Germany and the Soviet Union teamed up to invade Poland from the east and the west. This was the start of WWII.
This was an important event because it was the official start of WWII. Both Great Britain and France were on the Allied Powers, so when France was being attacked by Germany, Great Britain was there to defend them.
During WWI it was a dream of Germany's to capture Paris. France had the closest route to Great Britain and England. All they had to do was cross the English Channel. Hitler was determined to do it and that is what he did.
Because Germany took over France, they were in the perfect location to cross the English Channel, and bomb London. The Blitz had almost brought London to a pile of rubble. The bombing killed 20,000, and shook the entire world.
America had been suffering from the Great Depression, and when Great Britain was in need of help they immediately jumped in. The United States' factories started making war supplies for their fellow Allied country who was struggling with the Axis Powers. America went from isolationism to economic aid.
At first, both Germany and the Soviet Union were both on the Axis Powers. Hitler later betrayed Stalin with Operation Barbarossa the Soviet Union switched over to the Allied Powers because of the betrayal.
A surprise attack from Japan on Hawaii's military base Pearl Harbor left the base severely damaged. There was more military damage than the first World War. No one expected Japan to be the first to attack The United States. Everyone expected Germany. This disaster left America very angry leading them to enter the war.
Because of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the United Sates was infuriated by what Japan did to them they had to declare war on them. The Untied States went from economic aid to complete involvement in the war.
As a result of Japan and the United States at war Germany had to jump in to defend their fellow Axis power Japan. The United States were now fighting off 2 countries.
Germany had jumped in to defend Japan, so the United States had to fight off Germany. They answered the Germans by declaring war on them.
The Battle of Midway was fought in the Midway Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Japan had a plan to attack the Midway Islands, but the United States got there in time to interfere. The Japanese retreated. The United States could not let Japan get territory so close to Hawaii, and the western states. If Japan got these Islands they could invade the mainland of the United States.
This Battle of Stalingrad was Hitler's first big loss. Hitler was humiliated. It was one of the most awful military disasters in German history. Germany retreated after the Soviets attacked them.
D-Day also known as Operation Overload was the largest military operation ever. D-Day was when all of the Allied Powers came together to sandwich Germany on both sides. The Soviets invaded from the east and the rest came from the west (Normandy, France). This operation was so massive that it defined an entire generation. The Allied Powers had pushed Germany back. Therefore, Germany lost all of the territories they had on either side of them.
Just like the end of WWI Germany had to admit their guilt. German General Alfred Jodl signs the document. This gave Europe a Bill of Rights. There was no longer a European conflict with WWII.
The United States had been the first to launch an atomic bomb, and the destruction it had done in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was horrific. First the United States destroyed Hiroshima with the first bomb. The Japanese did not respond to the United States because of the atomic bomb, so 3 days later they launched another one on Nagasaki. Japan would not surrender yet.
After many years of war, WWII was officially over. Japan had surrendered on the USS Missouri a boat that was sunk at Pearl Harbor. The Allies signed, so they were no longer at war with Japan. The world was finally at peace.
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