Iraq War vs History
Found Link for INfo this info and plce it back to back with iraq
and iraq looks more like a fly
Rank - Death -Toll Cause Centuries
1 - 55 million Second World War 20C
2 - 40 million Mao Zedong (mostly famine) 20C
3 - 40 million Mongol Conquests 13C
4 - 36 million An Lushan Revolt 8C
5 - 25 million Fall of the Ming Dynasty 17C
6 - 20 million Taiping Rebellion 19C
7 - 20 million Annihilation of the American Indians 15C-19C
8 - 20 million Iosif Stalin 20C
9 - 19 million Mideast Slave Trade 7C-19C
10 - 18 million Atlantic Slave Trade 15C-19C
11 - 17 million Timur Lenk 14C-15C
12 - 17 million British India (mostly famine) 19C
13 - 15 million First World War 20C
14 - 9 million Russian Civil War 20C
15 - 9 million Thuggee 13C-19C
16 - 8 million Fall of Rome 3C-5C
17 - 8 million Congo Free State 19C-20C
18 - 7 million Thirty Years War 17C
19 - 5 million Russia's Time of Troubles 16C-17C
20 - 4 million Napoleonic Wars 19C
21 - 3 million Chinese Civil War 20C
22 - 3 million French Wars of Religion 16C
more Info- WW2
September 27th 1939
Warsaw Surrenders
Warsaw surrendered to German troops encircling its borders. Massive air and artillery bombardments left the poles no choice. Eastern Poland was occupied by the Soviet Union, while the rest of Poland was occupied by the Germans. The Germans immediately began their campaign against the Jews of Poland– herding them to live in ghettos in big cities.
NOVEMBER 30th 1939
Soviet Union Invades Finland
The Soviets invaded Finland on three fronts. The Finns put up a heroic resistance, often stopping the Soviet attack in its tracks. However, the overwhelming numeric superiority of the Soviet forces was too much for the Finns to overcome, and they eventually sued for peace. On March 12th, a peace treaty was signed that ceded the Karelian Isthmus, the city of Viipuri, and other lands to the Soviets.
DECEMBER 1939
Battle For The Atlantic
The submarine war began on the third day of the war when a German submarine U-30 commanded by Lieutenant Fritz Julius Lemp fired on the British passenger liner Athenia. The Athenia sunk the next day, after most of the passenger were saved. One hundred and twelve people lost there lives, including 28 Americans. Lemp fired despite explicit orders not to fire on a passenger ship. In the first four months of the war 221 ships of more than 750,000 tons were sunk.
On the evening of September 17, German U-boat 29 under the command of Commander Otto Schuart fired three torpedoes at the HMS Courageous. Within fifteen minutes the Courageous sank taking with it its captain and 518 men.
On October 13th Lieutenant Gunter Prien commanding U-boat 47 successfully entered into the British naval base at Scapa Flow. There he was able to attack the British battleship Royal Oak. He first fired four torpedoes at the battleship.; Only one hit, that one doing most of its damage above the waterline. Prien returned to fire three more torpedoes. One of them causing a catastrophic explosion sinking the Royal Oak and 833 men in fifteen minutes.
The period between July and October 1940 became know as the “Happy Time” for German submarines. During this period the wolf pact, a group of submarines operating together on a convoy, became operational. U-boats reached an outstanding 217 ships sunk representing more then a million tons of shipping, losing only six U boats.
1941 saw the tide of U-Boat activities shift temporarily. The use of additional escorts, air patrols, and US convoying of ships halfway across the Atlantic significanly cut down U-Boat losses. The period that followed the American entry into the war however temporarily changed this. Suddenly there were hundreds of unescorted vessels off the coasts of the US all silohetted nicely against the lights of US cities.
By early 1943 the tide tunred decisively agaisnt the U Boats, The allies had 500 escorts at there dsiposal, they were intercepting U Boat radio communications, and the introducation of escort carriers allowed uniterrupted air coverage for convoy across the Atlantic. Thus by mid 1944 one U boat was being lost for every allied ship sunk. The war in the Atlantic would go on, but victory was in the hands of the Allies.
