Lecture Notes: Key Events of World War II

Initial Stages of WWII

• First Cannon Shot: Fired on Danzig.
• Polish Cavalry: Charged German tanks; significant Polish losses.
• Warsaw Bombing: Ordered by Hitler on September 25th; Polish army surrendered to Germans and Soviets.

German Offensive in Europe

• May 10, 1940: Germans unleashed offensive at 5:35 AM.
• Paris Occupation: Germans marched into Paris; Nazi emblem flies over the city.

The Blitz

• German Bombings: Attacked British cities like Coventry and London.
• British Defense: British pilots resisted, despite equipment losses.

Expansion of the War

• Japanese Attacks: On the US, British Hong Kong, and American bases in the Philippines.
• Hong Kong: Fell to Japan in 17 days.

Japanese Expansion

• Naval Power: Japanese destroyed Allied forces in the Far East.
• Yugoslavia and Greece: Half a million German troops swept into these regions.

Eastern Front

• Invasion of Russia: German forces, along with allies, invade Russia.
• Battle of Stalingrad: Key battle with significant Russian resistance and eventual encirclement of Germans.

North Africa and Mediterranean

• Rommel's Campaign: Prominent use of tanks in the African campaign.
• Allied Front in North Africa: Allies opened a new front to control the Mediterranean.

Turning Points

• Stalingrad: Soviet counter-offensive encircles German Sixth Army.
• Operation Citadel: Largest tank battle in history; Soviets push back German forces.

Allied Advances

• Italy Invasion: Allies land in Italy, pushing back German forces.
• Normandy Landings: Massive Allied operation to land in France and weaken German Atlantic defenses.

Pacific Theater

• Battle for Midway: Key naval battle; US sets ambush for Japanese fleet.
• Iwo Jima: Significant American and Japanese casualties; strategic airfield capture.

The Final Stages of the War

• Germany's Fall: Soviet forces enter Berlin; Hitler in his bunker.
• Japan's Surrender: Use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki prompts end of war.

Consequences and Aftermath

• Concentration Camps: Liberation reveals brutality, starvation, and disease.