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Germany invades France
• Using a military strategy unheard of prior, Blitzkrieg, Germany rushed into Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. After kicking Britain out of the continent they stormed into France. France surrendered on June 22nd 1940 after realizing that they could not defeat the Germans. -
Germany invades Poland
Just about 1.5 million German troops invade Poland under "false" pretenses. Britain and France declare war on Germany,16 days later the Soviet Union invades eastern Poland. Poland is conquered in just 3 weeks. Only 2 percent of the Jews that lived in Poland survived. -
Germany invades Soviet Union
Hitler broke his agreement with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union. Stalin sided with Britain and the Free-French state. Germany advances all the way to Stalingrad and Moscow. -
Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
The Japanese made an exexpected bombing on Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii. The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. -
The Battle of Midway
Just sixth months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, The United States defeated Japan in the battel of Midway. The Americans broke the Japanese code, with this they were able to know what the Japanese were planning without the Japanese knowing this, the Americans were one step ahead. -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
When Japanese troops arrived on Guadalcanal on June 8, 1942, to construct an air base, and then American marines landed two months later to take it away from them. The Americans needed possesion of this island in order to have an advantage over the Japanese. -
D-Day
On this day, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded. -
Battle of Bulge
Adolph Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe by surprising blitzkrieg through the Ardennes to Antwerp. Caught off-guard, American units fought desperate battles to stem the German advance at St.-Vith, Elsenborn Ridge, Houffalize and Bastogne. -
U.S. forces take Iwo Jima
U.S. Marines invade Iwo Jima, a small volcanic island half way between the Mariana Islands and Japan. These landings opened more than a month of extremely bloody ground fighting between three Marine divisions and more than 20,000 Japanese defenders. -
The Fire Bombing of Tokyo
On this day, U.S. warplanes launch a new bombing offensive against Japan, dropping 2,000 tons of bombs on Tokyo over the course of the next 48 hours. Almost 16 square miles in and around the Japanese capital were destroyed, and between 80,000 and 130,000 Japanese civilians were killed in the worst single firestorm in recorded history. -
Battle of Berlin
Soviet forces break through the Seelöwe Heights after being delayed for a couple days by dogged resistance. Two Soviet Armies encircled Berlin preventing the Anglo-Americans from taking it and then squeezed into the centre in a concentric pattern. Soviet forces were armed with sub-machine guns, heavy armour, aircraft and artillery whereas the defenders relied largely on old rifles and Panzerfausts. The Reichstag fell in early May after Hitler killed himself the day before and a ceasefire was mad -
VE Day
On this day both Britain and America celebrate victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. -
Americans drop atomic bombs
American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world's first atom bomb, over the city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout. -
VJ Day
On this day it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victoryover Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.”