DECEMBER 17th 1939
Graf Spee Sunk
The first major naval campaign of Word War II, took place when the British navy pursued the Graf Spee, a German battlecruiser who was on a mission to attack British merchant vessels. Between September 30 and December 7 1939 the Graf Spee, under the command of Captain Hans Langsdorff sunk nine cargo ships with a total tonnage of 50,089. Not a single crewmen or passenger on any of the sunk vessels was killed.
The British navy correctly deduced that the Graf Spee would next head for the area off of Montevideo to intercept more shipping. A British task force composed of the cruisers Ajax, Achilles and Exeter converged on Graf Spree. On the morning of December 12, 1939 the found the Graf Spree. The Graf Spee opened fire first, damaging the Exeter. All three British troops responded. The British ships responded. In the ensuing battle both the British ships and the Graf Spee were damaged, but the cumulative effect of three British ships damaged the Graf Spee severely. The Graf Spee headed for Montevideo requesting time for repairs. The Uruguayans refused, while the British rushed additional forces toward Montevideo. Captain Langsdorff then decided to scuttle the Graf Spee in Montevideo harbor.
APRIL 9th 1940
Germany Invades Norway
German forces invaded Norway and Denmark. Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger and Naravik were rapidly taken. Navarik was retaken by a British force, but the British were soon forced to withdraw from the town.
By the end of the month, the Germans had broken the stiff Norwegian opposition, and the Norwegians were forced to surrender.
MAY 10th 1940
German Armies Invade Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg
In a flanking move that made the French Maginot Line irrelevant, the Germans attacked the low countries. The Netherlands surrendered in four days, after massive German attacks on Rotterdam.
The Germans quickly drove into Northern France, dividing the French and British forces into two.
JUNE 4th 1940
Dunkirk Evacuated
The British successfully extricated 200,000 British and 100,000 French troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. The troops were stranded in Northern France, cut off by the sweeping German victories. The British and French troops were forced to abandon their equipment, but their soldiers were available to fight another day.
JUNE 13th 1940 Paris Falls
JUNE 22nd 1940 France Surrenders
On June 13th, Paris was evacuated by French forces, in the face of advancing German forces. On the 23rd of June, France surrendered. Terms of the surrender included the disarmament of French forces and the occupation of two-thirds of France by the Germans.
AUGUST 1940
Battle Of Britain
The Germans attempted to subdue Great Britain by utilizing air attacks. Germany attacked all major cities and military installations. British preparedness, combined with the valor of its pilots and a new weapon called "radar," forced the Germans to pay a heavy price for their bombing. By the end of October, when the winter weather made the threat of invasion unlikely, the Germans had lost 2,375 planes, compared to 800 British planes lost.
OCTOBER 28th 1940
Italy Invades Greece
The Italians invaded Greece, expecting a quick victory. The Greeks received reinforcements from the British and planes from the Soviets. This allowed Greek forces to hold their own and attack the Italians in Albania, overruning one- quarter of the country.
NOVEMBER 11th 1940
Taranto
The British launched an air attack on the Italian harbor at Taranto from the aircraft carrier "Illustrious". On the night of November 11th, twenty-one British swordfish attacked the Italian fleet in Cavour and badly damaged the "Littorio" and the "Caio Duilono".
DECEMBER 8th 1940
British Attack Italian Forces In Egypt
British troops launched a surprise attack on Italian troops, which occupied parts of western Egypt. The British routed the Italians. On January 5th, the Italian garrison at Bardia– with 25,000 troops– surrendered.
By the end of January, the British captured Tobruk and, in early February, captured Bengasi and liberated Ethiopia. In April, German reinforcements, under the command of General Rommel, arrived in Africa and stopped the British advance. The British were forced to withdraw.
MARCH 11th 1941
Lend-Lease Passed
With the war going badly for the British, it was clear that Great Britain would require assistance from the United States. The British were running out of money to pay for the arms they were buying. President Roosevelt, therefore, went before the country in a Fireside Chat, in which he called for America to become an "arsenal of Democracy".
Roosevelt then introduced a bill to Congress on January 8, 1941, providing the president with the power to lend military equipment to countries that the president believed were in need.
The bill passed the House 260-165 and the Senate 60 to 31, with votes split primarily on party lines.
By the end of the war the United States had provided the following aid:
Great Britain.............$31 billion
Soviet Union.............$11 billion
France...................... ..$ 3 billion
China........................$1.5 billion
Other European..........$ 500 million
South America.............$400 million
The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000.
