World War II

By: Wesley Schneider

World War II
Imagine waking up on a Saturday morning. You walk downstairs, and see whats on TV. On the screen, you see debris and explosions. You hear your neighbors yelling stuff about wars. That is how almost every American felt when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, thus starting World War II. The nation was preparing for war. In 1941, Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States of America. Now, there were two sides to this story; some Americans were excited that America was avenging the attack on Pearl Harbor. On the other hand, there were also Americans who were scared that another World War was on the horizon. No matter what Americas preference was, war was upon it. American joined the allied powers: Great Britain, France, and their allies. At first, Germanys advance was a nightmare. It went on a blitzkrieg offensive, meaning that it defeated its opponents with lightning speed. Germanys first loss was the Battle of Britain. Germany attempted to invade Great Britain, but it lost because of Britains Royal Air Force. By the spring of 1941, Germany had conquered all of the European Continent except for a few exceptions, such as Great Britain. That was when the United States joined the war in response to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. At that point, the allied powers quickly pushed back the Germans. In May 7, 1945,

World War II
Germany surrendered to the allies. This day is often known as VE day. However, the allies were far from victory. While Europe was fighting the Germans, America had a problem of its own. Japan was rapidly destroying its opposition. They out matched their opponents in air, land, and sea. They seemed unstoppable, until the United States intervened. At the Battle of Midway, America avenged Pearl Harbor by destroying 4 aircraft carriers. This battle was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. However, Japan wouldnt give up that easily. They still fought hard, but it turned out that fighting would not determine the end of this war. President Harry Truman decided to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After this, Japan surrendered on a day known as VJ day. As you can clearly see, World War II was a tragic yet supremely important time in world history. It brought the world out of the Great Depression, and it allowed Democracy to take over a good amount of the world. Millions and Millions of people died during World War II. It took a combination of world powers to win the war against the Axis Powers, but the Allies succeeded. Now, next time you sit in front of your TV, be glad that you dont have to go to war anytime soon.

World War II

World War II Citations

Willmott, Hedley P. and Michael Barrett. "World War II (Overview)." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society.ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.