- World War Two (stylized WWII or WW2) or the Second World War was a war on a truly global scale that lasted from (disputed) 1939-1945. It involved all of the current global powers at the time and effected almost every corner of the planet. 50-85 million casualties were a result of the war (1). It also involved the worst systematic genocide in history, resulting in the the death of 11 million people by the hands of Nazi Germany (1). The major powers in the war sacrificed their entire economical, industrial, and scientific might into the war. Over one million people were killed in the bombing of population and industrial centers (1), and the only two atomic bombs to be detonated on a population center occurred in the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This culmination of deaths and casualties made World War Two the deadliest conflict to every have plagued humanity.
Treaty of Versailles - A Flawed Treaty
- The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and officially ended the war between Germany and the allied powers (1). The most important and controversial article in the treaty was Article 231, which later became known as the "war guilt clause", which fully placed the blame on Germany for the loss of allied life and damage. Germany was forced to pay replications that amounted $442 billion USD (1), give up significant territorial concessions, and disarm. This article fully placed the blame onto Germany's shoulders, and caused significant resentment among German citizens who were unaware of German losses until the very end of the war.
Great Depression - The Bottom Falls Out
- The Great depression was the largest economic slump in the entirety of the western and industrialized world, spanning from 1929-1939 (2), it is characterized as being the turning point in which the 'roaring twenties' ended abruptly. Beginning in 1929 during the height of the 'roaring twenties', the Great Depression was set into motion by the collapse of New York Stock Exchange, and subsequent ripple effects felt around the world due to the United States' position as the dominant economic power and manufacturer. At the time, the United States was responsible for over 50% of the world manufacturing, this effectively made the United States the deciding factor when it came to economics. That being quite evident with the onset of the Great Depression. The hardest hit countries were of course the United States and those closely associated with its economic and political interests, including Canada, United Kingdom, and Germany. The economic downturn in the United States was so severe that up to 11,000 banking institutions out of the existing 25,000 failed (2). It also lead to the unemployment of nearly 25% of the workforce in the United States by 1933 (2). Nations sought to protect their interests by hiking up their tariffs and setting foreign trade quotas, this led to the downfall of international trade by nearly 45% trade (2), and aggravation of the already distatrous economic downfall. Besides the strain on international economies and trade, the Great Depression was also responsible for the rise of numerous dictators that would plunge the world into total war, lead by the idea of fascism and promises of glory and return to status quo.
Rise of Dictators - A World Divided
- Adolf Hitler: Born on April 20, 1889 (1) was the Austrian born German politician that headed the Nazi (National Socialist German Workers Party) and was elected Chancellor of Germany from 1933-1945 (1) and the 'Fuhrer' of Germany from 1934-1945 (1). He acted as the dictator of Germany and was the center and focal point of World War Two and the Holocaust.
- Adolf's Rise to Power: Hitler's political career began after World War One when he joined the NSDAP as an embittered World War One decorated veteran. After joining the NSDAP in 1919, he rose to power and prominence in 1921, and eventually attempted a unsuccessful coup of Munich in 1923 (1). He was imprisoned for his attempted mutiny and subsequently wrote 'Mien Kampf' (My Struggle) while imprisoned. After being released from prison in 1924 (1), he gained recognition and popularity all around Germany for his criticism and attacks on the Treaty of Versailles. Eventually the NSDAP which had now been referred to as the 'Nazi Party' gained dominance as the largest elected party in the German Reichstag (German version of parliament). He was eventually appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 (1) and began the transition of turning the Wiemar Republic into the Third Reich, a political system based on the National Socialism of Hitler. He promoted racism and German-superiority and used the Jewish religion as a scape goat f
or Germany's problems, which eventually lead to the mass extermination of Jews and Holocaust. Following the impending German loss of World War Two, he and his mistress committed suicide in their bunker outside of Berlin.