MARCH 28th 1941
Battle Of Matapan
The British fleet met the Italian fleet at the battle off of Cape Matapan. The Italian Force was led by Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino, the British force was led by Admiral Cunningham. The British force included the battleships Warspite, Valiant and Barham. It also included the carrier Formidable. Cunnigham cruisers engaged part of the Italian force on March 28th. In the meantime Cunninghams main force was closing. When the British aircraft attacked, the Italians changed course and began to withdraw. Cunnighman then launched successive air attacks against the Italian fleet. The Vittorio Veneto was hit and forced to slow down, but was soon making 20 knots. The cruiser Polo was seriously damaged and two other cruisers and four destroyers were detached to escort the Pola. Cunnighams main force of battleships then struck the Italian cruiser in the middle of the night, Within three minutes the Italian cruisers Zara and Fiume were sunk. The destroyers Affeieri and Carducci soon followed. Finally, the partially disabled cruiser Pola was boarded and captured. It was the greatest British naval victory since Trafalgar.
APRIL 6th 1941
The Germans invaded Yugoslavia, after a coup in Belgrade that overthrew the pro-German government and replaced it with one committed to neutrality. At the same time, the Germans invaded Greece. German troops reached Athens by April 27th. Britain was able to send 48,000 of the 60,000 members of its expeditionary force to Greece.
MAY 27th 1941
German Battleship “Bismark” Sunk
The German battleship, "Bismark," was sunk by the British Navy . In the first round of the fight, the British lost the battleship "Hood" and suffered the crippling of the battleship "Prince of Wales". A second British task force caught up with the "Bismark." On May 26th, a plane from the "Ark Royal" attacked the "Bismark." A torpedo hit its rudder and disabled the steering. That night, battleships "Rodney" and "King George" attacked the "Bismark" with their big guns. Together with torpedos from the "Doretshire," they sank the "Bismark".
JUNE 22nd 1941
German Forces Invade Russia
German forces invaded Russia. The Germans advanced on a 2,000 mile-long front. Together with their allies, they were able to mass 3,000,000 troops. Initially, the Russians had 2,000,000 troops. German troops advanced along the hod front. By September, they began laying seige to Lenningrad, and then captured Kiev. By the end of October, the Germans had reached Crimea in the south and Moscow's suburbs in the north.
AUGUST 11th 1941
Atlantic Charter
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill spent three days meeting together on-board their ships at Argentina Bay, Newfoundland. The two leaders developed a close personal friendship, probably the closest between a President and any foreign leader up to that time.
While the President was meeting with Churchill, the American military staff, led by George Marshall, was meeting with the British military, discussing aid, as well as joint actions that could be taken.
DECEMBER 7th 1941
Pearl Harbor
The American decision to impose sanctions on Japan, in response to the Japanese invasion of Indo-China, convinced Japanese leaders that war with the United States was inevitable.
While the Japanese continued to negotiate in Washington, plans went ahead for military actions. The Japanese were convinced that they could not win a war of attrition with the United States, so they planned a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, hoping that a decisive victory would be achieved which would force the United States to negotiate. The Japanese attack was executed with precision and, despite having broken the Japanese code, the Americans at Pearl Harbor were caught unprepared, and the attack was successful.
FEBRUARY 15th 1942
Singapore Surrenders
The British fortress at Singapore was forced to surrender to the Japanese. The Japanese advanced down through the Malayan pennisula. They crossed onto the island of Singapore on the night of February 7th and forced the more numerous British troops to surrender.
FEBRUARY 27th 1942
Java Sea
A series of battles make up what is called the Battle of Java Sea. In the first engagement, on February the US cruiser Marblehead was attacked from the air repeatedly. Though damaged the Marblehead managed to limp back to the United States. The cruiser Houston was also hit and had its aft 8 inch guns knocked out.
On February 27th, an allied task force led by Dutch Rear Admiral KWF Doorman sailed to attack the enemy east of Baewen. The force included the Dutch flagship the De Ruyter, the British cruiser the Exeter, the USS Houston, the Australian Cruiser the Perth and the Dutch cruiser Java.
The battle began at 1616 with Japanese heavy cruiser under the command of Admiral Takagi Takeo , Nachi and Haguro,, when they opened fire on the Houston and the Exeter. Following this the light cruiser Jintsu, led a group of destroyers in an attack on British destroyers. Three British destroyers went down.
