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German Invasion of Poland (Sept 1, 1939, Oct 6, 1939)

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German Invasion of Poland (Sept 1, 1939, Oct 6, 1939)

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Combatants: Germany and Poland

Description: To justify the action, Nazi propagandists accused Poland of persecuting ethnic Germans living in Poland. They also falsely claimed that Poland was planning, with its allies Great Britain and France, to encircle and dismember Germany.

Significance: Germany invaded Poland to regain lost territory and ultimately rule their neighbor to the east.

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Combatants: France and Germany

Description: The Battle of France (French: Bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940) also known as the Western Campaign (Westfeldzug), the French Campaign (German: Frankreichfeldzug, Campagne de France), and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands during the Second World War.

Significance: Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 and attempted an invasion of France.

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battle for north Africa (10 June 1940 – 13 May 1943)

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battle for north Africa (10 June 1940 – 13 May 1943)

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Combatants: Libyan and Egyptian and Africa

Description: The North African campaign of the Second World War took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War) and in Morocco and Algeria (Operation Torch), as well as Tunisia (Tunisia Campaign).

Significance: The Allied victory in North Africa destroyed or neutralized nearly 900,000 German and Italian troops.

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Combatants: Britain and Germany

Description: The Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. The Battle of Britain was fought above the skies of Britain, between the RAF and the German Luftwaffe. Had British and Allied aircrew not defeated the Luftwaffe, it is likely that Germany would have invaded Britain.

Significance:  Demonstrated the courage and resilience of the country's military and its people and allowed them to remain free from Nazi occupation.

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German Invasion of Soviet Union (“Operation Barbarossa”) (June 22, 1941)

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German Invasion of Soviet Union (“Operation Barbarossa”) (June 22, 1941)

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Combatants: Germany and soviet union and Poland

Description: On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack against the Soviet Union, its ally in the war against Poland. By the end of the year, German troops had advanced hundreds of miles to the outskirts of Moscow. Soon after the invasion, mobile killing units began the mass murder of Soviet Jews.

Significance: The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war.

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Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

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Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

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Combatants: the U.S.A and Japan

Description: The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 08:00 a.m., on Sunday, December 7, 1941.

Significance: United States become officially a part of World War II

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Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4, 1942 – May 8, 1942)

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Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4, 1942 – May 8, 1942)

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Combatants:  Japan and United state and Australia

Description: The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the naval and air forces of the United States and Australia.

Significance: A U.S. fleet turned back a Japanese invasion force that had been heading for strategic Port Moresby in New Guinea.

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Combatants:  Japan and U.S.A

Description: The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea.

Significance: This brought the Pacific naval forces of Japan and the United States to approximate parity and marked a turning point in the military struggle between the two countries.

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Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943)

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Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943)

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combatants: Soviet, Russia

description: Battle of Stalingrad, (July 17, 1942–February 2, 1943), successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia, U.S.S.R., during World War II.

Significance: It put Hitler and the Axis powers on the defensive, and boosted Russian confidence as it continued to do battle on the Eastern Front in World War II.

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Combatants: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations.

Description: On 6 June 1944 – 'D-Day' – Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Codenamed Operation 'Overlord', the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation.

Significance: Brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history.

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Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945)

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Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945 – June 22, 1945)

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Combatants: the United States and Japan

Description: The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army and the United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army.

Significance: The last major battle of World War II, and one of the bloodiest.

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Victory in Europe Day “V-E Day” (May 8, 1945) 

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Victory in Europe Day “V-E Day” (May 8, 1945) 

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Combatants: Europe and Allies

Description: On May 8th, 1945 – known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day – celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of a nearly six-year war that had cost the lives of millions; destroyed homes, families, and cities; and brought huge suffering to the populations of entire countries.

Significance: Marks the end of World War II in Europe.

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Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki (August 6, 1945 – August 9, 1945)

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Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki (August 6, 1945 – August 9, 1945)

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Combatants: the United States and Japan

Description: The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.

Significance: The first instances of atomic bombs were used against humans, killing tens of thousands of people, obliterating the cities, and contributing to the end of World War II.

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Victory over Japan Day “V-J Day” (Aug 15, 1945 – Sep 2, 1945)

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Victory over Japan Day “V-J Day” (Aug 15, 1945 – Sep 2, 1945)

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Combatants: Japan and United States

Description: Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) would officially be celebrated in the United States on the day formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay: September 2, 1945. But as welcome as a victory over Japan was, the day was bittersweet in light of the war's destructiveness.

Significance: Marked the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Japan's Tokyo Bay.