The massacre began when the Japanese army invaded Nanjing, China.

Even though the massacre only lasted one month, the death toll is estimated to be 100,000-300,000. The Chinese citizens were subjected to ruthless murdering, and rape. The Nanjing Massacre was one of the many battles that marked the beginning of WWII in Asia.

Nanjing Massacre | History, Summary & Facts | Britannica

The Nazi party invaded Poland without warning. Poland had no chance of winning, blinded by false peace treaties. The invasion of Poland was the first display of Germany's large army(which they weren't supposed to have). This invasion sparked many wars, which were apart fo WWII.

Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939 | Holocaust Encyclopedia

The bombing of Pearl Harbor is when the United States entered World War II. The Japanese believed this attack would cripple the United States to prevent them from interfering as they sought out to control Southeast Asia. The soldiers injured faced horrible burns; every account of the bombing is very graphic.

Pearl Harbor attack - Japanese, Surprise, WWII | Britannica

The invasion took place due to Italy's desire to spread its control throughout Africa. Ethiopia was one of the only free states in Africa at the time. Ethiopia was quickly captured due to Italy's powerful army.

Italo-Ethiopian War | Causes, Summary, & Facts | Britannica

The allied forces had troops landing on the Utah, Omaha, Gold, and Sword beaches. There were also airborne forces that secured positions on the island. The beach was rigged with mines, and the German soldiers were in what is called an "Atlantic Wall" where they shot the Allied forces troops. The Allied forces faced mass casualties.

Normandy Invasion - D-Day, WWII, Allies | Britannica

The United States believed bombing Hiroshima would bring a swift end to World War II. The U.S. wanted Japan to surrender, but Japan was unwilling to meet their terms. The atomic weapons used devastated the city. The death toll is about 135,000, including people who died of complications.

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Date, Significance, Timeline, Deaths, & Aftermath | Britannica

The bomb caused widespread devastation. The consequences were immediate. 40% of the city's buildings were destroyed entirely. By the end of 1945, 70,000 died due to the event and complications.

Japan agreed to surrender shortly after the bombings.

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Date, Significance, Timeline, Deaths, & Aftermath | Britannica

Germany wanted Stalingrad because it was a large industrial city. They fought during the winter, German forces were suffering due to the cold, starvation, and limited supplies. The Nazis surrendered which in result caused the Soviet Union to keep control of Stalingrad.

Battle of Stalingrad Timeline | Britannica

Adolf Hitler is known for his actions during World War II. Hitler rose to power gradually. Before World War II, he was always involved in politics. He rose to power by spreading propaganda and due to his connections with other conservative leaders. He led the Nazi party and carried out inhumane acts during the war.

Adolf Hitler - Nazi Leader, WW2, Germany | Britannica

Anne Frank is very important in history. She didn't do anything heroic, but she had a diary where she would write about her time hiding away in the attic of a shop with her family, and three other people.

She died weeks before the camp she was in got liberated.

Anne Frank | Biography, Age, Death, & Facts | Britannica

The Nazi Party isn't known for being a workers party. The group is known for its actions and its leader, Hitler. The group was very antisemitic and racist. They believed in a "perfect race" which was white people with blue eyes and blonde hair. Everyone who was Jewish, or not ideal look-wise, was prosecuted or put into ghettos.

Nazi Party - Rise to Power, Ideology, Germany | Britannica

Stalin was a Soviet political leader who ruled the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until he died in 1953. His first significant political promotion came in 1912 when Lenin co-opted him to serve on the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party.

After Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the USSR joined the Allies. Joseph Stalin played a crucial role in the Soviet war effort, leading to significant victories such as the Battle of Stalingrad

Joseph Stalin | Biography, World War II, Death, & Facts | Britannica

Robert Oppenheimer was appointed as the scientific director of the Los Alamos Laboratory, where the design and development of the atomic bomb took place.

The bombs crafted were used to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Manhattan Project | Definition, Scientists, Timeline, Locations, Facts, & Significance | Britannica

It was created because the United States needed an effective military vehicle during the war. It had to be light and able to hold three soldiers. The Ford Motor Company, the American Bantam Car Company, and Willys-Overland all started production of the military vehicle.

10 Critical Inventions and Innovations of World War Two | History Hit

Most camps were in California since it had a large Japanese population. The camps existed because the United States was scared of Japanese spies.

People were housed in army-style barracks surrounded by barbed-wire fences and guarded by armed guards. The barracks were uninsulated and furnished only with cots and coal-burning stoves.

Japanese American internment | Definition, Camps, Locations, Conditions, & Facts | Britannica

Prisoners faced harsh conditions, including bad shelter and sanitation, little food, and were subjected to exhausting labor. Those unable to work were often sent to Birkenau for gassing. The camp was also a site for horrible medical experiments, including sterilization and experiments on twins, conducted by camp doctors. The camp's environment was extremely cruel, with the constant threat of death and exploitation.

Auschwitz | Definition, Concentration Camp, Facts, Location, & History | Britannica

The only purpose of this camp was to kill Jewish people. The conditions were designed to be inhumane and dehumanizing, contributing to the high mortality rate among those who were not immediately killed. There were mass graves, and when the camp stopped operating, they gathered the bodies and burned them.

Holocaust - Einsatzgruppen, Mobile Killers | Britannica

Africa was called upon by the colonial powers to supply manpower for combat purposes, both on and outside the continent. 500,000 men were recruited by the French and the British to serve in the war.

In 1941, Allied forces and African troops liberated Ethiopia, which had been under fascist Italian control for at least six years. Also, large numbers of Africans were recruited by European powers.

Africans also contributed in many ways, including the production of food. Funds raised in Africa in support of the war effort were crucial to the production of munitions for the colonial powers.

World War II, Africa | Encyclopedia.com