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Apr 16, 1045
Soviet Invasion of Berlin
The Soviet invasion of Berlin was a brutal military assault that took place in April and May 1945. It was one of the final battles of World War II in Europe.When the Soviet offensive resumed on 16 April, two Soviet fronts (army groups) attacked Berlin from the east and south, while a third overran German forces positioned north of Berlin. Before the main battle in Berlin commenced, the Red Army encircled the city after successful battles of the Seelow Heights and Halbe. -
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Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima, fought between the United States Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, saw a brutal and bloody American invasion of the volcanic island of Iwo Jima, where the Japanese defenders were entrenched in deep bunkers, resulting in a costly victory for the U.S. despite the high casualties, most notably remembered for the iconic photograph of Marines raising a flag on Mount Suribachi. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, which took place in the Philippines during World War II, was a decisive Allied victory that crippled the Japanese Navy, marking a turning point in the Pacific war by allowing the U.S. to invade the Philippines; the battle involved multiple Japanese fleets attempting to attack the Allied landing forces, but were decisively defeated by superior American airpower and naval forces, including the sinking of the massive battleship Musashi. -
Germany’s Surrender
With the death of Adolph Hitler on April 30, 1945, Germany had no other recourse but to surrender. Four countries assumed administrative control of Germany: United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and France. -
D-Day
D-Day, which took place on June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II, where British, Canadian, and American troops launched the largest amphibious assault in history, aiming to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation under the codename "Operation Overlord." -
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris marked the end of a four-year Nazi occupation of the French capital, with Allied forces, primarily the French 2nd Armored Division, liberating the city after a week of intense fighting against German troops and the French Resistance;. General Dietrich von Choltitz, the German commander, defied Hitler's orders to destroy Paris, allowing for its relatively peaceful liberation. This event was a significant moment in World War II, symbolizing the return of freedom to France. -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany's last major offensive against the Allies in Western Europe, where they launched a surprise attack through the Ardennes Forest, aiming to split the Allied lines; despite initial success, the German advance was eventually halted by Allied forces, leading to heavy losses for the Germans and marking a turning point in the war against them; this battle is considered one of the bloodiest engagements fought by the US Arm -
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Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference brought together Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to discuss post-World War II Europe, where they decided to divide Germany into occupied zones, establish the United Nations, and agree on Soviet entry into the Pacific war against Japan, with Stalin promising free elections in Eastern European nations, a promise later widely seen as unfulfilled, setting the stage for the Cold War. -
Firebombing of Dresden
During World War II Allied forces launched a devastating firebombing raid on the German city of Dresden, dropping a massive amount of incendiary bombs that created a destructive firestorm, killing an estimated 25,000 civilians and leaving much of the city in ruins; this attack remains controversial due to the high civilian casualties and the debatable military necessity of targeting a largely civilian population. -
Firebombing of Tokyo (March 1945)
during World War II, the United States launched a devastating firebombing raid on Tokyo, codenamed "Operation Meetinghouse," dropping thousands of incendiary bombs on the city, killing an estimated 100,000 civilians and leaving over a million homeless, making it the single most destructive air raid in human history. This attack targeted densely populated residential areas with wooden buildings, causing widespread fires that burned for days, significantly impacting Japan's morale and war capacity -
Hitler’s Suicide
On April 30, 1945, holed up in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin, Adolf Hitler commits suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. Soon after, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces, ending Hitler's dreams of a “1,000-year” Reich