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spanish war ends
The Spanish Civil War ends, as Madrid falls to the forces of Francisco Franco. -
german attack poland
German troops and aircraft attack Poland. Soviet troops will invade Poland from the east on September 17, and Poland will surrender to the Germans on September 27. -
Great Britain and France formally declare war on Germany.
After Hitler ignores their demand for German withdrawal from Poland, and as the British ship Athenia is sunk by German U-boats off the coast of Ireland, Great Britain and France formally declare war on Germany. -
poland partitioned
Poland is partitioned between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. -
invade finland
Soviet troops invade Finland. -
Equal Rights Amendment.
In Washington, the National Women's Party meets and urges the Congress to act on an Equal Rights Amendment. -
social security checks
The U.S. government issues its first Social Security checks, totaling just over $75,000 -
italy's formal alliance
Mussolini and Hitler announce Italy's formal alliance with Germany against England and France. -
lightning war
Dutch cities are attacked from the air. By the end of the month, the Dutch armies will The German Blitzkrieg ("lightning war") begins, as Rotterdam and other have surrendered, Belgium will have surrendered, and the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk will be underway. -
italy declares war on britain and france
Italy declares war on Britain and France, and U.S. President Roosevelt announces a shift from neutrality to "non-belligerency," meaning more active support for the Allies against the Axis. -
german troops enter paris
German troops enter Paris and, as a French appeal for U.S. aid is declined, the French fortress at Verdun falls to the Germans -
night bombing
As German air attacks over Britain intensify, the British Royal Air Force begins night bombing of German targets -
german bombing campaign
Germany declares a blockade of British waters, and begins a bombing campaign which, by September, will be killing hundreds each day. In November, German air raids will kill more than 4,500 Britons -
axis
Germany, Italy and Japan enter into a 10-year military and economic alliance that comes to be known as the "Axis". Hungary and Romania will join the Axis in November -
1st military draft in the u.s
Conscription begins in the U.S. It is the first military draft to occur during peacetime in American history -
franklin d roosevelt president
Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected to an unprecedented third term as president, with 54 percent of the popular vote. He defeats Republican Wendell L. Willke -
Greece and Yugoslavia are invaded
Greece and Yugoslavia are invaded by German troops -
british troops arrive in iraq
British troops arrive in Iraq and will prevent Axis sympathizers from taking over the government there. In early June, British and Free French troops will invade Syria and Lebanon to prevent those countries from being taken over by the Germany. -
german troops invade russia
German troops invade Soviet Russia, breaking the "nonaggression" pact signed in 1939. Two days later, President Roosevelt promises US aid to Russia. -
fair employment u.s
President Roosevelt creates a U.S. Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC), after a march by 50,000 black Americans is threatened by A. Philip Randolph to protest unfair labor practices in the government and the war industry. -
secret meetings
Secret meetings between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill begin off the coast of Newfoundland. They will result in the Atlantic Charter, which contains eight points of agreement on the aims of the war. -
german invades ukraine
German troops invading the Ukraine machine-gun to death between 50,000 and 96,000 Ukranians (of which at least 60 percent are Jews), in Babi Yar, a ravine about 30 miles outside of Kiev -
360 Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor,
Just before 8 a.m., Honolulu time, 360 Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor, the U.S. military base on the Hawiian island of Oahu. The attack cripples the U.S. Pacific fleet, and kills more than 2,300 American soldiers, sailors, and civilians. The attack precedes Japan's formal declaration of war, which is delivered by the Japanese foreign minister to the U.S. embassy in Tokyo more than seven hours later. -
war on u.s.
Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S. President Roosevelt calls an end to official U.S. neutrality in the war in Europe, declaring war on Germany and Italy. -
japs capture manila
Japanese troops capture Manila -
japs invade duton east indies
Japanese troops invade the Dutch East Indies -
u.s war costs
Congress appropriates 26.5 billion dollars for the U.S. Navy, bringing total U.S. war costs since June of 1940 to more than 115 billion dollars -
japs capture singapore
Japanese troops capture Singapore -
phillipines fall to japs troops
The Philippines fall to Japanese troops -
britan air force...
The first 1,000-bomber attack on German industrial targets is carried out by Britain's Royal Air Force, as the German city of Cologne is raided. -
British forces capture Tripoli.
British forces capture Tripoli. -
invasion
An invasion of Sicily begins by British paratroopers and American airborne troops.