- Emperor Hirohito: Born April 29, 1901, Emperor Showa or Hirohito was the Emperor of the Empire of Japan until his death in January 7, 1989. He, unlike many other Axis power leaders did not face trial in court, or been killed/committed suicide. At the start of his reign, Japan was already a leading power in the world politics, with Japan having the 9th largest economy, third largest navy, and one of four permanent members of the council of League of Nations (1). He was the head of state under Imperial Japan's constitution and had little say in the actions of the Japanese Imperial Navy and Army, which were often dictated by military leaders. He was highly critical of Japan's alliance to Germany and Italy and often questioned the Imperial General's actions and decisions. He was opposed and cautious of war with the United States and instead wanted to seek a more diplomatic route, but was ignored by the more dominant military leaders.
- II DuceMussolini: Born 29 July, 1883 (1) Benito Mussolini was a Italian politician, journalist and leader of Italy's National Fascist Party. He ruled the country in a fascist dictatorship from 1922-1943 when he was ousted (1). He ruled constitutionally until 1925 when he created a legal dictatorship (1). In 1912, Mussolini was a important member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and was a member until he was expelled for criticizing the party's stance on neutrality in World War One (1). He eventually turned on the socialist movement and founded the fascist movement and following the march on Rome in 1922 he was appointed Prime Minister. He eventually turned Italy into a one-party dictatorship until he was disposed of by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1943 following the British invasion of Southern Italy.
Beginning of World War Two - A World Plunges Into Chaos
- World War Two Begins: The date in which World War Two began is often debated among historians as to whether it began following Japanese invasion of Manchuria/China and the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. However it is generally accepted that World War Two began on September 9, 1939 (1) with the invasion of Poland by Germany and declarations of war by France and the United Kingdom (and her respective allies/dominions/colonies) on Germany. Following the swift invasion of Poland and complete annexation of Poland by both Germany and the Soviet Union on October 6, 1939, Germany turned their sights onto Denmark and Norway. The German invasion of Norway and Denmark was swift and lasted only two months and one day beginning in April 9, 1940 and ending on June 10, 1940. Germany then began it's invasion of the Lowland countries and France, initiating the Manstein Plan which called for the swift invasion of the Lowland countries and invasion of France from it's unprotected northern borders. On July 10, 1940 Italy entered the war on Germany's side and began it's offensive in Southern France (1). Paris eventually fell to Germany on June 14, 1940 and France officially surrendered eight days later (1). France was then divided into occupation zones under Italian and German control (with the exception of Vichy France which maintained the majority of southern France and acted as a puppet state to Germany). Germany then began it's air-raid offensive against the United Kingdom often refereed to as the 'Battle of Britain'. The offensive largely failed to halt British war production and break the moral of the British people, the offensive was abandoned in May 1941 due to severe Luftwaffe casualties from the RAF (1). By the end of 1940, the Tripartite pact had been formalized and the Axis Powers united the countries of Italy, Germany and Japan in war (Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary later joined, along with other German, Japanese, and Italian puppets).
The United States Becomes Involved - The Tiger's Slumber Is Disturbed
- Throughout the period in which Germany seized the vast majority of Western Europe, the United States began revising it's stance on neutrality due to the rising threat from the fascist dictatorships of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The United States began to take steps in providing support and assistance to China and the Western Allies, and in 1939 the 'Neutrality Act' was revised to allow for 'cash and carry' purchases. The United States also responded to the invasion of France and other European countries by increasing the size of it's navy, army, and air force (1). Despite an agreement in 1940 which traded British bases for American destroyers, the American public's stance on the war remained largely neutral well into 1941. Despite Roosevelt's promises to keep the United States out of war, he began the mass build up of the American armed forces and navy calling on the United States to become the 'Arsenal of Democracy' and eventually began the 'Lend-Lease act' in order to support Britain in the war effort. Starting as early at 1939, the United States responded to the Japanese aggression in Asia by imposing trade restrictions that became increasingly more economically devastating to Japan throughout 1939-1940 (1). The United States then began a ban on selling aviation fuel to Japan in 1940. Following a Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies, the United States and other western powers responded to the aggression by imposing an entire oil embargo on Imperial Japan. On December 7th (8th in Asian time zones), Japan commenced a massive offense against American and British holdings in Asia that led to Pearl Harbor and the deceleration of war by the United States, Australia, and several other states (1). Germany then, followed by other Axis powers declared war on the United States.