A general engagement then ensued between the Allied and Japanese cruisers. When it was over the Dutch cruisers De Rutyer and Java were sunk as the Perth and Houston were forced to withdraw.
The USS Langley which had been the first US carrier had been converted to a seaplane tender. It sailed with the freighter Seawitch for Java, its cargo, planes and pilots. Unfortunately on February 27th they were spotted by Japanese reconnaissance planes. Land based Japanese planes then attacked, and the Langley was so damaged it had to be abandoned. The next day the Houston and the Perth attempted to attack Japanese ships unloading at Banten Bay, They sunk four of them, but were then caught by a large force of Japanese warships. Both went down. The same day the last cruiser of the allied forces in the area the Exeter was sunk by Japanese forces in the Sunda straits.
APRIL 18th 1942
Doolittle's Bomber Attacks Tokyo
An American bomber scored a major psychological victory, when, under the command of General Doolittle, they bombed Japan. Only minor damage was inflicted by the forces of medium bombers. These bombers were specially modified to be launched from Carriers.
MAY 3rd 1942
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Japanese were advancing toward Australia, with the intention of assaulting Port Moseby. US task forces engaged a Japanese force in the Coral Sea. It was the first battle in which two naval forces engaged, without ever coming within shooting distance of each other. Japanese planes managed to sink the American carrier "Lexington" and damage the "Yorktown." The Americans sank a Japanese light-carrier and put two Japanese cruisers out of commission. The Japanese advance was halted.
MAY 6th 1942
Philippines Surrender
The Japanese caught the bulk of the American airforce assigned to protect the Philippines on the ground– despite the fact the Japanese attack took place many hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 22nd, 100,000 Japanese troops landed on the island of Luzon. Japanese forces converged on the capital of Manilla, forcing the defenders to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula and eventually to the island of Corregidor. There, on May 6th, American forces surrendered.
MAY 30th 1942
British Launch 1,000 Aircraft Raid on Cologne
The British launched a 1,000-plane night raid on Cologne. This raid was just one of many night raids visited on German cities.
JUNE 4th 1942
Battle of Midway
The Japanese planned to attack the Island of Midway, expanding their hold on the Central Pacific. American intelligence intercepted Japanese plans and knew of the impending Japanese attack. The Americans sent their entire carrier force, including the recently damaged "Yorktown," to intercept the Japanese force. The Americans succeeded in sinking four Japanese carriers, loosing only the "Yorktown." This was the turning point in the Pacific War.
AUGUST 9th 1942
Guadalcanal– Savo Island
The first American offensive of the war was the landing on Guadalcanal. The resulting attempt to hold the island resulted in a number of sea battles with the Japanese. The first the battle of Savo Island on 9th August 1942. The Japanese led by Admiral Mikawa sent a task force of five heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and a destroyer to attack the American forces off the island. To guard the transport the allies had five heavy cruisers and a destroyer. The American group was divided into two groups and totally unaware of the approach of the Japanese ships. The battle began when Japanese float planes flying unmolested above the American cruisers released flares. Within moments Japanese guns had set the HMAS Canberra on fire. Moments later USS Chicago was similarly enveloped. Soon the Japanese turned their attention to the Northern group and the Astoria, Quincy and Vincensses were soon out of action and ablaze. Thus in the worse defeat in surface warfare in its history the US navy together with the Australians lost five cruisers without inflicting significant casualties on the enemy.
AUGUST 19th 1942
Dieppe Raid
The Raid on Dieppe took place on August 19, 1942. Its mission was to test German coastal defenses. It was carried out primarily by Canadian troops. The raid turned into one of the greatest allied fiascoes of the war. The element of surprised was completely lost, and the air force was unable to provide sufficient air support. Of the 4,963 Canadians who took part 3,367 were killed wounded or taken prisoner.
AUGUST 24th 1942
Guadalcanal– Eastern Solomons
The Japanese decided to launch a major reinforcement of Guadalcanal, and sent three carriers battleships numerous cruisers and destroyers to support reinforcements the American carriers were sent to block the move. On August 24th the Ryujo an escort carrier which was being used as bait ahead of the main carrier force, was spotted and the Enterprise and Saratoga launched aircraft to attack it. By this time the main enemy force had been spotted, but it was impossible to contact attacking US force and they went on to sink the Ryujo.
