Major Events of World War II

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Major Events of World War II by Mind Map: Major Events of World War II

1. Battle of the Bulge

1.1. December 16, 1944 - January 1, 1945

1.2. Final German offensive in the west

1.2.1. Nazi attempt to re-conquer Belgium and spilt Allied forces

1.3. Caught the Allies completely off guard

1.3.1. American forces bore brunt of the attack

1.3.1.1. Largest and bloodiest battle fought by the US in WWII

1.4. Major causaltieis on both sides

1.5. Initial German sucess later led to Nazi defeat

1.5.1. (Did not achieve goals)

2. Germany Surrenders

2.1. To western Allies

2.1.1. May 7, 1945

2.2. To the Soviets

2.2.1. May 9, 1945

3. Atomic Bombings

3.1. The U.S., wanted to force Japanese surrender

3.1.1. President Truman orders the use of nuclear weapons

3.1.1.1. Aug. 6, 1945: The U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

3.1.1.2. Aug. 9, 1945: The U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

3.1.1.3. Together they kill at least 129, 000 people.

3.1.1.4. Remains only use of nuclear warfare to date

4. Japan Surrenders

4.1. Aug 14, 1945: Japan agrees to unconditional surrender

4.2. Sept. 2, 1945: Japan formally surrenders

4.3. This ends WWII.

5. Battle of Midway

5.1. June 4-7, 1942

5.2. Naval battle between U.S. and Japan in Pacific

5.3. Decisive Japanese defeat

5.3.1. Devasting for Japan

6. World Leaders of WWII

6.1. Allies

6.1.1. Britain

6.1.1.1. Neville Chamberlain

6.1.1.1.1. Prime Minister from 1937-1940

6.1.1.2. Winston Churchill

6.1.1.2.1. Prime Minister from 1940-1945

6.1.2. Soviet Union (USSR)

6.1.2.1. Joseph Stalin

6.1.2.1.1. Communist dictator from 1929=2953

6.1.3. United States

6.1.3.1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

6.1.3.1.1. President from 1933-1945

6.1.3.2. Harry Truman

6.1.3.2.1. President from 1945-1953

6.1.4. France

6.1.4.1. Charles de Gaulle

6.1.4.1.1. French general who later became president

6.2. Axis Powers

6.2.1. Germany

6.2.1.1. Adolf Hitler

6.2.1.1.1. Dictator from 1934-1945

6.2.2. Japan

6.2.2.1. Hideki Tojo

6.2.2.1.1. Prime minister from 1941-1944

6.2.3. Italy

6.2.3.1. Benito Mussolini

6.2.3.1.1. Prime minister from 1922-1943

7. D-Day

7.1. June 6, 1944

7.2. General Dwight Eisenhower led U.S. and Allied Troops

7.2.1. Invasion of Normandy, France

7.3. Opened "Second Front" against the Germans

7.3.1. Began liberation of northwestern Nazi-controlled territories

7.4. Extreme defeat for the Germans

7.4.1. Leads to eventual Nazi surrender

7.5. Largest seaborne invasion in history

8. Adolf Hitler commits suicide

8.1. April 30, 1945

9. Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust during the war

9.1. From 1933-1945

9.1.1. Jewish people in Germany and Germany-controlled lands suffer

9.1.1.1. Blamed as scape-goat for WWI

9.1.1.2. Limited and denied citizen ship by Nazi legislation

9.1.1.2.1. Ex: Forced to wear the Star of David

9.1.1.3. Sent to ghettos and later concentration camps

9.1.1.3.1. Killed by the millions

9.1.1.4. Nazi commit many other unspeakable horrors towards Jewish people

9.2. August 15, 1942

9.2.1. Gerhart Riegner informs US and Britain about mass murders

9.3. Jan 27, 1945

9.3.1. Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz (concentration camp)

9.3.1.1. Appox. 7, 000 prisoners left behind

9.4. November 20, 1945

9.4.1. International Military Tribunal of Nazi leaders begins

9.4.1.1. 18 convicted for unspeakable crimes

9.4.1.1.1. 11 sentenced to death

10. Fighting in Africa

10.1. May 12, 1943: Allied forces capture Italian forces in Tuinsia

10.2. Sept 3, 1943

10.2.1. Italy surrenders

11. Declaration of War

11.1. Sept. 1, 1939: Adolf Hitler (Germany) invades Poland

11.1.1. Sept. 3, 1939: Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

11.1.1.1. Because of Mutual Assistance treaty

11.2. Sept. 17, 1939: The Soviet Union invades Poland

11.3. June 10, 1949: Italy enters the war by invading southern France

11.4. December 8, 1941: U.S. declares war on Japan

11.4.1. In response to Pearl Harbor bombing

11.4.2. December 11-13, 1941: Axis Powers declare war on United States

12. Bombing of Pearl Harbor

12.1. December 7, 1941

12.2. Japan bombs Pearl Harbor

12.2.1. Pearl Harbor = important U.S. naval base in the Pacific

12.2.2. Unprovoked, suprise aerial assault

12.2.3. 400 soliders killed, 1,200 wounded

12.3. FDR

12.3.1. Day that would, "live in infamy"

12.3.2. December 8, 1941: U.S. declares war on Japan

13. Battle of Britain

13.1. July 10, 1940 - October 31, 1940

13.2. The Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).

13.3. First major campaign fought entirely by air forces

13.4. Ended in Nazi defeat

14. Tripartite (Berlin) Pact

14.1. Signed on Sept 26, 1940

14.2. By; Germany, Japan, and Italy

14.3. Defensive military alliance

14.3.1. Created the Axis Powers (officially)

14.4. Later joined by

14.4.1. Hungary

14.4.1.1. November 20, 1940

14.4.2. Romania

14.4.2.1. November 23, 1940

14.4.3. Slovakia

14.4.3.1. November 24, 1940

14.4.4. Bulgaria

14.4.4.1. March 1, 1941

14.4.5. Yugoslavia

14.4.5.1. March 25, 1941

15. Invasion of Soviet Union

15.1. July 22, 1941

15.2. Axis powers invade Soviet Union

15.2.1. Breaks Nonaggression Pact between Germany and the USSR

16. Poland Surrenders

16.1. Sept. 27, 1939: Warsaw (capital of Poland) surrenders

16.1.1. Polish leaders exiled to Romania

16.1.1.1. Germany and the USSR split Poland lands.

17. April 9, 1940: Germany invades Denmark and Norway

17.1. April 9, 1940: Denmark surrenders

17.2. June 9, 1940: Norway surrenders

18. Germany attacks western Europe

18.1. May 10, 1940: Luxembourg is occupied

18.2. May 14, 1940: The Netherlands surrenders

18.3. May 28, 1940: Belgium surrenders

18.4. June 22, 1940: France signs an armistice agreement with Germany

19. Bombing of Germany

19.1. May 30, 1942: The British bomb Köln

19.1.1. Brings war to Germany for first time

19.2. From 1942-1945

19.2.1. Allied bombing reduces urban Germany to rubble

20. Battle of Stalingrad

20.1. August 23, 1942 - February 2, 1943

20.2. Axis powers fought USSR for control of Stalingrad in southern Russia

20.3. Marked by close-quarters combat and air raids on civiliands

20.4. One of the single largest and bloodies battles of the war

20.4.1. Over 400, 000 casualties on both sides

20.5. Germans suffer severe Russian winter

20.6. Soviets trap German Sixth Army in the city

20.7. Survivors surrender

20.7.1. January 30, 1943

20.7.2. February 2, 1943