World War II

By cmswestmk

  • Rise of Hitler

    Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany. He uses violence to establish a dictatorship, with his Nazis as the only political party. He begins legal discrimination against the Jews.

  • German President dies

    Paul Von Hindenburg dies. Instead of holding a re election, Hitler is named leader. German soldiers and sailors are forced to swear personal loyalty to Hitler.

  • Jews Discriminated

    Jews in Germany are stripped of citizenship and civil rights. Hitler's Nazis reinforce this using brute force on all offenders.

  • Axis Powers

    Germany and Italy declare an alliance. Germany violates the Treaty of Versailles by occupying land on the border of France. Italian dictator Mussolini proclaims an Italian Empire and Ethiopia is captured as part of Italian East Africa.

  • Spanish Alliance

    The Spanish Civil War of 1936 is won. General Franco and his now nationalist government create an alliance with Germany and Italy.

  • Bombing of Paris

    Germany begins bombing Paris. Troops enter Paris and France is divided in half; A german occupation zone in the North and West and independent France in the South with Vichy as the capital. De Gaulle of Britain leads a resistance to German occupation for remainder of war. Italy declares war on Britain and France.

  • Jewish Star

    All Jews are ordered by the Nazis to wear yellow stars on their clothing as identification. Gas chambers are tested at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Roosevelt orders the US navy to attack German and Italian submarines near US waters.

  • Pearl Harbor

    Japan bombs Pearl harbor in Hawaii in a surprise attack on a Sunday. The next day the US and Britain declare war on Japan. Germany declares war on the US. China declares war on Japan. Hong Kong is lost to the Japanese.

  • Battle of Stalingrad

    German troops begin the march toward Stalingrad, a major industrial city. Control of Stalingrad would cut Northern Russia off from their ports on the Caspian sea. The battle lasts seven months and, with nearly two million casualties, is the bloodiest battle in history.

  • Major Surrender

    German forces surrender at Stalingrad; the first major defeat of a German army since the war began. They also suffer bombing raids from the US.

  • Mussolini Arrested

    Hamburg is destroyed in a firestorm after bombing from Allies. After defeat in Africa, Italian armies in disarray. Mussonlini forced from power and arrested; Fascist government falls. Mussolini later reestablishes government when Germany keeps hold of Rome. Allied troops enter Italy and Italy declares war on Germany.

  • D-Day

    Allied troops take over Rome. The next day Allied forces land on the coast of France in Normandy. US forces invade Spain.

  • Death

    Mussonlini is captured and hanged. Soviet troops capture Berlin. Franklin Roosevelt dies and Vice President Truman is sworn in as president. Adolf Hitler commits suicide. Soon after, Germany surrenders completely.

  • Atomic Bombing

    US drops first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The Soviet Union declares war on Japan, and on the ninth, another atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. On the fourteenth, the Japanese government agrees to surrender unconditionally.

  • V-J Day

    Japan surrenders unconditionally to the US and its allies. World War II is over.