The Main Japanese carrier force then attacked the Enterprise who was hit, but whose damaged was controlled. Pilots from the Saratoga responded and sank a Japanese seaplane tender.
AUGUST 27th 1942
German Troops Reach Stalingrad
German troops reached the Russian city of Stalingrad, on the Volga, and laid seige to it. German troops advanced on Stalingrad and broke through Russian lines, but did not succeed in taking the city. Hitler would allow no withdrawal from Stalingrad, and the Russian troops gradually wore down the Germans.
OCTOBER 11-12th 1942
Guadalcanal– Cape Esperance
The US force of two heavy and two light cruisers and five destroyers attacked the Tokyo express in an attempt to reinforce Guadalcanal. In the battle, the US force bested the Japanese one, sinking one destroyer and one cruiser, and heavily damaging a second cruiser.
OCTOBER 23rd 1942
British Are Victorious At El Alamein
German forces, under the command of Rommel, met the British forces, under the command of General Montgomery at El Alamein. Montgomery had a two-to-one advantage in tanks, and was victorious. The victory in El Alamain eliminated the German threat to the Suez Canal and the Middle East.
OCTOBER 26th 1942
Guadalcanal– Battle Of Santa Cruz Islands
On October 26th, US and Japanese carriers once again exchanged blows. The "Enterprise" and "Hornet's" planes successfully disabled the light carrier "Zuiho" and put the fleet carrier "Shokaku" out of the war for nine months. However, the carrier "Hornet" was sunk by Japanese planes.
NOVEMBER 12–15th 1942
Naval Battle Of Guadalcanal
The first part of the battle took place early in the morning hours of the 13th. American cruisers; Atlanta, San Francisco, Portland and Jueau attacked a force of two battleships and support ships. The battle turned into a melee, during the course of it two American cruisers were sunk. The Japanese battleship Hei was so badly damaged that it was sunk the next day by planes. As the American force retired the cruiser Juneau was sunk by a Japanese submarine, taking with it the five Sullivan brothers. The battle continued through the next day with two Japanese cruisers sunk by American planes. Finally on the night of the 14-15 the American battleships Washington and South Dakota met a Japanese force containing the battleship Kirishima. The American force sank the Kiriishma while losing two destroyers. The South Dakota which lost electrical power at a critical moment was badly damaged.
NOVEMBER 8th 1942
Operation Torch
The invasion of North Africa, in what was named "Operation Torch," was designed to encircle German troops stationed there. American troops went ashore in French North Africa with limited opposition. Soon after the landings, French troops defected to the American side. American and British troops advanced towards Tunisia, where they met stiff German opposition.
JANUARY 1943
Casablanca Conference
A conference was held in Casablanca, in French Morocco. from January 14th to the 24th, between Roosevelt and Churchill and their respective staffs. At the conference, it was announced that the war would be fought until there was an unconditional surrender. Agreement, in principle, was reached on the opening of a second front.
JANUARY 31st 1943
German Troops Surrender At Stalingrad
The starving German troops at Stalingrad surrendered, after being surrounded since November. Over 90,000 German troops died of starvation or exposure, while close to 100,000 died in battle during the final month. The surrender had been expressly forbidden by Hitler. Field Marshal von Paulus felt he had no choice but to surrender his 100,000 starving troops.
JANUARY 1943
Daylight Bombing Of Germany
US forces began daylight bombing of targets in Germany. The first attacks were against German naval targets, but a few days later, the US launched its first air raid against Berlin.
APRIL 1943
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The remaining Jews in the Warsaw ghetto began an armed uprising against the Nazis. The Jews, numbering just 60,000– down from the half a million in the ghetto a year before– knew that those being taken away were going to Aushwitz to be murdered.
The uprising lasted from April 19th to May 16th. The Nazis were able to overcome the vastly outnumbered and poorly armed Jewish resistance fighters.
JULY 13th 1943
Battle Of Kursk
The largest tank battle in history took place at Kursk. The Germans planned a counter-offensive on Soviet positions. Their target was the Kursk salient. Their goal was to cut off the salient and capture the 60 Soviet battalions inside. The Soviets, however, were prepared, and 900 German tanks met 900 Soviet ones. The battle continued throughout the day, and ended in a draw.
