Time Line of the War

Battle for North Africa ongoing – Started in late 1940 British suffering huge defeats at hands of German military German commander in North Africa – Erwin Rommel

Pearl Harbor Attacked – December 7, 1941 – Brings America into World War II America declares war on Japan – December 8, 1941

Germany and Italy declare war on United States – December 11, 1941

American forces lose the islands of Guam, Wake Island, and Philippines British lose Hong Kong

Battle for the Atlantic Begins German U-boats were attacking shipping ways from U.S. to Great Britain – sinking American ships America responds by building a huge amount of warships which makes convoys harder to take out

Germany ends Non-Aggression Pact with Soviet Union – German invasion of Soviet Union One major factor Germany did not plan for – Russian Winter – this kills countless men and destroys many

pieces of machinery

1941

Battle of Stalingrad begins – Germany storms major Soviet city but cannot take control of it MAJOR TURNING POINT OF THE WAR!!! This ends the German expansion and from this point forward

Germany will shrink in size

Battle of El-Alamein fought – Britain finally gains a land victory against Germany in North Africa

Operation Torch enacted by U.S. military – invasion of North Africa through Morocco and Algeria

1942

American forces on Philippines surrender Led to Bataan Death March – American soldiers were starved and forced to

march 5 days straight across the Bataan Peninsula Doolittle Raid occurs – April 18 – American pilots bomb Japan mainland Americans win naval battle – Battle of Coral Sea

Led by Admiral Chester Nimitz Stopped a Japanese invasion of Port Moresby – Americans lost a carrier and

aircraft First Japanese defeat in Pacific

Battle of Midway – Japan tried to destroy the remaining U.S. naval power in Pacific America gained major advantage here – broke Japanese secret codes Knew everything about the Japanese invasion By winning this battle – American forces did great damage to Japanese navy

Battle of Guadalcanal begins – Americans first major land invasion against Japanese controlled territory

1942 (Pacific War Events) – Japan Offensive

Rommel’s forces defeated in North Africa

Allied forces begin invasion of Italy – invade Sicily Led to many Italians turning on their leader Benito Mussolini This saw the use of the Tuskegee Airmen – first segregated all

African-American fighter pilot group in American history Battle of Guadalcanal ends – Japanese flee the island

Americans show they are implementing a plan called Island Hopping or taking of strategic islands on way to Japanese mainland – attacked Japanese weak spots

1943

Allied forces invade Anzio on the Italian mainland – first time that Allied troops had foothold on European mainland since 1940.

D-Day Invasion occurs – June 6, 1944 – Allied invasion of France to speed up the end of the war Led by: Omar Bradley Largest amphibious assault in the history of war Code name: Operation Overlord Led to Allied forces breaking through German lines and moving quickly toward

Germany Battle of the Bulge – December 16, 1944 – refers to fight of Allied troops to

sure up a bulge in American lines after a German counterattack Germans were trying to Belgium city of Bastogne – major crossroads American soldiers were stuck in the city George S. Patton led his army 100 miles in 48 hours to relieve the men in

Bastogne and chase the Germans away Americans retake Philippines – MacArthur lives up to promise of returning

Major battle – Battle of Leyte Gulf – Japanese begin using Kamikaze attacks where pilots intentionally crash planes into targets.

1944

Yalta Conference – Roosevelt met with Churchill and Stalin to decide what to do with a post-war Germany Divide it into 4 sectors – one sector each for British, French, Americans,

and Soviets to occupy by using soldiers to control the region March 7 – Americans enter Germany – led to capture of thousands of

German soldiers April 12 – President Roosevelt dies Hitler commits suicide and dies in his bunker – April 30 May 7-8 – Germany surrenders = V-E Day (Victory in Europe) June – United Nations is established

Purpose: To encourage cooperation among countries instead of going to war

Potsdam Conference occurs (July) – meeting where America and British tried to get Soviets to live up to Yalta Conference promises because of growing fear of Communism

1945

Battle of Iwo Jima begins – ends with American soldiers taking the high point of the island Mt. Suribachi Japanese soldiers begin to fight to the death – no surrender

Battle of Okinawa – Americans have to fight cave to cave on the island to get the Japanese out of the island Again all Japanese fight to the death This along with Iwo Jima were areas that Americans wanted to take for land bases

for heavy bomber aircraft Fire Bombing of Tokyo Begins – dropped bombs that created firestorms in

Tokyo destroying many buildings and killing many Japanese Led by General Curtis LeMay Led to Japanese wanting to start peace talks by going through Russia

August 6 – Enola Gay (B-29 Bomber) drops the first Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan

August 9 – Second Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan after no surrender on first bomb drop

August 15 – Emperor Hirohito of Japan officially surrenders to Allies – V-J Day

1945 (Pacific War Events) – Japan Offensive