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On October 22nd, 1873, the minister of Germany's foreign affairs, Otto von Bismarck, joined Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany to form a military alliance.
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On the 20th of May, 1882, Italy joined the alliance at the request of Bismarck, who took advantage of Italy's resentment towards France after their invasion of Tunisia, their neighbour. Italy accepted, providing that Germany and Austria-Hungary would protect them from France.
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Suspicions arose between Austria-Hungary and Russia as they began competing for control of the Balkans, a group of small countries in south-eastern Europe. Bismarck attempted to reunite the two rivals with the Reinsurance Treaty. The treaty stated that Germany and Russia would stay neutral in the event of war with a third country.
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In 1888, a new ruler was crowned in Germany - Kaiser Wilhelm II. His political, military, and world views greatly differed with those of Bismarck, and so, in 1890, Bismarck was fired. The alliance with Russia was not renewed by the Kaiser, which strained their relationship.
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After letting the Reinsurance Treaty expire in 1891, and despite Russia appealing for the treaty to be renewed, the Russians made a secret alliance with France. Although the two countries were running on very different political systems - Russia was a monarchy, France was a republic - they became allies. On August 17, 1892, the alliance was tentatively set, and on January 4 it became official.
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Great Britain soon realized that the ambitious Germany was becoming a huge military force, and was not on 'their side'. As a result, Britain signed an agreement on April the 8th, 1904 with France, which had in the past been an enemy if not hostile to Britain. This was the beginning of the Triple Entente, an unofficial alliance formed by Britain, France and Russia.
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On August 31, 1907, Russia and Britain made an unofficial alliance after resolving a few political issues regarding Tibet, Persia, India, and Afghanistan.
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Britain, France, and Russia became allies in a time of growing tension and anxiety, which countered the formal alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. This added to the uneasiness of countries all over Europe, regardless of their position.
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On October 6, 1908, Austria-Hungary declared the annexation of Bosnia, which was a country formerly under the rule of Serbian faction. This major action sparked outrage from countries supporting both sides of the 'argument'. As Serbia was in control of Bosnia, and Russia was in support of Serbia, the two countries mobilized. Germany (allies with Austria-Hungary) heard of Russia's involvement there, and threatened to declare war on them.
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Soon after, Russia backed down due to the German threat. This greatly increased tension; war seemed inevitable.
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This event was the breaking point for all of Europe. The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, was murdered by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian Black Hand Secret Society. This Society was devoted to emancipating Serbia from the grip of the Austro-Hungarian government. Right after the assassination, Germany pledged its support to Austria-Hungary, and France strengthened its alliance with Russia.
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The beginnings of WWI - Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia.
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A partial mobilization was ordered by the Russian army - as it was supporting Serbia. This eventually escalated into a full mobilization.
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Germany heard of Russia's mobilization, and so threatened war if they did not demobilize.
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War is declared on Russia by their enemy, Germany.
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Germany declares war on France – Russia’s ally. World War One has officially begun.
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Shortly after Germany declared war on France, the German army tried to cross Belgian soil in order to reach the border of France. Belgium refused, so Germany was forced to invade. This lead to Britain protesting on behalf of Belgium, as their (Belgium's) neutrality had been violated.
Note: Although the date on this picture says August 14, it is incorrect. -
After unsuccessfully trying to save Belgium's neutrality, Britain declared war on Germany.
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This battle was actually a series of battles fought along the eastern border of France and the Southern border of Belgium. Altogether there were five small battles, between the French (commanded by Joseph Joffre) and the Germans (commanded by Helmuth von Moltke). All battles (Mulhouse, Lorraine, Ardennes, Charleroi (Belgium), and Mons) were initiated at about the same time, and the military goals of each country were put to the test. Continued…
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The Battle of the Mons was perhaps the most important of this series of battles. The British and French forces were going to meet at Charleroi, where they would join together against the Germans. However, on their way, they were met by the German Army, at Mons. The battle began. On the 23rd, the British were forced to retreat.
