-
Germany invades Poland
Location: Poland
Nations or groups involved: Nazi Germany (1.5m), Poland (950k), Soviet Union (800k+), Slovakia (50k)
Major actions of this event: Because of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed by Germany and the soviets which acted as a non-aggression pact, the Soviet Union joined Germany in their invasion on the 7th September. The first use of Blitzkrieg.
Outcome or significance of the event: Poland was annexed on October 6th and was split between the Soviets and Germans. Nazis focused west. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Location: Western Europe, old and present British colonies
Nations or groups involved: Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, British RAJ
major actions of this event: Germany was confident that the allies wouldn't make any big moves early, which they didn't apart from small naval battles in the British channel and the Scandinavian Sea.
Outcome or significance of the event: The declaration of war officially started world war 2 as Germany finished off Poland and invaded France. -
Churchill becomes Prime minister of Britain
Location: Great Britain
Nations or groups involved: Great Britain, The Conservative Party of Great Britain
major actions of this event: None Found
Outcome or significance of the event: Because of Winstons Churchills past experiences in the Boer wars and World War 1 he was always able to keep a straight head and moral compass as he ordered Britain to not fire upon or bomb German cities or civilians. -
Period: to
Evacuation of Dunkirk
Location: Dunkirk, France
Nations or groups involved: Britain, France, Belgium, Poland, Canada, Netherlands, Germany
major actions of this event: the successful evacuation of over 330 thousand soldiers out of approximately 400 thousand.
Outcome or significance of the event: If those 300 thousand soldiers had died during the battle that could most likely spell defeat because both sides were already struggling with manpower. -
Italy enters war on side of axis
Location: Southern Europe
Nations or groups involved: Italy, Japan, Germany
major actions of this event: even though Germany went against the pact that they currently had and attacked Poland, Italy joined them
Outcome or significance of the event: Because of Italy's colonies in Africa, The axis powers were able to spread the war to Northern Africa where they now had access to allied nations or nations owned by allied powers. Italy also contributed to the invasions of France and Greece. -
France signs armistice with Germay
Location: Compiegne Forest, France
Nations or groups involved: France, Vichy France, The Axis
major actions of this event: The Armistice was signed at the same place as France forced Germany to sign their surrender during the end of WW1.
Outcome or significance of the event: Pieces of France were chopped off and given to Germany and Italy, and France itself was split between free France and Vichy France, which was the Fascist client state of Germany which was led by Marshal Philippe Pétain -
Period: to
Battle of Britain
Location: Southern Britain, British Channel
Nations or groups involved: Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy
major actions of this event: Although outnumbered Britain was able to pull off a victory that saved them the war.
Outcome or significance of the event: A decisive Victory by the British that caused a stalemate between Britain and Germany because neither side could muster a force that could invade or make any clutch plays, so Germany kept rampaging through Africa with Italy. -
Opertation Sea Lion
Location: Britain, British Channel
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Britain and other allied forces stationed in southern Britain.
major actions of this event: The plan was to storm the beaches of Kent, Sussex, Devon, and the isle of Wight in southern Britain from the beaches of Belgium and Normandy.
Outcome or significance of the event: On September 17th the plan was cancelled. -
Tripartite Pact signed
Location: Berlin
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Italy, Japan
major actions of this event: Japan was guaranteed ownership over Greater Eastern Asia, and for Italy to Transform back into the Roman Empire which they have been striving for since the colonisation of Africa but when the allies denied Italy any substantial land gains during the treaty of Versailles which was the reason why italy sided against them.
Outcome or significance of the event: The formation of the Axis power. -
Period: to
Siege of Tobruk
Location: Dunkirk, Libya
Nations or groups involved: Australia, Britain, India, Germany, Italy
major actions of this event: Battle of Salient, one of the most famous Australian moments in all of history, an Australian post was attacked by a combination of both Italian and German soldiers for almost a whole week while being vastly outnumbered.
Outcome or significance of the event: Tobruk was taken by a mixed force of New Zealanders, Australians and Brits, though it was taken back soon after. -
Period: to
Operation Barbarossa
Location: Russia
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Romania, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Soviet Union
major actions of this event: The breaking of the non-aggression pact between the reds and Nazi German on the behalf of Adolf Hitler.
Outcome or significance of the event: The failure of Germany defeating the soviets turned the tide of the war, and turned what seemed to be a decisive Axis successive into an Allied victory -
Bombing of Pearl Harbour
Location: Pearl Harbour, Hawaii
Nations or groups involved: Japan, USA
major actions of this event: In the space of two hours at about 8am hundreds of bombers from Japan bombed one of the USA's biggest Naval bases and was able to The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American ships, including 8 enormous battleships, and more than 300 planes. there were 3000 casualties with 2/3 of that number being KIA.
Outcome or significance of the event: This led America to fight with the allies in WW2. -
Britain and US declare war on Japan
Location: Britain, USA
Nations or groups involved: Great Britain, old and current British colonies, USA, Japan
major actions of this event: The Bombing of Pearl Harbour, which led to the declaration of war.
Outcome or significance of the event: The official start of the pacific war. -
Japan takes Singapore
Location: Singapore
Nations or groups involved: Britain, India, Malaya, Australia, New Zealand, Japan
major actions of this event: Alexandra Hospital Massacre, As Japan was breaking the lines and advancing further into Singapore in their waylaid Alexandra Hospital which was a military hospital, out of the 900 patients 150 were killed. During war time it is illegal to execute medics or patients that bear the red cross.