The Germans would never be able to amass the number of tanks they had at Kursk, while the Soviets were out-producing them every month.
JULY 23rd 1943
Allies Land At Palermo
Allied troops, under the command of General Patton, captured the city of Palermo in Sicily. The victory came less than two weeks after Allied forces first landed on Sicily. This marked the first invasion of part of an Axis homeland.
AUGUST 17th 1943
Quebec Conference
British and American leaders met in Quebec to coordinate war plans. At the meetings, which were led by Churchill and Roosevelt, leaders discussed the upcoming landing in Italy, as well as summit plans with Stalin.
SEPTEMBER 12th 1943
Allies Land In Italy
On September 3rd, the Italian government, led by Marshal Badoglio Mussolini– having been dismissed by King Victor Emanuel– surrendered to the Allied forces. At the same time, the British and Americans began an assualt on Italy, now defended by occupying Germans.
JANUARY 1944
US Troops Land At Anzio
American forces landed at Anzio, just south of Naples, in an attempt to out flank the Germans. German resistance was fierce, and there were fears that the beachead would not hold. Determined fighting by American forces ultimately secured the beachead.
APRIL 1944
Russians Recapture Kerch Peninsula
In April, the Soviets began an attack on the Kerch peninsula (Crimea). The Germans held the Crimea, even though their military position had become untenable. Within a month, the Soviets had liberated the area.
JANUARY 1944
Russian Troops Cross Polish Border
Advancing Russian troops, led by General Vatutin, crossed the Polish frontier from the Ukraine. The German forces, which were severly depleted, could do little to halt the Soviet advance.
MAY 1944
Monte Cassino Falls To Allies
The town of Monte Cassino fell to the allies on May 18th. With the fall of Monte Cassino, the whole Gustav line crumbled, and the road to Rome was open to US and other Allied troops.
JUNE 4th 1944
Rome Liberated
On June 4th, American forces, under the command of General Mark Clark, entered Rome– from which the Nazis were quickly retreating. The capture of Rome marked the first Axis capital captured by Allied forces.
JUNE 6th 1944
D–Day
On June 6th, 1944, 45 Allied divisions with almost 3 million men, led by General Eisenhower, began landing on Normandy Beach, in France. Within three weeks, Allied troops had captured all of the Normandy peninsula and port of Cherbourg. By the end of August, Paris was liberated, and Allied forces continued toward Germany.
D-Day, Normandy, France June 6, 1944
The Fight for the Foothold
By nightfall on June 6th 1944-D-Day, Hitler’s Atlantic Wall on the coast of Normandy had been breached. The Allies, at a cost of 9,500 casualties compared with 4-10,000 Germans, were ashore in Fortress Europe. But their position remained precarious; the beachheads had less depth than had been hoped for, and British and US forces had not yet linked up. Supplies and reinforcements were not coming ashore as rapidly as had been planned, and the initially slow and piecemeal enemy reaction could not be expected to remain so favorable
JUNE 19th-21st 1944
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Nine Japanese carriers accompanied by battleships and cruisers attempted to attack an American force led by 15 carriers, covering the landings in Saipan. The battle became known as the "Marina's Turkey Shoot". The Japanese started the battle with 430 carrier aircraft. When it ended they had only 35 carriers left. Almost all were shot down by the American fighters and anti-aircraft guns, while attempting to attack the US force. In addition, two Japanese fleet carriers were sunk by submarines and one by air attack.
JULY 1st 1944
Bretton Woods Conference
The United States was committed to establishing a framework for the post- war world that would ensure economic development and stability. In July 1944, it sponsored the U.N. Monetary & Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
Forty four nations attended the Conference. A plan was agreed upon to establish an International Monetary Fund to help stabilize currencies and promote international trade. The delegates also agreed to the establishment of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which later came to be known as the World Bank.
AUGUST 15th 1944
Southern France Invaded
Allied forces landed in Southern France. They met limited opposition and were able to quickly capture Tulon and Marseilles.
AUGUST 25th 1944
Paris Liberated
Allied forces led by the French Second Armored Division, commanded by Major General Lecleric, liberated Paris on August 25th. The liberation of Paris was hastened by an open rebellion by Parisians against the Nazis in the days leading to the liberation. The next day, US and British forces entered the city and were greeted by quite an emotional welcome.