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The battle of Tannenberg (northeastern Poland), fought by the Russians against the Germans, was unsuccessful. The Russian Second Army, commanded by General Alexander Samsonov was met in return by the German Eighth Army, commanded by General Maximilian Prittwitz. They fought for six days, but eventually the Russian Army, even with more numbers than Germany, was defeated on the 29th. Although the army tried to retreat, the casualties were many, and only 10,000 men made it out alive.
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The success (on the part of the British) of the battle of Heligoland Bight, on the German coast, is owed to Admiral Sir David Beatty. After a different commander (Tyrwhitt) began attacking German ships close to the naval base, the Germans quickly retaliated, badly damaging Trywhitt's ship - the Arethusa. He called for Beatty, who was not far off, to aid him, as the fire power coming from the Germans was ever increasing. Beatty came in good time, and sank most of the German ships.
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This battle was a major turning point in the war. Three German armies were quickly advancing towards Paris; and both the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French armies were in retreat. The allies arrived at the Seine River, and waited there to attack. On the morning of Sept. 6th, the French army attacked the 1st German army. The Germans were taken by surprise, and heavy fighting ensued. This created a gap between the 1st and 2nd German army. Cont.
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Both the British and French armies filled the gap, splitting up the 1st and 2nd German armies. For three days, the Germans could not break the lines even though at one point, the French were so close to defeat that they brought in 6000 soldiers by taxi. On the 9th, the German commander of both armies ordered them to retreat. This gave the British and French the opportunity to cross the river Marne, connected to the Seine River. The two German armies were then able to reunite. Cont.
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The Germans moved north to the Aisne river, where they dug trenches, and waited for the Allies. At this point in the conflict, trench warfare became the main method of warfare through to the end of the war. Overall, there were around 13,000 British casualties and 250,000 French and German casualties.
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Three battles, in total, occurred in Ypres, France. This one lasted one month, and was the end of the "Race to the Sea", which describes a number of battles fought as the Allies and Germans wound their way up to the North Sea. In early October, the BEF and many Belgian soldiers went to Ypres to recapture the city and to fortify the small French and Belgian forces already there. On the 19th, Germany attacked with heavy fire; the fighting went on for four weeks. Both sides suffered losses. Cont.
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Although at this time, Turkey was not a major power, they joined forces with Germany against Britain, France, and Russia.
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Severe winter weather temporarily ended the fighting between Germany and Britain.
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By the late 1890's, Germany was developing its plans to build a zeppelin. The first zeppelin flew in 1900. By 1909, the zeppelin was approved for military use. On the 19th of January, three zeppelins flew over to Britain, where they dropped bombs on Yarmouth and King's Lynn.
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The British and French commanders of the BEF and French Army respectively, decided on a plan to capture the small hill at the village of Neuve Chapelle, as there were a growing number of allied soldiers, and this would enable the two forces to break through Germany's lines. The BEF advanced to the hill and managed to fracture the lines of the German 6th army, but was unable to go any further. Three days later, the BEF had captured only 2 square kilometres, at the cost of 13,000 soldiers.
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The Gallipoli campaign was fought on the peninsula of Gallipoli, in Western Turkey - the objective of the Allied powers was to capture Constantinople, the main city of the Ottoman Empire. If the Allies created a new front, the Germans would have to split their army between the Western (France and Germany), Eastern, (Russia), and the Ottoman Empire (the Balkans) then Germany would be a weaker force. Earlier in the year, there was an unsuccessful naval attack on Turkish forts off the Straits. Cont
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After a failed second naval attempt was made at capturing the Gallipoli peninsula, both British and French commanders made plans for full scale landings there. Seventy thousand more British troops were sent over. On the 25th of April the attack began, but the allies suffered severe losses. Between April 28th and June 4th, there were more attempted landings, but all failed. On the 6 of August, another attempt was made at three alternate sites. Cont.
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The third landing took the Turks by surprize, but they quickly retaliated; the fighting ended on the 12th of August. The situation quickly deteriorated from there, as no more ground could be gained and the Allied troops were under non-stop heavy fire. The commander asked for more troops, but none were available. An evacuation was recommended on Oct. 11th, and after much deliberation, was finally agreed upon and ordered on the 15th of Nov. Cont.
