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The Holocaust
The mass murder of Jews under the German Nazi regime. More than 6 million European Jews, as well as from other persecuted groups, such as gypsies and homosexuals, were murdered at concentration camps (Auschwitz, for example). -
The Invasion of Poland
At 4:45 AM, about 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland along its border. Meanwhile, the German Luftwaffe (the German air force) bombed Polish airfields, and German U-boats and warships destroyed the Polish Naval Forces in the Baltic Sea. Later on, this event became the spark that eventually started the Second World War. -
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World War II
A war in which the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) were defeated by an alliance eventually including the UK and its dominions, the former Soviet Union, and the US (Allies). -
Britain and France Declare War
Britain and France had sworn to defend the Polish nation. Consequently, when the Germans invaded poland, Britain and France sent ultimatums to Hitler demanding him to retreat the German troops. However, Hitler refused to respond. As a result, on Septemeber 3, Prime Minister Chamberlain announced to the British people they were at war with Germany. It was at this moment that the Second World War had officially begun. -
Franco-German Armistice
The German forces had invaded France and reached Paris. The French government had abandoned the city by then, and the Nazis marched through the streets as the French citizens watched in horror. As a result, the French government was obligated to sign an armistice with Germany to end the war. Under its terms, ⅔ of France was to be occupied by the Germans, the French army was to be disbanded, and France had to bear the cost of the German invasion. It was the first big impact on the Allies in WWII. -
The Battle of Britain
The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) had been bombing the RAF (Royal Air Force) to gain aerial superiority over Britain. However, after the Luftwaffe bombing mistake over London, the RAF regained strength and bombed Berlin. The Battle of Britain continued, but, by the end of October, it was clear that the British had won and that the Germans were forced to postpone their sea invasion. It was a decisive victory for the British and the first time the Nazis had faced defeat in WWII. -
The Lend-Lease Act
An arrangement called the Lend-Lease Act was made whereby the US supplied military equipment, food, oil, and armaments to the UK and the Allies (Free France, Great Britain, Republic of China, and later the USSR); originally as a loan in return for the use of British-owned military bases. In return, the US was given leases on bases in Allied territory during WWII. The Lend-Lease Act ended in September of 1945. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa, Germany’s plan to invade the Soviet Union, was put into effect. Over the course of the operation, about 4 million German soldiers invaded the Soviet Union along a 2,900 km front, making it the largest invasion in the history and the largest German military operation of WWII. This ambitious mission was driven by Hitler's persistent desire to conquer the Soviet territories. Operation Barbarossa marked the beginning of the crucial phase in deciding the victors of WWII. -
Pearl Harbor
At approximately 8 AM, about 200 airplanes bombed a harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, the site of a major United States naval base. The surprise attack by Japanese carrier-borne aircraft inflicted heavy damage. About 2,000 American soldiers died and numerous citizens were injured. As a result, the United States come out of their isolationist policy and entered WWII for the first time. -
The Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference took place on January 1942 to ensure the cooperation of administrative Nazi leaders in the implementation of the “Final Solution” to the Jewish Question, whereby most of the Jews of German-occupied Europe would be deported to Poland and murdered. The “Final Solution” began implemented in stages. Before long, the Nazis began the systematic deportation of Jews from all over Europe to six extermination camps established in Poland. -
The Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an aerial raid done by the United States on the Japanese capital and other places on Honshu island during WWII. The mission is notable since it was the only operation in which the US Army Air Forces bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier into combat. The raid demonstrated that Japan itself was vulnerable to an American aerial attack, served as retaliation for Pearl Harbor, and provided an important boost for American morale. -
The Battle of Midway
Six months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in one of the most decisive naval battles of WWII. Between June 4 and 7, the US Navy decisively defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy on the Midway Atoll, causing devastating and irreparable damage on the Japanese fleet. Thanks in part to major advances in code breaking, the US was able to counter Japan’s planned ambush of its few remaining aircraft carriers. -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
A military campaign was fought between the Allied forces and the Japanese around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific Theatre. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against Japan. With Japanese troops stationed in the island, the Allies launched a surprise attack and took control of a Japanese air base. As a series of land and sea battles took place, both sides endured heavy losses. However, the Japanese suffered a far greater toll, forcing their withdrawal by February 1943. -
D-Day
The Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. This operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the liberation of France from Nazi control, and contributed to an Allied victory in the Second World War. However, about 156,000 soldiers were killed, which was a big hit for the Allies. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. -
The Battle of the Bulge
A major German offensive campaign was launched in the densely forested Ardennes to prevent an Allied invasion. The Germans drove a ‘bulge’ about 110 km deep in the front line, but were later forced to retreat. The surprise attack caught the Allied forces completely off guard. The US forces withstood the attack but reported their highest casualties for any operation during WWII. The battle also severely exhausted the German forces on the western front which Germany was unable to replace. -
The Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference was a major WWII conference between the three chief Allied leaders, President Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Churchill of Great Britain, and Premier Stalin of the Soviet Union. The conference was held at Yalta, a Crimean port on the Black Sea. The leaders planned the final stages of WWII, organized the final defeat of Nazi Germany, and agreed on the subsequent territorial division of Europe. -
The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was fought on the Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa. The 82-day-long battle lasted until mid-June. After a long campaign of “island hopping”, the Allies were approaching Japan and planned to use Okinawa, an island only 550 km away from Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion. It was the largest “land-and-sea” assault in the Pacific Theatre, and it is considered the “bloodiest battle of the Pacific”, involving 280,000 US soldiers to fight the Japanese resistance. -
Nazi Germany Surrenders
On this day, the Allies accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. In plain English, the Second World War in Europe had finally ended; nevertheless, WWII was still at large in Asia and the Pacific Threatre. Just a week earlier, Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader and the Führer, committed suicide during the Battle of Berlin. That being the case, Germany's surrender was authorized by his successor, Reichspräsident Karl Dönitz. -
Hiroshima Bombing
During the final stages of WWII, the United States military dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The Enola Gay took off from the US to Hiroshima where it dropped the "Little Boy", resulting in the deaths of almost one third of the city’s population of 300,000. The purpose being the surrender and submission of the Empire of Japan. However, the Japanese leaders still did not stand down. -
Nagasaki Bombing
Three days after the bombing of Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Japan by the United States military. This time, the target was the city of Nagasaki. The Bockscar dropped the second atom bomb, “Fat Man”, resulting in more than 80,000 deaths. This and the Hiroshima bombing lead to Japan's final surrender in September. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain the only use of nuclear weapons in history. -
The Empire of Japan Surrenders
Aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Empire of Japan formally surrenders to the Allies, bringing a final end to the Second World War.
