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Germany Invades Czechoslovakia
On March 15, 1939, German troops marched into Czechoslovakia and took over. This signified the end of appeasement and told Britain and France that Hitler would never be satisfied with what they gave him. This event made it imminent that a worldwide war was going to occur. -
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World War Two Begins
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The Soviet-Nazi Pact
The Soviet Nazi Pact was negotiated between the Germans and the Soviet Union. Hitler was the one who introduced the pact, which was one of nonaggression, that partitioned Poland between the two countries. It allowed Hitler to take over Poland without interference from the Soviet Union. -
The Invasion of Poland
Hitler invaded Poland shortly after making the Soviet-Nazi Pact, and the Polish took only weeks to be defeated. At this point, war was inevitable for the European countries, since it became obvious that Germany would not stop unless the other countries stopped it. -
The Phony War (Sitzkrieg) Starts
The Phony War was a time period just after World War Two was declared in Europe. The Western Allies did not immediately attack the Germans, and instead waited to take any significant offensive, letting the Germans make the first move. It ended in March 1940 when the Germans invaded many European countries. -
Canada Enters the War
Canada declared war on Germany nine days after Britain and France. This was the first time that Canada declared war on a nation in its own name. This event signified Canada’s newfound independence from Britain and helped to create Canada’s national identity. -
The Invasion of Norway, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium
Hitler issued an order for German troops to invade Norway under the code word Werserübung. This order included the invasion and occupation of Denmark as well. This sparked the true start of the war in Western Europe and the end to the Phony War. -
The Phony War (Sitzkrieg) Ends
The Phony War ended in March 1940 when the Germans invaded many European countries. -
The Invasion of France
The war was introduced to Western Europe when Germany invaded France. The Germans demonstrated that they were much a smarter and stronger force than everyone thought. They attacked through the south, which was quite unexpected. -
The Miracle at Dunkirk Begins
Between May and June of 1940, over three hundred thousand troops were rescued from Dunkirk. The German army was much stronger than anyone had expected, and had almost sealed the soldiers off with no means of escape from them. However, many small boats came and saved the men from imminent death. -
The Miracle at Dunkirk Ends
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The Fall of France
The Germans captured France only a few weeks after they first invaded. It set off the balance in Europe, because Britain was counting on France to stay on their side. With Germany in control of France, Hitler became much more powerful. -
The Battle of Britain Begins
This battle was the German air force's (Luftwaffe) attempt to acquire control of the RAF (Royal Air Force) through an aerial bombing campaign. The failure of the Germans was one of the key turning points of WWII and prevented Germany from invading Britain. -
The Battle of Britain Ends
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Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union during WWII starting on June 22, 1941. This was the largest invasion in the history of warfare, driven by Hitler’s persistent drive to conquer the Russian territories. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbour
This was a surprise military attack led by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the US naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. This was done in order to ensure that the US Pacific Fleet did not interfere with the actions of the Empire of Japan. It resulted in the Americans entering the Second World War because on December 8, 1941 the US declared war on Japan. -
Nazi Occupation in Europe and the Mediterranean 1942
