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Italy nullifies Triple Alliance
Five months after the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (1882) was renewed, Italy reached a secret agreement with France that each would remain neutral in case of an attack on the other. This destabilized the balance between the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) and ensured the entry of Italy into World War One on the side of the Allies. -
Tangier Crisis
Driven by colonialist ambitions in Africa, Germany supports Moroccan independence in an attempt to create friction between Britain and France. It worsened German relations with both countries and led to the signing of the Entente Cordiale, between Britain and France. The crisis also led to the Anglo-Russian Entente being signed the following year since both nations sided with France. -
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars, which lasted until July 18, 1913, pitted Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia (The Balkan League) against the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Russia which wanted access to the Mediterranean supported the Balkan League; Austria-Hungary and Germany supported the Ottoman Empire for their own nationalistic and colonial aims. -
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated.
In Sarajevo, Bosnia, on 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, are assassinated by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip. -
Franz Joseph I declares war
Franz Joseph I, emperor of Austria-Hungary, issues a formidable ultimatum to Serbia, and happily declares war on Serbia when a term is quibbled. Due to a complicated system of alliances, Germany (allied with Austra-Hungary) declares war on Russia and on France. -
Great Britain declares war on Germany
Great Britain declares war on Germany, responding to German violation of Belgian neutrality in its attack on France; Canada is consequently at war, as Senior Dominion of the British Empire. -
Canadian Expeditionary Force mobilizes
Canadian Expeditionary Force mobilizes at Valcartier, Quebec. -
Birth of air combat
French aviator, Roland Garros, shoots down a German plane making it the first ever shooting-down of an aircraft by a machine gun firing through a propellor, creating the concept of a 'fighter plane', and aerial warfare. -
Canada holds line in early use of chemical warfare
Canadian First Division holds Ypres when Germans first use chlorine gas as a weapon of war. -
John McCrae
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian field surgeon, anonymously publishes "In Flanders Fields" in the magazine Punch.It swiftly becomes one of the most popular poems of the war. -
British first use tanks
During Battle of the Somme, British first use tanks, ushering in the era of mechanized warfare. -
Vimy Ridge
During the Battle of Arras, the Canadian Corps, attacking as a unit for the first time, takes Vimy Ridge. The notion that Canada's national identity was born out of the battle is an opinion still widely held in military and political histories of Canada. -
Federal Income Tax
Federal Income Tax is introduced in the Canadian House of Commons as a temporary wartime measure; Canadians are still paying it today! -
Compulsory Military Service Act
Compulsory Military Service Act becomes law, leading to the Conscription Crisis, which caused a great conflict between Anglophones and Francophones, who felt no particular loyalty to England or France. -
Wartime Elections Act
Wartime Elections Act allowed close female relatives of enlisted men to vote in federal election. Passed on September 20, 1917, this proxy vote can be seen as the first step towards the granting of a federal vote to all women over 21 the following year. -
Polar Bear Expedition
Under pressure from Britain and France, President Wilson agrees to limited intervention in the Russian Civil War, in which the revolutionary Bolsheviks battle the `White` forces loyal to the Tzar. British and Canadian troops are also sent to be part of this intervention, which resulted, ultimately, in alienating the Bolsheviks against the Western powers and the formation of a strong, independent, Soviet Union. This affects the course of WW2 and leads to the Cold War. -
Canadian push to victory
The Canadian Corps begins march from Amiens across the Hindenburg line in the final Allied push to victory, liberating Douai, Cambrai and Mons. -
Armistice Signed
Armistice between the Allies and Germany in the forest of Compiègne. Hostilities cease. German commander General Ludendorff believes an armistice will allow Germany to wage a defensive war in 1919. -
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles results in total disarmament of Germany, loss of all German colonies, introduction of 'War Guilt' concept (which said that Germany was responsible for the war), occupation of the Rhineland by Allied troops, the Saar valley coal mines occupied by France, forbids the union of Germany and Austria, gives German territory to Poland, and insists Germany pay war reparations ($32,000,000,000), which leads to economic ruin and unrest. -
League of Nations Formed
Following approval at the Paris Peace Conference, 44 nations signed the covenant of the League of Nations.The failures of the League, however, including the invasion of Russian territory by Poland in 1920, the occupation of the Ruhr by France and Belgium, in which the League offered no effective intervention, resulted in the major crises of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia and the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in the 30s, both of which were among the contributing factors to the start of WW2. -
Hitler Sworn in as German Chancellor
Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi party, driven by anger at the outcome of WW1 for the German people, and dedicated to the overthrow of the Weimar Republic, becomes its political boss. Big bankers and industrialists had schemed on behalf of Hitler because they were convinced his conservative views would be good for business. Instead, his rule led to military dictatorship, repression of political dissent, the outbreak of WW2, and the annihilation of approx. 6 million Jews. -
Hitler breaks Treaty of Versailles
Hitler sends German troops to occupy Rhineland, thus breaking the Treaty of Versailles. -
The Pact of Steel is Formed
The Pact of Steel, an alliance between Germany and Italy, is formed, formalizing the 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Hitler and Stalin make a pact that Germany and Russia will not attack each other. Soviet Union was awarded parts of Poland and the Baltic States, while Germany was free to attack to Poland without fear of Soviet intervention. -