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The Newfoundland Regiment was sent to the Gallipoli peninsula to fight for the Allies. They faced heavy fire from the Turks, and towards the winter the outlook was very grim. With only a quarter of the men left, they were sent to another site on the peninsula, to help with the evacuation. The Newfoundland Regiment were the very last to leave the area, there only being 170 men left alive.
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The evacuation was postponed to the 7th of Dec., but due to a blizzard, execution did not begin until the 10th. Finally, between the Dec.10th and 6th of Jan., troops were moved out from three areas on the peninsula. There were 140,000 men evacuated. There were also 205,000 British wounded; 43,000 dead, 47,000 French wounded; 5000 dead and 250,000 Turkish wounded; 65,000 dead.
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This battle is said to be the longest battle of the First World War, lasting from late February to mid-December. Verdun was a fort in France located on the Meuse River, east of Paris. The German Army decided to attack Verdun in late Dec. 1915. The attack started on Feb. 21st, 1916, with around 1,000,000 German troops behind the attack. There were only 200,000 French facing this massive force, and they retreated the following day to the trenches behind the front lines. Cont.
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By February 25th, the Germans had captured 10,000 French soldiers. They halted their attack by the end of Feb., only to start up again on the 6th of March. There were 120,000 Germans dead and 133,000 French dead by the end of April. Throughout the spring, more French soldiers were needed, but had been despatched to Battle of Somme. On the 29th of May, the Germans captured an important strategic location at Mort Homme Hill. Cont.
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Germany attacked France at Fort Vaux, and on June 7th, it was captured. Germany almost managed to break through the French front lines, but did not succeed. The French Commander pleaded with Britain to split the German army in two by starting another battle elsewhere - the Battle of Somme, which commenced on July 1st. Cont.
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This battle was part of a strategy that brought about the weakening of the German army, as German troops were fighting on three fronts. Eight days before the battle began, the allies bombarded Germany with heavy artillery in order to wipe out their front lines. This failed, as the concrete and barbed wire barriers built by the Germans were protecting them well. Cont.
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For weeks after the beginning of the battle, the British and French made little or no progress, as the Germans had not been taken unaware. On the 11 of July, the British were able to reach the front lines of the German trenches. On the 19th the entire German army was shuffled around, as reinforcements came in from Verdun. The German army was expected to collapse imminently, and so the allies remained on the offensive. Cont.
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Once again, the brave Newfoundland Regiment fought from the very beginning of the battle. By Sept. the Canadian Corps had finally entered the battle and was very successful at capturing and holding many of the German trenches.
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There was little achieved on the part of either side, but both sides held strong in their positions. British tanks were used for the first time in battle on the 15th of Sept., however this offensive was not successful. After a few small, separate battles fought on the north and south end of the front lines between mid Sept. and late Oct., the French began to gain ground. Cont.
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Due to his dwindling success, the German commander was taken from the Western Front (in France) and put in command at the Eastern Front (in Russia). The French commander was also replaced with an aggressive General - Charles Mangin, who led the army in the recapture of Fort Douaumont, and Fort Vaux, on Oct. 24th and Nov. 2. After a short pause in the conflict, the French army regained even more lost ground and captured 11,000 German soldiers.
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In order to keep all the German forces occupied at Somme, the commanders of the BEF and the French army pressed their soldiers on aggressively. On the 13th of Nov., the allies captured another fortress; by the 18th, the battle was over due to inclement weather, unbearable conditions, and the many casualties. There were approximately 420,000 British fatalities, 200,000 French fatalities, and 500,000 German fatalities.
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David Lloyd George replaced Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as Prime Minister of England. Lloyd George is noted to have been one of the key men in ending 'the war to end all wars'. He introduced the convoy system to the navy, and created a firm coalition among the allied commanders.
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Germany had tried several times to attack British naval vessels using U-boats, but successes were few. As a result, the German Chancellor was persuaded to and ordered unrestricted submarine attacks on allied vessels of any type, especially supply ships.
