World war II : Major events and aftermaths
Before the formal declaration of the war, Germany had captured Anschlus (Austria) and Czechoslovakia. Following the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Germany continued conquering territories. Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France all had been captured by the mid- 1940. Heavy battles took place (Battle of Britain) from August to November in which Britain was able to save about 350,000 troops troops trapped in Dunkirk. Having borne heavy loss, German force called off the invasion of Britain and captured Yugoslavia and Greece in April, 1941. Until the cold winter, Hitler began the 'Operation Barbarossa' -the invasion of Russia. German force reached almost the capital Moscow but had to retreat due to dreadful winter there.
Japan made a surprise attack on US Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941 causing heavy loss of the American navy, 18 ships and 200 planes were destroyed and 3000 men were killed. This pulled the USA into violent war in the pacific. However, Japan had captured Singapore, Burma and Malaya by February, 1942. Then followed the Battle of Midway in June. The Japanese failed to make another surprise attack and had to retreat as the Americans began to advance.
The year 1943 AD gave a different turn to the war. Germans were badly defeated at Stalingrad in February. Italy surrendered in September and America won slow victory against the Japanese. Germans met humiliating defeat on June 6, 1944.
After months of preparation, Britain force had made powerful attacks and driven them from France and Belgium. As the Allied forces had entered Germany both from the west and east and reached the capital, Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. But in the pacific Japan was still fighting. It would not easily yield. So America dropped atom bombs; first (Little Boy) over Hiroshima on August 6 and the second (Fat man) over Nagasaki on August 9. With the complete destruction of the two advanced cities Japan surrendered unconditionally on 14 August. Later on September 2, it signed an agreement called the Instrument of surrender.