Major Battles and Campaigns of World War Two - Strategic Genius and Failure
Europe:
TheBattle of Britain
- During WWII, many major battles occurred. One of the first major battles was the Battle of Britain. Before the battle, the prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, told the people of his country that they would not give in to the enemy during the war. Hitler, on the other hand, was planning to completely destroy the Royal Air Force(RAF) with the Luftwaffe, along with sending 250,000 troops for an invasion. They started off by bombing British airfields and factories, and on September 7, 1940, set their sights to London. Even under constant bombing, the British people still did not give up. While the RAF was outnumbered largely, they used radars to spot enemy aircraft, along with decrypting German codes with the Enigma machine. During October of 1940, the Germans decided that bombing at night would be more effective. The British got word of this, turned subways into bomb shelters, and sounded an alarm at night so that civilians could get to safety in time. Hitler was shocked at how the British fought back and resisted the attacks. Finally, on May 10, 1941, the battle ended.(3)
The Battle of Stalingrad
- On August 23, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began when the Luftwaffe launched many attacks during the night, and reduced most of the town to rubble. Stalin did not want the town named after him to be taken over by the Nazis, so he ordered his commanders to defend it at all costs. By November of 1942, 90% of Stalingrad was controlled by German forces, but that did not stop the Soviets from fighting back. On November 19, the Soviets cut off all German supply lines in a counter attack, and they were trapped in the Russian winter, where many soldiers starved and froze to death. German General Friedrich Paulus pleaded for Hitler to order his troops to retreat, but Hitler refused. By February 2, 1943, only 90,000 German troops that survived surrendered to the Soviets. In the end, 99% of Stalingrad was destroyed, and about one million Soviets were killed.(3)
D-Day
- In May of 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was planning a strike on northwestern France on a beach named Normandy. The Allies built a dummy army to fool the Germans, since they knew that the Allied forces would attack, but did not know when. The whole battle was nicknamed Operation Overlord, and was the largest land and sea attack in history. D-Day officially started on June 6, 1944 when British, Canadian, American, and French troops stormed through the 60-mile stretch of beach. The Germans built a strong defense with three foot thick walls, and dug trenches where they could use machine guns and rocket launchers. The first day had more than 2,700 American deaths, but the Allies still held the beachheads. On July 25, George Patton led Allied forces and got through German defenses at Saint-Lô.(3)
The Battle of the Bulge
- While Allied forces were coming in on Germany from the east and west, Hitler had to decide which front he would assault first. He ultimately chose the western front, and said that the battle that would happen would decide which side would win. On December 16, German forces broke though a weak Allied defense near the Ardennes, only to be pushed back and retreat after the Allies fought back.(3)
Asia -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
- During this battle, things were done differently since both the U.S. And Japanese troops couldn't see each other, so instead of fighting at sea they fought in the skies. In the end of this battle, while the U.S. suffered more casualties, still stopped Japan from advancing south.(3)
The Battle of Midway
- Before this battle started, Japan was plotting to attack Midway Island because it held a key U.S. Airfield. Admiral Chester Nimitz found out about this though through Allied code breakers. He was prepared, and on June 4th, his troops behind the horizon while he let the Japanese start invading Midway. Then, American forces surprised the Japanese, destroying their aircraft carriers and 332 planes. On June 7, 1942, the battle ended.(3)
The Battle of Guadalcanal
- During the war, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur used a strategy known ask island hopping, and his first target was an airbase the Japanese were building named Guadalcanal. On August 7, 1942, the Australians supported thousands of U.S. Marines as they landed on Tulagi and Guadalcanal, and by February of 1943, the Allies won the battle. After the battle, the island was nicknamed the "island of death" after 24,000 Japanese troops died on the island.(3)
The Holocaust
