World War II Timeline By stephaniegonzalez Nov 11, 1918 End of World War I Period: Nov 11, 1918 to Aug 15, 1940 World War II Timeline Jan 19, 1919 Hiter joins the Nazi party Jan 19, 1922 Estabilshment of the USSR Jan 19, 1922 Mussolini takes over Italy Jan 19, 1924 Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 million Russians Jan 19, 1928 US and 61 other countries sign Kellogg-Briand pact Jan 19, 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria Aug 23, 1931 Non-aggression pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland Jan 20, 1933 Roosevelt takes office Jan 20, 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Third Reich Jan 20, 1933 Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler Jan 20, 1935 US begins passing Neutrality Acts Jan 20, 1935 Hitler begins military buildup Jan 20, 1936 Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco Jan 20, 1936 German troops invade Rhineland May 20, 1936 Italian troops in Ethiopia Jan 20, 1937 Japan invades China Nov 5, 1937 Hitler announces secret plans for Lebensraum Mar 12, 1938 Hitler takes Austria Sep 30, 1938 Munich Agreement; Sudetenland to Germany Jan 20, 1939 Franco is successful in Spain Jan 20, 1939 Totalitarian government is established in USSR Jan 20, 1939 Russian army into Finland (Finns surrender in three months) Sep 1, 1939 German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg Apr 9, 1940 German invasion of Denmark and Norway May 20, 1940 Defeat of the Netherlands; Belgium and Luxembourg by Germany May 22, 1940 British and French defeat at Dunkirk Jun 21, 1940 Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France Jun 22, 1940 France surrenders to Germany Aug 21, 1940 Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain
