World War II Timeline By savadala Nov 11, 1918 End of WWI Jan 1, 1919 Hitler joins the Nazi party Jan 1, 1921 Fascist Party established under Mussonlini in Italy Jan 1, 1922 Establishment of the USSR Jan 1, 1922 Mussolini takes over in Italy Jan 1, 1924 Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 Russians Jan 1, 1928 US and 61 other countries sign Kellogg-Briand Pact Mar 12, 1930 Hitler takes Austria Jan 1, 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria Jan 1, 1932 Roosevelt takes office Jan 1, 1932 Hitler begins military buildup Jan 1, 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Third Reich Nov 5, 1934 Hitler announces secret plans for lebensraum Jan 1, 1935 US begins passing Neutrality Acts Jan 1, 1935 Italian troops conquer Ethiopia Mar 15, 1935 Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler Jan 1, 1936 Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco Jan 1, 1936 German troops invade Rhineland Jul 1, 1937 Japan invades China Sep 30, 1938 Munich Agreement; Sudetenland to Germany Jan 1, 1939 Franco is successful in Spain Jan 1, 1939 Totalitarian government established in USSR Jan 1, 1939 Russian army into Finland (Finns surrender in three months) Aug 23, 1939 Non-aggression pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland Sep 1, 1939 German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg Apr 9, 1940 German invasion of Denmark and Norway May 10, 1940 France surrenders to Germany May 26, 1940 British and French defeat an Dunkirk May 27, 1940 Defeat of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg by Germany Jul 10, 1940 Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain Oct 6, 1940 Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France