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The purpose of this change in policy had been to 'shock' America with Germany's destruction of British naval powers; to discourage them from entering the war. However, the opposite occurred. America heard about this decision, asked Germany to reconsider, which they did not. Although the United States announced they were to be completely neutral, they finally declared war on Germany on Apr. 6th.
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Early in the War, Germany had captured and occupied Vimy Ridge, and built a complex system of trenches and bunkers. The allies built their own trenches after seeing the German construction at Arras. Over the course of 1915, the French army tried many times to capture Vimy Ridge, but never succeeded. In early 1916, the British army replaced the French, a battle was planned and cancelled. In the winter of 1916, the Canadians replaced the British. Cont.
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A new commander was appointed to the allies on the Western Front; he devised a plan to attack Germany's front lines at Vimy Ridge. On the night of Apr. 8th, the Canadian Corps attacked the Germans at the front lines, reached the top of the ridge, and went down into no man's land. Soon after, they captured the front and the secondary lines. Another Canadian division captured a large German tunnel which connected the trenches; with some gun posts still standing, there were heavy casualties. Cont.
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South of the ridge, the British army attacked the Germans in order to keep them fighting on all sides. The Canadians were still taking more of Vimy Ridge, and by the 12th, had captured the entirety of the Ridge. That night, after a futile counterattack was attempted, the Germans retreated. Over all, there were 158,660 British casualties, and 11,297 Canadian casualties (missing, injured, and killed).
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This battle was started by Sir Douglas Haig, who was trying to break through the front lines in Flanders, get to the coast of Belgium, in order to destroy the submarines there. Even though the plan was not supported by many important British officials, as they feared there would be great losses of merchant ships, it went ahead. On the 18th, the Germans were bombarded with artillery for ten days. The real attack started on the 31st. Cont.
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Germany was prepared for the attack, and the allies accomplished little. Throughout the beginning of August, there were torrential rains, turning the trenches and no man’s land into a quagmire. Thus, the men on foot were much slower and tanks were simply unusable. Not far into August, Haig retreated and called off the battle until September. The Canadians fought a series of small battles on the eastern front which allowed the allies more control of the area. Cont.
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As the allies had control of the eastern side of the front, the offensive was continued, and two major battles were fought, but were unsuccessful. The allies were still in the mud and now mustard gas was being released. Three more battles began and on Nov. 6th, Passchendaele was finally captured by the allies. The Canadians played a major role as they lead in taking ground which eventually allowed them to capture the village itself.
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As the tanks were useless at Passchendaele, the commander of the tank corps decided to launch an attack between two canals in France. On the 20th of November, 476 tanks began to bombard the German Army, which took the enemy completely by surprize. As Germany was trying to recuperate, the allies captured 6km very quickly. On the 30th, the Germans were able to retaliate. Cont.
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By early Dec. Germany seemed to be winning the battle, so the commander of the allies ordered the soldiers to retreat quickly. By the 7th, the battle was over. There were around 45,000 British casualties and 50,000 German casualties. Many high-ranking allied officers were criticized for their poor planning of this battle.
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After four long years of fighting, Russia sent communications requesting a treaty to end the war (and hopefully end the war for other nations). Russia needed to focus on other pressing internal matters. The Brest-Litovsk treaty was signed.
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As the battle with Russia was over, Germany now had approximately 500,000 soldiers to reinforce the Western Front, and the German leaders planned a massive attack. By the beginning of spring, the allies heard of this attack, but did not know where it was going to occur, so they reinforced their front lines, with the exception of the one near Cambrai. Soon, the Germans had wind of this decision and on March 21st, they attacked this area with vengeance using ‘storm troopers’. Cont.
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This new type of soldier was carrying only weaponry in order to enable them to move very quickly. Panic spread throughout the allied forces. The commander of the allies ordered them to retreat. In addition, Germany had developed ‘the Paris Gun’ which had a trajectory of 130km. On the 24th of March, they started shelling Paris, which was 120km away. The shelling was successful; however, the supply lines could not keep up with the storm troopers. Cont.