Outcome or significance of the event: The Allies lost their foothold in Asia -
Period: to
First Battle of El Alamein
Location: Egypt
Nations or groups involved: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, British RAJ
major actions of this event: The allies were able to hold a railway line for the whole battle
Outcome or significance of the event: The outcome was the holt of the Germans advance led by Erwin Rommel. -
Period: to
Battle of Midway
Location: North central pacific ocean
Nations or groups involved: USA, Japan
major actions of this event: This was the most decisive naval battle in the whole war, the battle was fought 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbour.
Outcome or significance of the event: The Americans were able to counter the Japanese naval ambush and were able to win, Americans were able to sink Japans main heavy cruiser. -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad
Location: Stalingrad, Russia
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Soviet Union
major actions of this event: Considered to be the greatest and bloodiest battles of the war by many historians which spelt out the halt of the German advance in Russia and the turning point fir the whole war.
Outcome or significance of the event: the reds successfully defended Stalingrad and started the push westwards back to Poland and Germany. -
Period: to
second Battle of El Alamein
Location: Egypt
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Italy, Britain, India, Palestine, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Free France, US
major actions of this event: Erwin Rommel was unable to attend most of the battle because he grew severely ill and had to leave for Germany.
Outcome or significance of the event: Due to the excellence of British General Bernard Montgomery and his ability to maintain the infantry and the air force. -
D-Day Landings
Location: Normandy, northern occupied France
Nations or groups involved: Germany, Britain, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Free France and rebel groups from Occupied countries like Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Poland
major actions of this event: The D-Day landings took places at Utah Beach, Pointe De Hoc, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach and Juno Beach.
Outcome or significance of the event: The suicide of Adolf Hitler and the eventual surrender of Nazi Germany. -
Period: to
Battle of the Bulge
Location: Belgium, Amsterdam
Nations or groups involved: USA, Britain, France, Canada, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany
major actions of this event: Allies used the Blitzkrieg method on Germany which is a famous German tactic, The battle seemed lost for the nazis because they ran out of fuel for their trucks and were unable to commence their blitzkrieg tactics.
Outcome or significance of the event: Allied victory though both sides sustained heavy losses. -
Mussolini captured and executed
Location: near the Italian/Austrian border
Nations or groups involved: Italian rebels
major actions of this event: as Allied forces made their way up Italian, Benito planned to flee into Switzerland with his wife, though they found out that the border guards had switched sides and are adding the Italian communist coup. They disguised themselves as soldiers and tried to move into to Austria but both were caught and shot.
Outcome or significance of the event: The collapse of the Kingdom of Italy. -
Hitler commits suicide
Location: Berlin
Nations or groups involved: Indirectly caused by Allied advances in Europe.
major actions of this event: He chose to take his life and the lives of his family because when the allies eventually won, he wouldn't be tried for his crimes.
Outcome or significance of the event: The surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of war in Europe, leaving Japan as the only opposing force. This also led to the discovery of the German concentration camps and the true horrors of Germany's crimes. -
German forces surrender
Location: Europe
Nations or groups involved: Allied forces, Germany
major actions of this event: The signing of Germany surrender
Outcome or significance of the event: The end of war in Europe only leaving a battered Japan to fight by themselves. -
V.E. day
Location: Europe, America
Nations or groups involved: All participants of WW2
major actions of this event: The end to all conflicts within Europe.
Outcome or significance of the event: Now an internationally celebrated day to commemorate all who fought and died for their countries and what they had to give so that the world could prosper. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Nations or groups involved: Japan, USA
major actions of this event: The first ever use of a Nuclear Bomb during wartime detonated on Hiroshima, The fallout was able to reach America west coast in just 10 days and was as strong as 750 rads.
Outcome or significance of the event: extreme Radiation levels, which devastated the populous for many years prior the event. -
Soviet Union declares war on Japan
Location: Northeastern Asia
Nations or groups involved: Japan, Soviet Union
major actions of this event: Soviet union Invade occupied Manchuria with over 1 million men.
Outcome or significance of the event: Caused Emporer Hirohito to push for a surrender though his war council turned it down. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Location: Nagasaki, Japan
Nations or groups involved: Japan, USA
major actions of this event: The largest Nuclear payload detonated during the war time. Because of the first nuke, the exploded in Hiroshima and the Soviet invasion of Japan hadn't caused Japan to surrender the US dropped an additional bomb named the "fat man" and it pushed the Japanese war council to plea for a surrender.
Outcome or significance of the event: The surrender of Imperial Japan and the end of WW2. -
Japanese surrender – End of WWII
Location: The Worldwide
Nations or groups involved: Everyone who participated in the war
major actions of this event: The end of all conflict worldwide
Outcome or significance of the event: The Start of the Cold War. The end of WW2 further pushed the point that war is hell and that it shouldn't be seen as an adventure or something you exactly want to do and that it is something that you do for the greater good of your country and planet. -
United Nations is born
Location: Europe, USA
Nations or groups involved: all of America, Europe and Oceania, most of Asia and some of Africa
major actions of this event: The formation of the UN
Outcome or significance of the event: The push for world peace was slowly being accepted by the world after suffering through two devastating world wars.
