World War II
Today, we'll be taking a look at some of the key moments from one of the most significant wars in human history - World War II.
The story begins on September 1st, 1939 - the beginning of Germany's Invasion of Poland. Greedy for more land, Adolf Hitler and the German army marched through the countryside, completely destroying towns and villages while larger cities were repeatedly bombed from the air. With Germany completely outmatching Poland's army, navy, and infantry - the invasion resulted in a swift and decisive victory for the Germans. In response to the invasion, both France and the United Kingdom soon declare war on Germany.
After the Invasion of Poland, Germany turns their attention to the rest of Europe - and continues their blitzkreig on Belgium, Holland, and France. Again, the German army proves to be to much - and after overwhelming the Allied troops in Dunkirk, France as well - the Germans look to be unstoppable at this point. However, the tide starts to turn once the Germans halt their advances - and after a failed air raid on Britain's important seaports and cities during the Battle of Britain, it marks an early turning point in the war.
Despite failing in the Battle of Britain - Germany's aerial attack presses on as they launch The Blitz, a bombing offensive against Britain lasting from 1940 to 1941. The German Luftwaffe bombed many of the country's most important cities - but despite causing widespread damage, the bombing offensive is widely considered a failure as Germany loses vast amounts of aircraft and fails to break the British morale.
Germany's next target was the USSR's resources - and on June 22nd, 1941, Hitler launches Operation Barbarossa - an all out invasion of the Soviet Union. The operation aimed to capture important Russian cities such as Leningrad - and it marked a turning point in the Holocaust as millions of Jews would soon be sent to and murdered in concentration camps across Europe. Ultimately, the operation led to the Siege of Leningrad, one the war's longest and bloodiest struggles. The Soviets valiantly defended their city from constant bombing and destruction for nearly 3 years - and in February 1944, they finally prevailed over the Germans.
Outside of Europe, a number of important battles are taking place during this period as well - such as the Siege of Tobruk. Lasting for 241 days in 1941, the Germans desperately wanted to take control of this important deep-water port on the Mediterranean coastline - but the Allied forces held them off and handed the Germans their first land defeat.
On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise military attack on on the United States - bombing the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. Some 2,335 American soldiers died in total - and the attack outraged the entire country. The United States was driven out of isolation as a result and entered the war, declaring attack on Japan - and Britain soon joined in as well.
As the war rages on, Germany continues to fight for more land - and their next target was the southern Russian city of Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of World War II's deadliest battles - lasting from August 1942 through February 1943, nearly 2 million troops died in the conflict. Ultimately, the Soviet troops prevailed as the German army went into full retreat - and the battle marked an important turning point in the war.
As retribution for the events of Pearl Harbor some six months prior - the United States launched an all out naval battle against Japan from June 4th - 7th, 1942 during the Battle of Midway. The result was a decisive US victory as the the Americans quickly destroyed much of Japan's first-line carrier strength.
Beginning in early 1942, the Burma Campaign lasted until the end of the war - and sought to push the Japanese out of the region and return the territory to the British. The British Empire, China and United States fought in one of the war's bloodiest struggles against Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army - and ended up resulting in another win for the Allies.
Back in Europe, World War II continued to rage on - and Italy was now the center of attention. After joining WWII as an Axis power in 1940, they were involved in a number of key events over the years - and were invaded in 1943 after a crucial Allied victory in North Africa. Despite surrendering in 1943, the country still played an important role as Germany founded a puppet state - the Italian Social Republic - in attempt to control the region. The Battle of Monte Cassino would prove to be a turning point once the Allies landed at Anzio, Italy and launched a huge military operation in early 1944 - resulting in a decisive Allied victory.
One of the most important dates of World War II is June 6th, 1944 - better known as D-Day. On this date, the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France to fight Nazi Germany - who had occupied the area since May 1940. With over a million Allied troops reaching the shorelines by the end of June, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history and proved to be a key victory for the Allies. By the end of August, Paris was liberated as well as the Germans were slowly pushed eastwards.
The South Pacific played an important role in the later stages of the war - and in 1944 when the US Okinawa liberated Guam, it was a critical advance against the Japanese. Later in the year, the Americans repeatedly bombed the small Japanese island of Iwo Jima - and with the Americans prevailing later on in 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima, it represented a huge blow to the Japanese forces.
By 1944, the Germans were greatly losing their grip on the war - and with the Soviet Red Army making huge advances through Poland's interior, it was only a matter of time before they would fall completely. After liberating concentration camps in Warsaw and Krakow - the Soviets moved towards Auschwitz and finally liberated the Nazi's largest concentration camp on January 27th, 1945. Over 7,000 survivors were finally freed, and the world became completely aware of the horrors that occurred there - over a million Jews were exterminated at the camp.
Throughout the course of World War II, Berlin was often at the center of Allied air attacks - and huge portions of the city were reduced to complete rubble. In early 1945, the bombing intensified even more - and the German capital was bombed for 36 straight nights at one point, only to end right before the Soviets entered the city. As the Soviets got closer and closer to his command bunker in the heart of the city, both Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his wife commit suicide - and Germany unconditionally surrenders to the Allied forces soon afterwards.
In April 1945, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies - and Vice President Harry S. Truman takes the oath of office to become the country's next president. With the United States still in the midst of a huge battle with Japan in the Pacific - President Truman looks for a way to quickly bring the war to an end. The result was dropping not just one - but two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945. This marked the first time in history (and even to this day) that nuclear weapons were used in combat - and while their use remains controversial, their devastating effects were undeniable: both Nagasaki and Hiroshima suffered unimaginable damage. Soon afterwards, Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced an unconditional surrender and World War II was over.
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-korver
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