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(exact date unknown) Mathias Erzberger, the Vice-Chancellor of Germany, writes in a letter: "We will undertake the restoration of Russia, and in possession of such support will be ready, within ten or fifteen years, to bring France, without any difficulty, into our power. The march towards Paris will be easier than in 1914. The last step but one towards the world dominion will then be reached. The continent is ours."
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The German army began looting for food along the way. The planned attack was in shambles. They had lost 230,000 men, and the American army, which had over 250,000 men, had come to support the allies on the Western Front. By June, the German Army was collapsing. On the 15th of Jul. the last attack on the allies was ordered, but did not succeed. They started to advance; the allies counter-attacked, the result was the loss of almost 800,000 men.
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This was not actually one battle but a series of four that lasted 100 days. The battle of Amiens was a surprize attack planned by the allies, on the Western Front. The purpose of this attack was to capture the front lines of the Germans. There were 414 tanks made available and 800 planes as well. The Germans were outnumbered. By the end of the first day, the allies had taken 12km, almost reaching the front lines. The Canadians played a major role in this battle. Cont.
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By the 12th of Aug., the army had slowed down, capturing the front lines with only 6 working tanks. On the 15th, the battle ended and a new one was planned for Albert, which took place on the 21st. In the north the allies advanced quickly but were stalled by the afternoon. A little south, however, the Fourth British army were able to take the town of Albert by the 23rd and 8000 German soldiers were captured. The rest were in full retreat, and by the 29th, another town, Bapaume was taken. Cont.
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A new battle, fought near the town of Meuse-Argonne, was planned by the allies to cut off the Second German Army. Four hundred thousand American soldiers joined the allies there, and over 300 tanks were used as well. Even as the American troops advanced, they were exhausted, and the attack was lagging. Many of the German troops contracted influenza; they barely held their lines, and one month later began to retreat.
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This battle began 1 day after the Meuse-Argonne battle started, and was led by the Canadian Corps. The objective was to capture the last area of the Hindenburg Line, a German fortified trench line along the western front, which eventually failed. The Canadians lead the rest of the army over a narrow area, where they eventually spread out, and crossed the canal.
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Turkey, an ally of Germany, signed the armistice of peace, with the Western allied powers.
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(exact date unknown) Canadian General Andrew McNaughton says at the end of World War One: "We have them on the run. That means we will have to do it over again in another 25 years." 21 years later, World War Two begins.
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Austria-Hungary signed the same armistice of peace.
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Wilhelm was forced to abdicate the throne and fled to Holland the next day, where he remained until the end of his life in 1941.
In the picture, he is the fourth man on the left. -
The last Frenchmen to die was Augustin Trebuchon, at 10:45 am (shot by accident), the last British man to die (shot by the enemy) was George Ellison, at 9:30. The last Canadian to die was Private George Lawrence Price, at 10:58 am (shot by a sniper). The last American to die was Henry Gunther, who charged the Germans one minute before the armistice came into effect, at 10:59.
Picture of George Lawrence Price. -
The long-awaited day had arrived. On November 11th, at 11:00am (Paris time), the armistice was signed by the French allied commander, Ferdinand Foch, and a few other British, German and French officials. On that day, allied soldiers tried to use up ammunition, so they wouldn't have to haul it away. As a result, 2,738 men died in the morning. Cont.
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The peace conference began on the 4th of Jan. and ended on the 20th of January. There were a large percentage (over 60 countries) of the world's leaders there; however, the meetings were led by the United States, Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, some of whom were among the allied forces. On the 28th of July, a treaty was signed (the Treaty of Versailles) by the Germans which announced their full surrender.
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German citizens however, were outraged that they had been blamed for the mistakes of their government, and believed they should not be financially responsible to pay reparations to the allied nations, mainly to France and Belgium. Germany had no choice but to sign the Treaty as otherwise an invasion would have been launched.