- In the year 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed, which took away the German citizenship of Jews, along with forbade Jews and non-Jews to marry. The Germans mostly blamed the Jews for their loss in WWI, so that is why there was so much aggression towards them. On November 9, also known as Kristallnacht, storm troopers destroyed Jewish property, murdered 100 Jews, and send 30,000 to concentration camps. After that, many Jews fled to other countries, like Britain, the U.S., and France. Those countries closed their doors to immigrants though after a while. Any remaining Jews were sent to cities known as ghettos. Hitler hoped that they would die of illness and starvation, but that didn't happen. SS officers then would take Jewish women, children, and men and shot them in their own graves. The survivors were sent to concentration camps, where they would become slaves to the SS. Finally in 1942, Hitler turned to his "final solution," which was a form of mass genocide. While people entered concentration camps, SS doctors would choose, mostly men, to survive. The elderly, women, and children were sent to "showers," which were large gas chambers that sprayed cyanide gas, to be killed. After they died, Nazis would cremate their bodies. The people sent to these camps were Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally and physically ill, Russians, and Poles. Even when it seemed like nothing else could happen, resistance groups formed within the camps. In August and October of 1943 at the camps Treblinka and Sobibor, Jews revolted against the Nazis running the camps, broke into the armories, and fought their way out. While many died in the revolt, 300 Jews did escape. In 1944, Jews revolted in Auschwitz as well, and the camp was liberated about a month later. In the end, about six million Jews lost their lives in the Holocaust.(3)
Europe and Japan in Ruins
- After the war, while some governments went back to their former states, others wanted a change, like France, Germany, and Italy. The Communist Party became very popular within France and Italy, but the people voted against communism after violent strikes occured. From 1945-1946 though, the International Military Tribunal put 23 high ranking Nazis on trial for war crimes. Even though Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Heindrick Himmler killed themselves, many others like Rudolf Hess and Herman Göring survived and were tried. Göring was sentenced to execution but killed himself why Hess was sentenced to life. On October 16, 1946, ten more Nazis were hung, and the bodies of those officers were sent to Dachau where they would be cremated in the ovens of the countless people they killed. Only one officer, Hans Frank, apologized for the horrible things and sorrow he caused to so many people.(3)
World War Two - A World At War
- World War Two (stylized WWII or WW2) or the Second World War was a war on a truly global scale that lasted from (disputed) 1939-1945. It involved all of the current global powers at the time and effected almost every corner of the planet. 50-85 million casualties were a result of the war (1). It also involved the worst systematic genocide in history, resulting in the the death of 11 million people by the hands of Nazi Germany (1). The major powers in the war sacrificed their entire economical, industrial, and scientific might into the war. Over one million people were killed in the bombing of population and industrial centers (1), and the only two atomic bombs to be detonated on a population center occurred in the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This culmination of deaths and casualties made World War Two the deadliest conflict to every have plagued humanity.
Treaty of Versailles - A Flawed Treaty
- The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and officially ended the war between Germany and the allied powers (1). The most important and controversial article in the treaty was Article 231, which later became known as the "war guilt clause", which fully placed the blame on Germany for the loss of allied life and damage. Germany was forced to pay replications that amounted $442 billion USD (1), give up significant territorial concessions, and disarm. This article fully placed the blame onto Germany's shoulders, and caused significant resentment among German citizens who were unaware of German losses until the very end of the war.
Great Depression - The Bottom Falls Out
- The Great depression was the largest economic slump in the entirety of the western and industrialized world, spanning from 1929-1939 (2), it is characterized as being the turning point in which the 'roaring twenties' ended abruptly. Beginning in 1929 during the height of the 'roaring twenties', the Great Depression was set into motion by the collapse of New York Stock Exchange, and subsequent ripple effects felt around the world due to the United States' position as the dominant economic power and manufacturer. At the time, the United States was responsible for over 50% of the world manufacturing, this effectively made the United States the deciding factor when it came to economics. That being quite evident with the onset of the Great Depression. The hardest hit countries were of course the United States and those closely associated with its economic and political interests, including Canada, United Kingdom, and Germany. The economic downturn in the United States was so severe that up to 11,000 banking institutions out of the existing 25,000 failed (2). It also lead to the unemployment of nearly 25% of the workforce in the United States by 1933 (2). Nations sought to protect their interests by hiking up their tariffs and setting foreign trade quotas, this led to the downfall of international trade by nearly 45% trade (2), and aggravation of the already distatrous economic downfall. Besides the strain on international economies and trade, the Great Depression was also responsible for the rise of numerous dictators that would plunge the world into total war, lead by the idea of fascism and promises of glory and return to status quo.