Germany invades Poland
Germany launches blitzkrieg attack on Poland, in defiance of warnings from Britain and France, Poland's allies. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain and France recongizing that the policy of appeasement of Hitler has failed and that their warnings regarding Poland have been ignored, declare war on Germany. Commonwealth members New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have joined the war within a few days. -
Warsaw Surrenders
On September 24, Warsaw is bombed by 1,150 German aircraft. On the 27, Warsaw surrenders. -
Auschwitz Established
The largest of the Nazi's concentration and death camps is established. -
Germany Invades European Nations; Churchill becomes British Prime Minister
Germany invades Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France. Neville Chamberlain resigns as British Prime Minister and is succeeded by Winston Churchill. -
Evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France
Naval Vessels and civilian boats evacuate 198,000 British troops and 140,000 French and Belgian troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk. -
Italy Declares War on France and Great Britain
Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy, declares war on France and Great Britain. -
France surrenders to Germany
The French government asks the Germans for an armistice to end the fighting. The Armistice is signed on June 22. Under its conditions, two thirds of France will be occupied by the Germans; the French army is to be disbanded, and France must bear the cost of the German invasion. -
Battle of Britain
Germany begins its largest sustained bombing campaign against Britain, but the Luftwaffe is unable to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force. -
The Lend-Lease Act Becomes Law
The Lend-Lease Act allowed the U.S. President to transfer war materials (ships, aircraft, arms) to the government of any country whose defense was considered vital to the defense of the U.S. (including Britain, Canada, Australia, China, and the Soviet Union.) -
Bismarck is Sunk
The Bismarck, Germany's most famous battleship, which had already sunk Britain's HMS Hood, is pursued by the Royal Navy. Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers disable the ship, which is sunk by British battleships, an important victory in raising morale. -
Germany Invades the Soviet Union
Under the codename Operation Barbarossa, Germany invades the Soviet Union, a decision Hitler made only a year after the German-Soviet nonaggression pact was signed. -
Atlantic Conference Begins
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet in Newfoundland and agree on the Atlantic Charter, a statement of U.S. and British war aims. The U.S., while not yet in the war, was providing material support to Britain through the Lend-Lease Act. -
The Siege of Leningrad
The Russian city of Leningrad was under siege by German and Finnish armed forces from 1941 to 1944. By the end of the siege, an estimated 632,000 people are thought to have died. It is also known as the 900-day siege, although it lasted only 872 days. -
Pearl Harbour
The Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour prior to declaring war; Roosevelt calls it "a date which will live in infamy." By December 11, Germany and Italy have declared war on the U.S. -
The Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference, presided over by SS-Lieutenant General Reinhard Heydrich, was a meeting held in Berlin, consisting of 15 high-ranking Nazi party and German government officials, to discuss and implement plans concerning the elimination of the Jewish population, the ‘Final Solution’, which preceded the Holocaust. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, considered one of the most significant battles of WW2, was the destruction of Japan’s Navy when the U.S. destroyed four of its aircraft carriers. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto had intended a surprise attack on Midway Atoll, a U.S. mid-Pacific base; his plans were thwarted by American communication intelligence; and this knowledge enabled the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, to establish an ambush. Prior to The Battle of Midway, Japan had navy superiority -
The Battle of El Alamein
The Battle of El Alamein, fought in the deserts of the northern coast of Egypt, between Axis forces—the Afrika Korps—, and Allied forces, for control over the Suez Canal. On November 4th, German Field Marshal Rommel began his retreat. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful Soviet defence of the key strategic city of Stalingrad against German forces. The battle drained German resources and became a symbol of Russian resistance. It also demonstrated clearly how unwise it was for Hitler to wage a war on two fronts. -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal was fought between Allied and Japanese forces over Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands, which was near Allied shipping routes. This campaign was another favourable turning point for the Allied forces. -
The Invasion of North Africa
In late July 1942, British and U.S. strategists formed Operation Torch; an attack on French North Africa, to trap Rommel’s forces between British and U.S. troops. On November 8, the invasion commenced. The only fighting took place in the port of Algiers, which was swiftly surrendered by the French commanding general Juin. -
Casablanca Conference
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt meet in Casablanca in Morocco to plan global military strategy for the Allies. Among items agreed on are the invasion of Sicily, concentrated bombing of Germany and the necessity of demanding “unconditional surrender” from all Axis powers. -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Jewish fighters in the ghetto in Warsaw, Poland, begin armed resistance to German efforts to deport their people to the death camp in Treblinka. In the 28 days it takes to deport or kill 40,000 Jews, several hundred German troops are killed, but the symbolism of the uprising has lasting significance. -
The Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk, considered the largest tank battle in history, was an unsuccessful German surprise assault, codenamed Operation Citadel, to weaken Soviet offensive by surrounding the Kursk salient; the Soviet Army was alerted and started to prepare a counter-attack, including antitank defenses and minefields. The damage done to the German army was immense. The Soviets, encouraged by their success, developed an offensive which, on August 5, recovered the city of Orel; and, on August 23, reco -
