World War II Timeline By batman8sb Nov 11, 1918 End of WWI Period: Nov 11, 1918 to Jun 22, 1940 WWII timespan Jan 24, 1919 Hitler joins the Nazi party actual date unknown Jan 24, 1921 Fascist Party established under mussolini in Italy actual date unknown Jan 24, 1922 Mussolini takes over in Italy Jan 24, 1928 US and 61 other countries sign Kellogg-Briand Pact Jan 24, 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria Jan 25, 1931 Japan invades China Jan 24, 1932 Roosevelt takes office Jan 25, 1933 Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Tird Reich Jan 24, 1934 Establishment of the USSR Jan 24, 1935 US begins passing Neutrality Acts Jan 25, 1935 Hitler begins military buildup Jan 25, 1936 Italian troops conquer Ethiopia Jan 25, 1936 Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco Jan 25, 1936 German troops invade Rhineland Jan 24, 1937 Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 million Russians Nov 5, 1937 Hitler announces secret plans for Iebensraum Mar 13, 1938 Hitler takes Austria Sep 30, 1938 Munich Agreement; Sudetenland to Germany Jan 25, 1939 Franco is successful in Spain Jan 25, 1939 Totalitarian government estabished in USSR Jan 25, 1939 German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg Jan 25, 1939 Russian army into Finland (Finns surrender in three months) Mar 15, 1939 Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler Aug 23, 1939 Non-aggression pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland Jan 25, 1940 Defeat of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg by Germany Jan 25, 1940 British and French defeat at Dunkirk Jan 25, 1940 Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France Jan 25, 1940 Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain Apr 9, 1940 German invasion of Denmark and Norway Jun 22, 1940 France surrenders to Germany
