World War 2 Key Events

Discussion in 'History' started by Gorlitz, Oct 16, 2012.

  1. Gorlitz Iron Man Registered Senior Member

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    What would you consider the key events of World War 2 and why?

    Perhaps Stalingrad or El Alamein, there were many battles and events, but which were the most significant and why?
     
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  3. Promo Registered Senior Member

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    I think several of Hitler's key military officials turning against him were pretty significant.
     
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  5. GeoffP Caput gerat lupinum Valued Senior Member

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    Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nevada. It put the sword of Damocles over our heads, forever more. If only Oppenheimer had died much sooner.
     
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  7. Gorlitz Iron Man Registered Senior Member

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    I didn't really think they succeeded with that endeavour, Hilter survived several attemps on his life and the war went on, also whenever he thought anyone was conspiring against him did he not have them killed?

    I certainly agree these were some of the most significant events of WW2, but I'm not so sure it was such a bad thing. Ok they caused a huge loss of life and it's almost inevitable the combined allied fleet, which at the time of the battle of Okinawa numbered over 300 warships plus over 1000 further support ships, would have finnished off Japan. But the lives that could have been lost if the campaign had continued might have numbered much much higher. Also nuclear weapons have surely prevented any further 'world' wars, and after the war stopped the russians from any plans to invade Western Europe.
     
  8. Neverfly Banned Banned

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    3,576
    You say words. I do try to read them. Honestly.

    But when I go to try, my eyes are always drawn to that elephant on the trampoline. Don't go changing it. I'm just sayin'...
    Elephant jumping up and down... trunk all floppin'...

    I can't look away.


    Damnit.
    The Desert Fox comes to mind...
    I don't disagree but I admit, I do wonder how many casualties there would have been without the two Big Bombs... it seems very difficult to estimate what the pacific war from would have cost.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
     
  9. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    1. When America entered the war.

    2. When America was paramount in ending the war.
     
  10. Saturnine Pariah Hell is other people Valued Senior Member

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    December 18th 1940
    Operation Barbarossa, AKA Directive No.21
    Hitler repeats a tactical error that Germany performed creating a two front war just like the previous one. Like Napoleon he invaded on the eve of the Russian winter. The resulting winter much like the one that Napoleon encountered simply froze his troops, supply lines and the caused the entire population to come to a standstill. Hitler should have read his history books or maybe have invaded during spring perhaps?

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  11. youreyes amorphous ocean Valued Senior Member

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    Battle of Stalingrad, V2 rocket launches at Britain, Retreat from Africa, Mussolini joining the Nazis, Normandy Bay, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
     
  12. Promo Registered Senior Member

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    I was also talking about the Desert Fox and D-Day.
     
  13. Gorlitz Iron Man Registered Senior Member

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    That had me in stitchs

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    , no I like jumping elephants, flying pigs are so passé, lol.

    Thats true, I think though there was a real desire not to lose any more people, the Japanese were proving stubborn as well, surrender was not really part of their culture and it took massive fire power to force the Emperor's hand.

    True enough, without America Britain would have never held out against the Nazi's and Japan, and the Russians might well have decided to overrun Western Europe if they'd beaten the Nazi's.

    This was also extremely significant and a massive tactical blunder, the Nazi's might have got away with sueing for peace with the Brits and Americans but that was never going to happen with the Russians, especially after the way they treated them.

    Well you've pretty much summed most of the key events there, I might add Pearl Harbour, sinking of the ferry in Norway containing German heavy water supplies, Ultra (code name of the secret intelligence gained from cracking the enigma code), battle of the Atlantic and battle of Britain.

    You are perfectly correct, didn't think of that.

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    Just a thought now though, wonder what todays world would look like if allies had lost and Germany and Japan had gone one to conquer the world, scary thought but interesting to speculate on.
     
  14. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    *sigh*
    Khalkhin Gol.

    The catalyst that determined the entire course of "World War II" before it even started.
     
  15. Promo Registered Senior Member

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    If the Germans and Japanese had won I think they either would have split up the lands between them, or fought each other.
     
  16. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    Oh... dammit. Ok.

    A list, assuming we're only talking actual battles in isolation from other events:

    (very rough chronological order. I CBF looking them up for dates)

    Dunkirk - Britain evacuate their own surviving troops plus thousands of French across the channel. Germany could not invade without first ensuring naval and air superiority. Worth noting that the Battle of Britain was first predicted in the air war over France; British fighters accounted for German aircrew at a rate of approximately 4-1 in France prior to Dunkirk. Considering those German aircrews were experienced from the Spanish civil war, this figure is very significant. Don't discount it in favour if numbers, and see later reference to Midway.
    The battle for France was too expensive for the Germans even while in progress, not many realize that.
    In addition, the British troops fighting in Belgium in the 1940 realised that the Germans were not invincible without their tanks (look it up for the why), and this knowledge was invaluable for morale in later years.

    Battle of Britain - See above. While fighter pilots have the glory, the experience of German bomber crews decimated over England during 1940 can never be discounted.

    Keren - While it can be considered a victory for Italian forces (actually, more pride) it forced a German presence in Africa.

    El Alamein - Rommel in desperation without real support from Germany is defeated. Britain gains air and naval control over the Mediterranean, and sets up an invasion of southern Europe.

    Midway - First defeat of Japanese forces in WW2. destroyed not only their imagined superiority, but also cost them hundreds of experienced aircrew as well as Aircraft Carriers. May have contributed to the Japanese defeat at Leyte Gulf two years later, not to mention Guadalcanal itself.

    Staligrad - First major defeat of the German forces in Russia. turned the tide on the Eastern Front and allowed Russia to take the offensive. It's all about initiative.

    Moscow - Same as Stalingrad.

    Gudalcanal - Obviously. Do I need to elaborate?

    Milne Bay -Both American and Australian forces were able to stage air attacks and maintain air superiority throughout the entire war due to Milne Bay never being taken.

    Imphal, Khohima - the last real battle in SE Asia forcing a Japanese retreat. Fought in despite of an imagined inferiority of allied forces against the Japanese soldier.



    Drunk's a monkey... forgive spelling errors and I'll address any questions or comments later.

    Synopsis:

    Khalkin Gol remains the single deciding factor in my view of all events during the traditionally accepted battles for World War 2, because it determined the direction of Japanese expansion and Russian defensive capability.
    every "scholar" of world war 2 knows two things: the Russians had a huge influence on the eventual outcome, and the Japanese concentrated on Pacific expansion rather than mainland China. Khalkin Gol is the reason why.

    Just look it up.
     
  17. kx000 Valued Senior Member

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    When the Nazi's betrayed the Russians, and then D-Day.
     
  18. Billy T Use Sugar Cane Alcohol car Fuel Valued Senior Member

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    Two key events are in bold

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    Figure caption is:
    U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull with Japanese Ambassador Admiral Kichisaburo Nomura (left) and Special Envoy Saburo Kurusu on December 7, 1941.
    {Early AM, 7Dec41, Billy T thinks from the long shadows and still civil relations.}

    BTW the Japanese did intend to break off diplomatic relations with US a few hours before Pear Harbor attack, but their Washington office did not decode those instructions in time. In fact, US army had decoded the message before the Japanese did! and knew more than a day before the attack that something big was soon to happen as msg specified it was to be delivered a 1PM DC time (just before the attack). Army had communication problems so the warning arrived a few hours after the attack was over, ironically delivered by Japanese-American solider. The US Navy had offered to send Army´s urgent msg the day before the attack but was only thanked by the army, not given the msg to send.
     
  19. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

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    the warsaw uprising ( no not the warsaw ghetto uprising there were more than one uprising in warsaw. this one was the home army) not really major for world war 2 up helped set the stage for the cold war and eastern europe.
     
  20. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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    I think the key events center around why we entered the war in the first place and who were the key historians whose history informs us.

    In the Famous Words of Someone:
    something something History something something Doomed to Repeat something or other....

    "The Truth About War: A Revisionist Approach" by Prof Carl Davis


    [video=youtube;ByWW9Va8UIo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByWW9Va8UIo[/video]
     
  21. Michael 歌舞伎 Valued Senior Member

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    How Murray Rothbard Changed my Mind on War | Thomas E. Woods, Jr.


    [video=youtube;yBCiMxuX9_g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBCiMxuX9_g[/video]
     
  22. The Marquis Only want the best for Nigel Valued Senior Member

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    A couple of videos saying "War is bad, mm'kay?' posted in a forum 70 years after it was all over don't really have much effect on history, nor do they influence the eventual outcome, Michael.

    And who are the "we"? Most historians would acknowledge the eventual contribution of the American entry into WW2, but they certainly would not consider the entire conflict centered around you.

    I've already mentioned one particular battle fought before you even got even involved, in fact fought before WW2 'officially" started (nod towards your point of selective history). Perhaps you'd be better off addressing that, rather than posting your own particular philosophical conscientious objections, due to the fact that it influenced the entire involvement of America to begin with.
     
  23. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    i consider the following as key events of WW2:
    1. japanese invasion of manchuria. the event that preceded all to follow.
    2. japanese bombing of pearl harbor. awakened the "sleeping giant". even the japanese military knew that they either win or lose within 6 months of pearl harbor.
    3. failure of germany to wipe out the british at dunkirk. this probably spared a great many aviators and engineers.
    4. failure of germany to defeat the soviet union. this probably did more against german morale than anything else.
    5. defeat of the atlantic wolf packs by the allies. this enabled a vast arsenal to be shipped to britain.
    6. and lastly "the bomb". this alone will have repercussions for years to come. has it truly ended all out war?
     

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