-
Violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact by sending German military forces into the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in western Germany. -
Period: to
Axis Powers
Germany
Italy
Japan -
Period: to
Allied Powers
Great Britian
France
Soviet Union
United States -
Anschluss, Annexation of Austria to Germany
A referendum on whether Austria should remain independent is cancelled and Hitler declares the country part of the German Reich. -
German annexation of Czechoslovakia
Adolf Hitler meets with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and states his demand that Czechoslovakia yield the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a large German population, to Nazi Germany. -
German and Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, stunning the world, given their diametrically opposed ideologies. -
German invasion of Poland
German troops cross into Poland before dawn and move swiftly inland, annexing Danzig and bombing Warsaw in what became known as a "Blitzkrieg" -- a lightning war. -
Partition of Poland Between USSR & Germany
Soviet-German treaty agree on 4th partition of Poland (WW II) & gives Lithuania to USSR, last Polish troops surrender -
German invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands
Hitler begins his Western offensive with the radio code word "Danzig," sending his forces into Holland and Belgium. On this same day, having lost the support of the Labour Party, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns; Winston Churchill accedes to the office, becoming defense minister as well. -
The Second Armistice at Compiègne, France and Germany
Decisive Axis victory: Germany and France signed an armistice in the forest of Compiègne. The treaty provided that hostilities between the two nations would end six hours after the signing of an armistice treaty between France and Italy, Germany’s axis partner. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. 4 million soldiers spaned across a 1,800 mile front from the Baltics down to Ukraine. This was the largest invasion in history. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan and USA
Japanese planes attacked the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, killing more than 2,300 Americans. The U.S.S. Arizona was completely destroyed and the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized. A total of twelve ships sank or were beached in the attack and nine additional vessels were damaged. More than 160 aircraft were destroyed and more than 150 others damaged.
