940.

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The signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact was a non-aggresion pact signed by both the USSR and Germany. The Pact intended to keep Britain out of the war and divided Eastern Europe between the two. There wasn't necessarily a winner of the Pact when it was first signed. However, it did open up for the possibilties of new invasions in Eastern Europe and more power for both nations.

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Nazi Invasion of Poland; Poland, September 1939

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Nazi Invasion of Poland; Poland, September 1939

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The Invasion of Poland involved the Nazi soldiers takeover of Poland. It was a quick victory for the Germans, as they took Poland in about a month. This would then trigger Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany; and soon trigger the start of WWII in the east.

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In May of 1940, the German invasion of France begins. Hitler's army moves into France through the Ardennes, completely dodging the Maginot Line. The army makes into the Northern coast of France within 10 days; overwhelmed by the attack the French surrender. It came as a devastation to the French and a great victory to the Germans.

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Miracle at Dunkirk; France, May-June 1940

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Miracle at Dunkirk; France, May-June 1940

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The Miracle at Dunkirk took place in France of 1940, when British and Allied Forces were evacuated from Dunkirk Beach at the beginning of WWII and the German Invasion of France. Germany had completely surrounded the beach however, after a remarkable display naval ships and aircraft were able to get ~340,000 people off the beach. This was a pivotal point in the Allied Powers war efforts.

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The Battle of Britain; Britain, June-October 1940

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The Battle of Britain; Britain, June-October 1940

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The Battle of Britain was a vital aerial conflict between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe, that took place in the summer of 1940. The Battle was fought over the skies of Britain, as Germany wanted to prove their aerial superiority just before a planned invasion. The German Luftwaffe conducted nightly air raids on Great Britian, but the British people continued to be resilient and illuminated the British peoples strengh and spirit. Through radar technology, skilled pilots, and aide from the ground the Royal Air Force was able to rally and beat the German troops which outnumbered them greatly. This was the first major Battle in the War which the Germans had lost. This victory prevented the German invasion of Britian and greatly boosted the Allied Powers moral.

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Operation Barbarossa; codename for the Nazi's invasion of the USSR was a pivoting point in the war. Following the Nazi's invasion, Hitler and his armies had violated that agreements of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. It was the largest military operation at the time. At the initial invasion, the Nazi's made significant progress in invading the USSR, however that began to change. After the brutal winter of the USSR came in, it costed the Nazi's greatly as they were not prepared for these conditions. They soon began to face determined Soviet resistance, (those who knew how to fight in these winters) and were unable to successfully take over. It was a crucial turning point that shattered the possibility for German victory of the Eastern Front.

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The Battle of Stalingrad; Russia, August 1942-February 1943

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The Battle of Stalingrad; Russia, August 1942-February 1943

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The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point in WWII and named one of the bloodiest battles in history. The Battle took place from August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943. It put the German army against the Soviet Union in a Battle for control of the city of Stalingrad. The Battle was made up of heavy urban warfare, with both sides engaining in street fighting; resulting in severe casualties. Eventually the Soviets were able to capture the German Sixth Army in the city; leading to the Germans eventual surrender after the brutal conditions they were faced with. The victory at Stalingrad marked the halting of the German advance and shifting of momentum in favor of the Allied Powers. It was another devasting defeat for the German Nazi party, and once again was a major turning point in the war.

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Pearl Harbor; United States, December 1941

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Pearl Harbor; United States, December 1941

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The Japanese surprise naval attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii occured on December 7th, 1941 at Pearl Harbor military base. It came as retaliation for the U.S. cutting off oil supply in Japan. The Japanese attack had been coordinated to attack all kinds of battleship, cruisers, etc. This attack was the launch of the U.S. into WWII. The attack was extremely costly to the U.S. both economically and morally. Over 2,400 civilians were killed as a result of the attack. This led to the United States declaration of war on Japan.

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The D-Day Invasion or Operation Overlord was a monumental military operation planned by the Allied Powers. This was just the start to the end of Nazi Germanys control over Western Europe. The initial assault took place across the beaches of Normandy, France; thounsands of soldiers from the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, and other Allied nations stormed German positions. Despite heavy resistance and casualties, the allied powers were able to get control on the Normandy coast. This paved the way for the freedom of France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the defeat of German control. D-Day was only the beginning of the end for the Germans and was a pivotal point in the war for Europe.