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Germany also lost 13% of its land to many other nations – France received a large area called Alsace-Lorraine, which had been seized by Germany, Denmark received a small northern area called Schleswig, Belgium obtained Eupen and Malmedy; Czechoslovakia was given a small area named the Hultschin District, Poland obtained two areas comprising of West Prussia and Silesia, and Lithuania received a tiny strip of land, Menel, which ran along the Baltic sea. Cont.
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Also, a large city, called Danzig, was placed under the hegemony and safety of the League of Nations.
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The Treaty of Versailles satisfied the three main players at the end of the war, Britain, France, and America. It was meant to punish Germany, and to keep it from becoming a strong nation again. Its military was significantly reduced, and it was divided up into small territories under the rule of the allied forces. It lead to the formation of the League of Nations. Cont.
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The League of Nations, based in Geneva Switzerland, was formed on the 10th of Jan. as a recommendation of the Treaty of Versailles. The first 26 sections of the Treaty dealt with plans to organize this League. Its goal was to ensure that war never broke out again and to bring stability to the world. It was designed like a court where conflicts between nations would be heard and appropriate actions would be decided upon. America declined to become a member and Germany was not permitted to join.
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Germany failed to pay reparations to France and Belgium, who in retaliation, invaded a large area called Ruhr, in Germany, which was primarily an industrial section of Germany on the border of France and Belgium. German workers revolted, causing riots, strikes, and disarray. They occupied this area for 2 years. This was a direct result of the Treaty of Versailles.
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In Locarno Switzerland, a pact between Germany, Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, Poland, and Czechoslovakia is signed. They agree to keep all borders as they are, and peacefully settle any disputes that may arise between countries. A second pact is signed in the same location, between Germany, Britain, France, Belgium, and Italy. The countries resolve to not become aggressive toward each other or to invade each other.
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The League of Nations allows Germany to become a full member of their organization.
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The USSR and Germany sign a pact that solidifies their non-aggression towards each other, and also ensures that if either country is attacked, the other will come to its defence.
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The Treaty of Paris (Kellogg-Briand pact) goes into effect. In addition to Germany, the USA, and France signing the document (in the previous year), 31 other countries complied with the agreement that renounces war.
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(Month and date unknown) The construction of the Maginot defence line, started in France near the border of Germany begins. It is named after Sergeant André Maginot, who envisioned and supervises the construction of the line.
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When Hitler came to power over Germany in 1933, he was aware of the compensation that still owed, but refused to pay the large sum. It was only 1/8 paid off by that time.
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Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, a position offered by German President Paul von Hindenburg.
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Hitler discusses his plans to re-arm Germany with a group of generals and other high-ranking military officials in the home of General von Hammerstein. The next day he instructs the men to triumph over the east.
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Winston Churchill asks Britain not to press for France’s proposal of disarmament, as Germany’s military is reinforcing itself.
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Germany extracts itself from the Geneva Conference for Disarmament. On the 21st, Germany withdraws from the League of Nations.
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Hitler acquires the position of Reich President following the death of the current President, Paul von Hindenburg. He also changes the oath of allegiance, so that it directly refers to him.
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(exact date unknown) The German army is ordered by Hitler to triple in size (to approximately 300,000 men), to create an air force, and to expand their naval powers.
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Germany renounces the clause applying to disarmament in the Versailles Treaty, allowing for full re-armament, and the conscription of soldiers.
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Italy and Germany announce their agreement on foreign policy goals; the agreement is called the Rome-Berlin Axis.
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Japan and German sign a pact (called the Anti-Comintern pact) to defend each other from Communistic International. The announced agreement is the sharing of information between the two countries on Comintern activities, and the invitation of other nations/states to implement anti-Comintern protective actions.
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However, there is a secret clause in the pact, where in the case the either nation is attacked by the Soviet Union, the other country would remain neutral, and neither would sign any contract with the Soviet Union that disagreed with the original Anti-Comintern Pact.
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Hitler holds a meeting with several generals and admirals, including the Minister of War Field Marshal von Blomberg, and explains his agenda for the world, which is to maintain ethnic kinship. He also says that over a five-year period, he wants to expand Germany. It was later discovered that any in attendance of the meeting who differed in opinion with the Chancellor were forced to leave their positions within a period of five months.
