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The Start of the War
On September 1st, 1939, Hitler's army invaded Poland, causing Britain to declare war on Germany, making the British realize their Policy of Appeasement had failed, sending them into another World War. -
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The Battle of France
From May 10th, 1940 to June 25, 1940, French, Belgian, and British forces fought to defend France from the invading German army. On June 14th, 1940, German forces occupied Paris and later defeated Allied forces opposing them, causing part of France to remain under Germany control until the end of the war. -
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The Battle of Britain
On July 10th, 1940, the Luftwaffe started bombing London, causing heavy damage to the city and leaving the Royal Air Force (RAF) scrambling to defend. However, the Luftwaffe was unable to gain air superiority over the RAF, and the battle ended with a British victory on October 31, 1940. -
The Lend Lease Act
In order to supply Britain with old naval warships and war supplies, the U.S. agreed to give Britain supplies in exchange for Military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean. -
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Germany launches Operation Barbarossa
On June 22nd, 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, a code name for its plan to invade the Soviet Union. This invasion violated the peace treaty they had both signed, agreeing to remain peaceful towards each other. Germany was able to advance deep into Russia, they were stopped at Stalingrad because the German soldiers weren't used to such harsh and cold conditions, unlike the Russians. They were driven back and retreated on December 5th, 1941. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
Because the U.S. stopped sending oil to Japan, Japan wanted to make sure the U.S. would not interfere with its operations in the Pacific. To do this, it bombed the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to cripple the U.S. fleet. This is when the U.S. could no longer stay neutral and entered the war on the side of the Allies. -
The U.S. declares war
On December 11th, 1941, Germany declares war on the U.S. Hours later, the U.S. declares war on Germany and Japan. This came as a relief to Great Britain, who desperately needed support. -
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The Battle of Midway
From June 4th, 1942 to June 7th, 1942, Japanese and American forces fought each other at Midway island, an island halfway between North America and Asia. The battle ended in an American victory, since code breakers were able to figure out the planned attack and prepared their defenses, turning the tide on Japan. -
D-Day
On June 6, 1944, American, British, and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, starting Operation Overlord. However, the Germans had set up heavy fortifications along the beach, nicknamed the Atlantic Wall. As soon as the landing craft were on the beach, the soldiers on board were met with a hailstorm of bullets. They were able to break through however, and were able to free Western Europe from Nazi influence. -
U.S. drops the first atomic bomb on Japan
On August 6th, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, in an attempt to force Japan to surrender. However, Japan refused to accept defeat, and the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb on Japan 3 days later. -
U.S. drops the second atomic bomb on Japan
On August 9th, 1945, the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan. This made Japan surrender, ending World War II. The two atomic bombs dropped on Japan remain the only nuclear weapons used in war.
