1. World War II Battles Timeline
European Front
Pacific Front

2. Pearl Harbor Dec 7th 1941 Japan secret attack on Pearl Harbor, HI
Angry over oil embargo
Destroys most of US Pacific fleet
Attack b/c embargo… US interfered with Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
2500 killed, 8 battleships damages, 160 aircrafts destroyed (128 damaged)

3. US declares war on Japan Dec. 8th 1941
FDR “infamy” speech
Jeanette Rankin – Congress women opposed war (only member of Congress to vote against the war)
“date which will live in infamy”
Jeanette Rankin (first female congressman of montana) = only to oppose (388 to 1 in House, unanimous in Senate)
Angers Axis alliance

4. Germany & Italy declare war on US Dec. 11th 1941
Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)
Enlistment: Men, women, African Americans
War Production Board – more weapons
Vow to focus resources on ger
16 served in military – 1 million african americans in segregated units
Women, mexican americans, native americans
War Production Board mobilizes

5. Bataan Death March March 1942
75,000 Americans and Filipinos marching to POW camps (forced by Japan)
In the Philippines
7,000 died
60 mi forced march
75,000 amer captured in philippines
Japanese trucks drove over anyone who fell
7,000 (estimates as high as ¼)
Secures oil and rubber for Japan… seemed unstoppable – allies need to regroup

6. Battle of Midway June 1942 Turning point of the war
Stop Japanese advancement
Midway Island (1/2 way through the Pacific)
Turning point of war (halt “unstoppable” Japanese advancement)
Puts japan on defensive
American codebreakers uncover date and plans for japanese attack

7. Manhattan Project 1942 Development of the atomic bomb
“Einstein’s letter to FDR” – saw what happened in Germany – way to end the war
Robert Oppenheimer – head of project
Research on nuclear fission
Einstein’s letter (fear germans are ahead) convinces fdr to invest
Rober oppenheimer = head

8. D-Day June 1944 Invasion of Normandy, France by the Allies
“the longest day” – Operation Overlord
Eisenhower – commander
“the longest day” - operation overloard – storming of normandy
Impt: allies gained toehold in France… in 1 month, 1 million allies landed
Eisenhower’s plan to land 21 amer and26 brit divisions on 50 mi wide stretch using 4,400 ships

9. Yalta Conference Feb 1945 FDR ( US) Stalin (Soviet Union)
Churchill (UK)  The Big 3
Divide Germany into 4 zones to stop another dictator
Split germany into 4 zones

10. Battle of Iwo Jima Feb 1945
Island hopping – taking one island at a time with planes and troops
Japanese strategy “fight to the last man standing” – never give up
Island hopping – 1 island at a time rather than mainland
1 month… fight to last man (fear invasion of mainland)
Nbc - iq

11. Mussolini executed April 1945
Arrested by Italians and executed

12. Hitler commits suicide April 1945
Alternative to surrender

13. Battle of Okinawa April 1945
Allies advance towards Japanese home islands
Japanese defend with Kamikazes (suicide pilots)

14. V-E Day May 1945
Victory in Europe

15. Los Alamos July 16, 1945
New Mexico
Atomic Bomb testing site

16. Hiroshima Aug 6th 1945 1st atomic bomb
Nickname “Little Boy”
Hiroshima was a factories / production city

17. Nagasaki Aug 9th 1945
Japan does not surrender after 1st bomb (think US are bluffing about 2nd bomb)
Nicknamed “Fat Man”
Truman’s decision: The bomb will save over 1 million American lives (estimated lives lost if land invasion)

18. V-J Day Aug 15th 1945
Victory in Japan – Japan surrenders
WWII is over