Rise of Dictators - A World Divided
- Adolf Hitler: Born on April 20, 1889 (1) was the Austrian born German politician that headed the Nazi (National Socialist German Workers Party) and was elected Chancellor of Germany from 1933-1945 (1) and the 'Fuhrer' of Germany from 1934-1945 (1). He acted as the dictator of Germany and was the center and focal point of World War Two and the Holocaust.
- Adolf's Rise to Power: Hitler's political career began after World War One when he joined the NSDAP as an embittered World War One decorated veteran. After joining the NSDAP in 1919, he rose to power and prominence in 1921, and eventually attempted a unsuccessful coup of Munich in 1923 (1). He was imprisoned for his attempted mutiny and subsequently wrote 'Mien Kampf' (My Struggle) while imprisoned. After being released from prison in 1924 (1), he gained recognition and popularity all around Germany for his criticism and attacks on the Treaty of Versailles. Eventually the NSDAP which had now been referred to as the 'Nazi Party' gained dominance as the largest elected party in the German Reichstag (German version of parliament). He was eventually appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 (1) and began the transition of turning the Wiemar Republic into the Third Reich, a political system based on the National Socialism of Hitler. He promoted racism and German-superiority and used the Jewish religion as a scape goat f
or Germany's problems, which eventually lead to the mass extermination of Jews and Holocaust. Following the impending German loss of World War Two, he and his mistress committed suicide in their bunker outside of Berlin.
- Emperor Hirohito: Born April 29, 1901, Emperor Showa or Hirohito was the Emperor of the Empire of Japan until his death in January 7, 1989. He, unlike many other Axis power leaders did not face trial in court, or been killed/committed suicide. At the start of his reign, Japan was already a leading power in the world politics, with Japan having the 9th largest economy, third largest navy, and one of four permanent members of the council of League of Nations (1). He was the head of state under Imperial Japan's constitution and had little say in the actions of the Japanese Imperial Navy and Army, which were often dictated by military leaders. He was highly critical of Japan's alliance to Germany and Italy and often questioned the Imperial General's actions and decisions. He was opposed and cautious of war with the United States and instead wanted to seek a more diplomatic route, but was ignored by the more dominant military leaders.
- II Duce Mussolini: Born 29 July, 1883 (1) Benito Mussolini was a Italian politician, journalist and leader of Italy's National Fascist Party. He ruled the country in a fascist dictatorship from 1922-1943 when he was ousted (1). He ruled constitutionally until 1925 when he created a legal dictatorship (1). In 1912, Mussolini was a important member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and was a member until he was expelled for criticizing the party's stance on neutrality in World War One (1). He eventually turned on the socialist movement and founded the fascist movement and following the march on Rome in 1922 he was appointed Prime Minister. He eventually turned Italy into a one-party dictatorship until he was disposed of by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1943 following the British invasion of Southern Italy.
Beginning of World War Two - A World Plunges Into Chaos
- World War Two Begins: The date in which World War Two began is often debated among historians as to whether it began following Japanese invasion of Manchuria/China and the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. However it is generally accepted that World War Two began on September 9, 1939 (1) with the invasion of Poland by Germany and declarations of war by France and the United Kingdom (and her respective allies/dominions/colonies) on Germany. Following the swift invasion of Poland and complete annexation of Poland by both Germany and the Soviet Union on October 6, 1939, Germany turned their sights onto Denmark and Norway. The German invasion of Norway and Denmark was swift and lasted only two months and one day beginning in April 9, 1940 and ending on June 10, 1940. Germany then began it's invasion of the Lowland countries and France, initiating the Manstein Plan which called for the swift invasion of the Lowland countries and invasion of France from it's unprotected northern borders. On July 10, 1940 Italy entered the war on Germany's side and began it's offensive in Southern France (1). Paris eventually fell to Germany on June 14, 1940 and France officially surrendered eight days later (1). France was then divided into occupation zones under Italian and German control (with the exception of Vichy France which maintained the majority of southern France and acted as a puppet state to Germany). Germany then began it's air-raid offensive against the United Kingdom often refereed to as the 'Battle of Britain'. The offensive largely failed to halt British war production and break the moral of the British people, the offensive was abandoned in May 1941 due to severe Luftwaffe casualties from the RAF (1). By the end of 1940, the Tripartite pact had been formalized and the Axis Powers united the countries of Italy, Germany and Japan in war (Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary later joined, along with other German, Japanese, and Italian puppets).