SEPTEMBER 27th 1944
Market Garden Fails
After liberating Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium, the Allies planned a very ambitious operation to capture the bridges over the Rhine. The plan entailed the landing of paratroopers at Arnhem Bridge. They were to hold the bridge until advancing ground forces could reinforce them. The ground forces failed, however, to make the link up, and the airborne troops at Arnhem were wiped out.
OCTOBER 9th 1944
Dumbarton–Oaks Conference
This meeting was attended by representatives of the US, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and China. At the conference, delegates discussed the charter of a new, permanent, post-war international organization. The conference laid the groundwork for the creation of the United Nations
OCTOBER 24th 1944
Battle Of Leyte–Surigao Straits
The last major naval Battle of the Pacific took part off Leyte after the American landing there. The Japanese divided there forces into three groups. The first blood was drawn by American submarines Darter and Dace which sank two Japanese cruisers and reported the positions of the Japanese ships. An air battle ensued which resulted in the sinking of the light carrier Princeton. The American sank the super battleship Musashi.
The last engagement between battleships then ensued. A Japanese force of two battleships and cruisers and destroyers attempted to penetrate the Leyete Gulf through the Surigao Straits. Awaiting them were two forces of destroyers, a force of cruisers and six battleships. In one of the most one sided victories of the American Navy the Japanese ships were hit first by the destroyers, then by the cruisers, then by the battleships, which were all perfectly positioned and mostly equipped with advance fire control radar. The two battleships were soon sunk, as well as three destroyers, other then damage to one destroyer the US force suffered no damage.
OCTOBER 25th 1944
Philippines Liberated
On October 20th, 1944, American forces began their return to the Philippines by landing on Leyte. In January, they landed on the main island of Luzon. After a bitter battle, they reached the capital, Manila, on February 2nd. The Japanese lost 170,000 men in the Philippines, compared to American casualties of 8,000.
OCTOBER 25th 1944
Battle Of Leyte-Samar
The second stage of the battle occurred when a Japanese force led by admiral Kurita of battleships and cruisers came upon a force of escort carriersof task force Tafy 3 commanded by Rear Admiral AF Sprague, off Samar. The escort carriers were hit repeatedly by the guns of the Japanese force. However, daring attacks by three American destroyers, as well as desperate attacks by all of the carriers planes succeeded in driving off the superior Japanese force. The Americans lost only the escort carriers Gambier Bay and St Lo. Two destroyers and a destroyer escort that had gallantly attacked the Japanese battleships were also lost. The invasion fleet however, was safe.
The final act in the battle occurred when US aircraft attacked the Northern Japanese force. Three Japanese carriers were sunk as well as a cruiser and destroyer. Most of the remaining vessels were heavily damaged.
NOVEMBER 29th 1944
First B-29 Raids On Japan
The US airforce, flying B-29 bombers- the most poweful planes of the war, began strategic bombing raids against Japan. The raids, which grew in size, slowly destroyed all of Japan's industrial capabilities.
DECEMBER 16th 1944
Battle Of The Bulge
The German forces made a surprise attack against US forces in Belgium. The Germans made rapid progress, but were unable to capture the city of Bastogne, where Ameican forces were encircled. The US and the Brtish were able to counterattack, and the Germans were forced to withdraw, but not before US forces lost 35,000 men.
JANUARY 27th 1945
Aushwitz Liberated
Soviet forces liberated the largest German concentration/death camp Aushwitz. The Germans had killed 2,500,000 at Auschwitz, the great majority of which were Jews. By April, the full horrow of the Holcaust had become clear when US forces liberated the concentration camps of Bergen Belson and Dachau.
FEBRUARY 1945
Yalta Conference
President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and Marshall Stalin, met at Yalta in the Southern Soviet Union. The meeting was a continuation of the earlier dialogue between Churchill and Stalin. In that meeting, Churchill and Stalin had discussed spheres of influence in post-war Europe, and Churchill was reported to have written down a list of countries in which he recorded both nations and percentages. Accordingly, he wrote down; Romania-90%, Soviets-10%, Allied Yugoslavia-50% Allies-50%.
The meeting began on February 2nd.