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The Liberation of Europe; Europe, June 1944

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The Liberation of Europe; Europe, June 1944

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The Liberation of Europe all started with the pivotal point of the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. Following the initial attacks of D-Day, troops began to push further in land and taking over territories. The Allies engaged in intense and gory battles against the German forces. Over the course of several months and strategic maneuvers cities and towns across France were freed. This didn't only weaken the Germans hold on Western Europe but also gave crucial hold on Nazi Germany to the Allied Powers. On the East Russia began to close in on the Germans in their own operation.

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The Battle of Berlin; Berlin, April 1945

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The Battle of Berlin; Berlin, April 1945

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The Battle of Berlin took place from April to May of 1945. It was the last major offensive military movement of WWII. Similarly to past battles, The Battle of Berlin was characterized with intense and brutal street fighting and casualties. Hitler, realizing the defeat of the Nazi party hid away in his bunker until shooting himself on April 30th. After discovering this, the Soviet Red Army launched a major attack on German Troops and Hitler Loyalists. This would mark the end of WWII in Europe.

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The Battle of Midway; Midway Island, June 1942

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The Battle of Midway; Midway Island, June 1942

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The Battle of Midway which took place 3 days in June, was a major moment in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The battle took place at Midway Island, an outpost in the central pacific. The Japanese had planned to target Midway to get the U.S. fleet to the island. However, after the U.S. was able to break Japanese Naval Code, the U.S. anticipated the attack and instead came up with one of their own. The U.S. launched brutual and devasting airstrikes onto Japanese ships, sinking 4 of them. Not to mention the other significant damage they had done to the rest of their fleet. This was an important moment for the War in the Pacific. It had halted the Japanese advance and favored the U.S. in terms of power; specifically naval power.

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Battle of Guadalcanal; Solomon Islands, August 1942-February 1943

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Battle of Guadalcanal; Solomon Islands, August 1942-February 1943

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The Battle of Guadalcanal took place over the span of 6 months, and was a significant campaign in the Pacific Theater of WWII. The Battle took place on the island of Guadalcanal on the Solomon Islands. This Battle marked the first major offensive move by the Allied Powers against the Empire of Japan. While the Japanese had established power over the airfield; the Allied Powers eventually fought and won the to secure the island and repel Japanese forces. Once again this was another major moment in the Pacific Theater for halting the Japanese advance.

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The Battle of Iwo Jina & Okinawa; Iwo Jina, February-March  1945 & Okinawa, April-June 1945

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The Battle of Iwo Jina & Okinawa; Iwo Jina, February-March  1945 & Okinawa, April-June 1945

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The Battle of Iwo Jina took place from February 19 to March 26, 1945. It was an important confrontation between Japan and the U.S.. Iwo Jina was a small volcanic island that proved useful to both nations; as an airbase for Japan and as a potential launch attack point for the U.S.. The U.S. faced formidable resistance from the Japanese, and was characterized by mass casualties. Despite Japanese resistance the Americans powered through and captured Iwo Jina to become a vital base for American operations.

The Battle of Okinawa took place April 1 to June 22, 1945. The attack took place on the Japanese island of Okinawa and was one of the bloodiest and most gruel battles of the Pacific Theater in WWII. This came as a result of the heavy attacks from the Allied Forces on heavily fortified Japanese defenses. The goal was for the Allied Powers to be able to take over Okinawa in order to be closer to an inland invasion of Japan. The Battle resulted in the loss of thousands of lifes, and the eventual capture of Okinawa by the Allied Powers. The capture of Okinawa played a crucial role on the decision to drop the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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The Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki; Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 & Nagasaki, August 9, 1945

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The Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki; Hiroshima, August 6, 1945 & Nagasaki, August 9, 1945

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The atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both the moth crucial turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. On August 6, 1945, The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Hiroshima was originally thought to be a military base in Japan with low civilian life when the bomb was dropped; however that was not true. The bomb instantly killed tens of thousands of people and caused mass destruction. Three days later, on August 9, 1945 the same thing happened in Nagasaki, Japan. The atomic bomb "Fat Man" had been dropped; resulting in a similar devasting result to Hiroshima. The Bombings led to a fast surrender of the Japanese and the end of the war in the Pacific Theater. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain controversial today, and remind us of the devasting impact of nuclear weapons in war.

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VJ Day occured on August 14, 1945, which celebrated the Japanese surrender and the end of WWII for the U.S.. Many Iconic photographs were taken on VJ Day that display the elation of soldiers coming home and the victory over Japan.