The United States Becomes Involved - The Tiger's Slumber Is Disturbed
- Throughout the period in which Germany seized the vast majority of Western Europe, the United States began revising it's stance on neutrality due to the rising threat from the fascist dictatorships of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The United States began to take steps in providing support and assistance to China and the Western Allies, and in 1939 the 'Neutrality Act' was revised to allow for 'cash and carry' purchases. The United States also responded to the invasion of France and other European countries by increasing the size of it's navy, army, and air force (1). Despite an agreement in 1940 which traded British bases for American destroyers, the American public's stance on the war remained largely neutral well into 1941. Despite Roosevelt's promises to keep the United States out of war, he began the mass build up of the American armed forces and navy calling on the United States to become the 'Arsenal of Democracy' and eventually began the 'Lend-Lease act' in order to support Britain in the war effort. Starting as early at 1939, the United States responded to the Japanese aggression in Asia by imposing trade restrictions that became increasingly more economically devastating to Japan throughout 1939-1940 (1). The United States then began a ban on selling aviation fuel to Japan in 1940. Following a Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies, the United States and other western powers responded to the aggression by imposing an entire oil embargo on Imperial Japan. On December 7th (8th in Asian time zones), Japan commenced a massive offense against American and British holdings in Asia that led to Pearl Harbor and the deceleration of war by the United States, Australia, and several other states (1). Germany then, followed by other Axis powers declared war on the United States.Major Battles and Campaigns of World War Two - Strategic Genius and Failure
Europe:
The Battle of Britain
- During WWII, many major battles occurred. One of the first major battles was the Battle of Britain. Before the battle, the prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill, told the people of his country that they would not give in to the enemy during the war. Hitler, on the other hand, was planning to completely destroy the Royal Air Force(RAF) with the Luftwaffe, along with sending 250,000 troops for an invasion. They started off by bombing British airfields and factories, and on September 7, 1940, set their sights to London. Even under constant bombing, the British people still did not give up. While the RAF was outnumbered largely, they used radars to spot enemy aircraft, along with decrypting German codes with the Enigma machine. During October of 1940, the Germans decided that bombing at night would be more effective. The British got word of this, turned subways into bomb shelters, and sounded an alarm at night so that civilians could get to safety in time. Hitler was shocked at how the British fought back and resisted the attacks. Finally, on May 10, 1941, the battle ended.(3)
The Battle of Stalingrad
- On August 23, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began when the Luftwaffe launched many attacks during the night, and reduced most of the town to rubble. Stalin did not want the town named after him to be taken over by the Nazis, so he ordered his commanders to defend it at all costs. By November of 1942, 90% of Stalingrad was controlled by German forces, but that did not stop the Soviets from fighting back. On November 19, the Soviets cut off all German supply lines in a counter attack, and they were trapped in the Russian winter, where many soldiers starved and froze to death. German General Friedrich Paulus pleaded for Hitler to order his troops to retreat, but Hitler refused. By February 2, 1943, only 90,000 German troops that survived surrendered to the Soviets. In the end, 99% of Stalingrad was destroyed, and about one million Soviets were killed.(3)
D-Day
- In May of 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was planning a strike on northwestern France on a beach named Normandy. The Allies built a dummy army to fool the Germans, since they knew that the Allied forces would attack, but did not know when. The whole battle was nicknamed Operation Overlord, and was the largest land and sea attack in history. D-Day officially started on June 6, 1944 when British, Canadian, American, and French troops stormed through the 60-mile stretch of beach. The Germans built a strong defense with three foot thick walls, and dug trenches where they could use machine guns and rocket launchers. The first day had more than 2,700 American deaths, but the Allies still held the beachheads. On July 25, George Patton led Allied forces and got through German defenses at Saint-Lô.(3)