Mussolini Resigns
Mussolini is forced to resign when Allied forces invade Sicily. The Fascist leader, 60, has been in ill health. Growing in unpopularity, he had offered no leadership against the invasion. King Victor Emmanuel appoints Marshal Pietro Badoglio as leader. On September 8, Italy signs an unconditional armistice with the Allies. Germany installs Mussolini as head of a puppet government in Northern Italy, but he is assassinated by partisans on April 28, 1945. -
Tehrān Conference
The Tehrān Conference , in Iran, was between U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. The primary discussion was on opening a second front in Western Europe. Stalin agreed to launch an Eastern offensive to coincide with the opening of the Western front, but insisted that the U.S. and Britain move forward with plans to invade France and Germany. The three were unable to agree on the shape of post-war politics, however. -
D-Day
In an operation codenamed Overlord, led by Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower, 156,000 British, Canadian, and American troops land on five heavily defended beaches, in a fifty mile stretch of the Normandy coast in France. The largest amphibian assault yet attempted, it is helped by an extensive campaign of disinformation designed to give the Germans an incorrect assumption of where the attack will take place. By the end of June, the Allies had landed 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles. -
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea, a naval battle between the Japanese Combined Fleet and the U.S. 5th Fleet, starts simultaneously with the U.S. landing on Saipan. Known as “the greatest carrier battle of the war,” it results in the Japanese losing 3 aircraft carriers and 300 aeroplanes compared to the loss of 130 U.S. planes; and ends in U.S. victory. -
Assassination Attempt Against Adolf Hitler
A plot to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the central government fails when a bomb planted in a briefcase at the ‘Wolf’s Lair’ headquarters explodes but only injures the German leader. As a result, the conspirators, including high German officials, are arrested; as many as 5,000 die, either executed or as suicides. -
The Allies liberate Paris
Paris is liberated by the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division, after more than four years of Nazi occupation. General Dietrich von Choltitz, German Commander, defies an order from Hitler to demolish landmarks and burn the city and German troops offer only light resistance. On August 26, Free French General Charles de Gaulle led a liberation march down the Champs d'Elysees. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Following a U.S. amphibious assault on the island of Leyte, led by General Douglas MacArthur on October 20, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, an air and sea conflict, cripples the Japanese Combined Fleet, and clears the way to a U.S. invasion of the Philippines. It decisively reinforces the Allies’ control of the Pacific. -
The Battle of Bulge
Experienced German troops launch a surprise counterattack in the wooded Ardennes region of Belgium, creating a ‘bulge’ 60 miles deep and 50 miles wide in the American line. U.S. troops resist fiercely, particularly at the town of Bastogne, buying time for a counteroffensive led by British General Bernard Montgomery and American Generals Omar Bradley and George Patton. -
Yalta Conference begins
A conference is held in Yalta, in the Crimea, between Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin to plan the final defeat of Nazi Germany. -
Allies begin bombing Dresden
A series of Allied firebombing raids occur against the medieval German city of Dresden; killing as many as 135,000 people. The timing of the raids is controversial, as the Germans were evidently heading towards defeat. -
Battle of Iwo Jima begins
The Americans launch an amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima, an island roughly 575 miles from the Japanese coast; they plan to form a base where escort fighters and B-29 bombers can land without having to return all the way to the Marianas. -
The Battle of Okinawa
The capture of Okinawa in the Ryukyu Islands is part of a three-point plan by the Allied forces.
The Americans want to eliminate what is left of Japan’s merchant fleet and use the airstrips on Okinawa to launch bombing raids on the main industrial areas of Japan. The casualties are immense, with over 100,000 Japanese losses and 50,000 for the Allied forces. -
The Battle of Berlin
Soviet forces, supported by British and American aircraft, begin an assault on the German capital, quickly encircling the city, which is continually shelled. The Germans attempt to fight back with badly depleted forces, but Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun commit suicide on April 30th. Admiral Karl Doenitz becomes president and Joseph Goebbels becomes chancellor, but commits suicide shortly after.
On May 2, the Soviets capture the Reich Chancellery and the Germans surrender. -
Germans Sign an Unconditional Surrender
General Alfred Jodl, on behalf of the German High Command, signs the unconditional surrender of all German forces, at the insistence of Allied Commander Eisenhower. The alternative would have been for the Germans to continue fighting the Russians in the East, while the other allies blocked escape routes to the West. -
Potsdam Conference begins
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and new U.S. President Harry S. Truman (who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt, following the latter’s death three months earlier) meet in the Berlin suburb of Potsdam. The conference, which discusses the future of postwar Europe and the continuing conflict with Japan, is marked by growing tension between the British and Americans and the Soviets. -
Atom Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
Attempting to display U.S. supremacy, and avoid continued island invasions to clear Japanese forces from the Pacific, the Americans drop the first deployed atomic bomb on Hiroshima, destroying 90% of the city and killing some 80,000. Tens of thousands more will later die from exposure to radiation. On August 9, a second atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people. On August 15, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announces the unconditional surrender of the Japanese forces.