The first order of business was a discussion of at what point the Soviets would enter the war against the Japanese. The Soviets agreed to enter the war within three months of the end of the war with Germany. The Soviets' political demands included the transfer of the Kurile Islands to the Soviets, recognition of the Soviet sovereignty over Outer Mongolia, and other concessions. Finally, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to a four-power trusteeship over Korea.
At the conference, Roosevelt agreed that the new borders of Poland would be the Curzon line (the boundary which had existed at the end of World War I before the Russo- Polish war). In return, the Poles would receive land from Germany, thus moving the border for Poland Westward.
One of the most significant issues discussed was the ruler of Poland. It was agreed that the Soviet puppet-regime (called the "Lublin Poles") would initially rule. This agreement called for free and democratic elections in Poland.
The three parties agreed to four- party control of Germany.
The major disagreement over the operations of the United Nations was resolved, with the Soviets agreeing to the American proposal regarding the use of the veto in the Security council. The Soviets requested that two of their republics receive separate representation in the U.N. The USA and the United Kingdom agreed.
The Yalta Conference, to this day, is seen by many as an incident of appeasing the Soviets. Others perceive the conference as a reflection of the power of Soviet troops advancing on Germany at the time.
FEBRUARY 14th 1945
Fire–Bombing Of Dresden
The Allied air forces bombed the city of Dresden in repeated waves. The waves resulted in the creation of afire storm that consumed 11 square miles of the center of the city.
FEBRUARY 19th 1945
US Forces Land On Iwo Jima
US forces landed on Iwo Jima, 750 miles south of Tokyo. The landings were heavily opposed by the Japanese, who fought to the death. Nevertheless, the US marines overwhelmed the defenders in a few days.
MARCH 7th 1945
US Forces Cross Rhine At Remagen
On March 7th, US troops reached the Rhine, and found one of the bridges across the Rhine, at Remagen, still standing. As American troops attempted to cross the bridge, the Germans set off a charge, but it failed to destroy the bridge, and soon the Americans were across the Rhine.
APRIL 1st 1945
US Forces Land At Okinawa
American forces landed on the island of Okinawa. The Japanese changed their tactics and, instead of opposing US troops at the beaches, put up their defense away inland. At the same time, Japanese aircraft and ships made Kamakasi attacks on the US fleet. The attacks exacted a heavy price: over 7,000 US serviceman and 100,000 Japanese were killed on Okinawa.
APRIL 16th 1945
Battle Of Berlin
The final battle of the Eastern front began on April 16th, as Soviet troops attempted to capture Berlin. German troops fought to the last man, but the Soviet victory was inevitable.
APRIL 1945
San Francisco Conference
On April 25th, 1945, the United Nations Founding Conference met in San Francisco. Secretary of State Stettinius headed the U.S. delegation. In order to avoid the problems Wilson encountered with the League of Nations, the US delegations included representatives from both major branches of Congress.
The only purpose of the San Francisco Conference was the establishment of a Charter for the new organization. The smaller powers at the conference attempted, unsuccessfully, to have the power of the "big five" limited.
MAY 8th 1945
Germany Surrenders
On May 8th, German forces officially surrendered. Signing for the Germans was Chief of Staff General Jodl. The surrender ceremony took place at Eisenhower's headquarters at Reims.
JULY 1945
Potsdam Conference
The three allies met on July 17th, 1945, in Potsdam, Germany. As the conference opened, American President Truman received word of the successful detonation of the atomic bomb.
It was agreed that Germany would initially be governed by the Allied Control Council, made up of military commanders from the four zones of occupation. It was agreed that each of the occupiers would take reparations from their own zones, since the western zones included most of the industrial areas. The Western powers agreed to transfer 10% of the industrial equipment of their zone to the Soviets, and another 15% for food and other raw materials.
The Polish problem could not be solved, however, and the Western powers would not recognize the western borders of Germany.
AUGUST 5th 1945
Atomic Bomb Dropped On Hiroshima
On August 6th the US Airforce dropped an Atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The city was destroyed and over 70,000 were killed immediately from the effects of the blast. Three days later a second bomb destroyed Nagasaki.
AUGUST 14th 1945
Japan Surrenders
On September 2nd, the Japanese formally surrendered aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Harbor. Two attacks by atomic bombs finally convinced the Japanese government that further resistance was useless.
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Originally Posted by Scar_Face