The Battle of the Bulge
- While Allied forces were coming in on Germany from the east and west, Hitler had to decide which front he would assault first. He ultimately chose the western front, and said that the battle that would happen would decide which side would win. On December 16, German forces broke though a weak Allied defense near the Ardennes, only to be pushed back and retreat after the Allies fought back.(3)
Asia -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
- During this battle, things were done differently since both the U.S. And Japanese troops couldn't see each other, so instead of fighting at sea they fought in the skies. In the end of this battle, while the U.S. suffered more casualties, still stopped Japan from advancing south.(3)
The Battle of Midway
- Before this battle started, Japan was plotting to attack Midway Island because it held a key U.S. Airfield. Admiral Chester Nimitz found out about this though through Allied code breakers. He was prepared, and on June 4th, his troops behind the horizon while he let the Japanese start invading Midway. Then, American forces surprised the Japanese, destroying their aircraft carriers and 332 planes. On June 7, 1942, the battle ended.(3)
The Battle of Guadalcanal
- During the war, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur used a strategy known ask island hopping, and his first target was an airbase the Japanese were building named Guadalcanal. On August 7, 1942, the Australians supported thousands of U.S. Marines as they landed on Tulagi and Guadalcanal, and by February of 1943, the Allies won the battle. After the battle, the island was nicknamed the "island of death" after 24,000 Japanese troops died on the island.(3)
The Holocaust
- In the year 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed, which took away the German citizenship of Jews, along with forbade Jews and non-Jews to marry. The Germans mostly blamed the Jews for their loss in WWI, so that is why there was so much aggression towards them. On November 9, also known as Kristallnacht, storm troopers destroyed Jewish property, murdered 100 Jews, and send 30,000 to concentration camps. After that, many Jews fled to other countries, like Britain, the U.S., and France. Those countries closed their doors to immigrants though after a while. Any remaining Jews were sent to cities known as ghettos. Hitler hoped that they would die of illness and starvation, but that didn't happen. SS officers then would take Jewish women, children, and men and shot them in their own graves. The survivors were sent to concentration camps, where they would become slaves to the SS. Finally in 1942, Hitler turned to his "final solution," which was a form of mass genocide. While people entered concentration camps, SS doctors would choose, mostly men, to survive. The elderly, women, and children were sent to "showers," which were large gas chambers that sprayed cyanide gas, to be killed. After they died, Nazis would cremate their bodies. The people sent to these camps were Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally and physically ill, Russians, and Poles. Even when it seemed like nothing else could happen, resistance groups formed within the camps. In August and October of 1943 at the camps Treblinka and Sobibor, Jews revolted against the Nazis running the camps, broke into the armories, and fought their way out. While many died in the revolt, 300 Jews did escape. In 1944, Jews revolted in Auschwitz as well, and the camp was liberated about a month later. In the end, about six million Jews lost their lives in the Holocaust.(3)
Europe and Japan in Ruins
- After the war, while some governments went back to their former states, others wanted a change, like France, Germany, and Italy. The Communist Party became very popular within France and Italy, but the people voted against communism after violent strikes occured. From 1945-1946 though, the International Military Tribunal put 23 high ranking Nazis on trial for war crimes. Even though Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and Heindrick Himmler killed themselves, many others like Rudolf Hess and Herman Göring survived and were tried. Göring was sentenced to execution but killed himself why Hess was sentenced to life. On October 16, 1946, ten more Nazis were hung, and the bodies of those officers were sent to Dachau where they would be cremated in the ovens of the countless people they killed. Only one officer, Hans Frank, apologized for the horrible things and sorrow he caused to so many people.(3)