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Italy joins the Anti-Comintern pact, originally signed by Germany and Japan.
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The Chancellor of Austria, Kurt von Schuschnigg, meets with Hitler in response to the demand that Austria become a colony of Germany. The Austrian Chancellor agrees, and soon after Hitler has organized a plan to invade and occupy Austria. The soldiers quickly march in to Austria, and seize the country. On March 13, it is announced that Austria and Germany have united.
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An alliance between Britain and France is made, in response to Germany’s quickening military growth.
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A counselor to the German Embassy meets in secret with the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax. He urges Britain to strongly oppose Hitler’s proposal to capture Czechoslovakia. Later, in Berghof Germany, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler agree that Germany should seize and take control of the Sudetenland, which is part of Czechoslovakia. France also agrees with Hitler’s demand, and Czechoslovakia is urged to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany.
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. Britain and France deny aid to the Czech if Germany threatens or attacks the country due to their refusal of the Sudetenland. In effect, the Czech government gives into Germany. Winston Churchill cautions the world of the senselessness of trying to please Adolf Hitler: "The belief that security can be obtained by throwing a small state to the wolves is a fatal delusion." The Czech government agrees to surrender primarily German speaking territory.
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(exact date unknown) In Germany, the government begins planning war with Poland.
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The Munich Agreement is signed by Britain, France, Germany, and Italy; this allows Germany to annex the Sudetenland part of Czechoslovakia. German troops move in on October 1, and evacuation of the Sudetenland is accomplished by October 10. In Munich, Chamberlain and Hitler sign an agreement which states: “our two peoples never to go to war with another again”. Germany soon occupies the Sudetenland.
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In Germany and Austria, the Jews are terrorized – homes, businesses, and synagogues are destroyed. Almost 100 Jews are murdered, and approximately 20,000 are taken to concentration camps. This night is known as "The Night of the Broken Glass".
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(exact date unknown) The Soviet Union Military plans an attack on Germany.
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Stalin allegedly gives a speech to members of an executive committee of Russian political parties, describing the strategy for the Soviet Union on the start of World War two. Stalin’s purges claim 700,000 and starvation kills 6 million. The secret police make mass arrests, including Red Army officers.
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Czech president Emil Hacha accepts Adolf Hitler's demand to surrender the entire country. The President of Czechoslovakia, Emil Hacha, gives into the pressure from Hitler and surrenders the entire country. German troops quickly occupy Prague (the capital). Hitler asserts that "Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist".
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Japanese Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma affirms his support to Germany and Italy.
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Hitler issues a directive to attack Poland on September 1, to recognize neutrality of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and that western forces are not to be engaged unless Germany is fired upon first.
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German bombers and fighters cross the border into Poland to destroy airfields, aircraft, road and rail centres, troop reserve concentrations, and command headquarters. Poland is annexed by Nazi Germany on 1 September 1939 and by the Soviet Union on 17 September. As a result, Poland was divided, and occupied by both Germany and the Soviet Union.
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The British government passes the National Services Act, which demands the conscription all men ages 18 to 41.
In Britain, the full withdrawal of all children from their large cities begins. Almost 1.5 million people are evacuated within a week. -
(exact date unknown) Adolf Hitler orders death squads into Poland, with instructions to annihilate tens of thousands of the Polish ruling class.
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Sir Neville Henderson, the British Ambassador in Berlin notifies Germany that if they do not withdraw from Poland by 11:00 AM London time, a war would be declared as of that hour. French Ambassador Robert Coulondre delivers a parallel ultimatum. On September 4, British Prime Minister Chamberlain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
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German troops arrive in Warsaw.
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British RAF squadrons arrive in France.
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The Governor General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir, declares war on Germany.
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Warsaw surrenders to Germany after a 21-day siege. Germany has captured all of Poland, killing thousands.
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Reinhard Heydrich, the deputy chief of the Gestapo, orders the SS to gather together Jews and detain them to ghettos in Warsaw. Note - The date is actually Sept. 31, but the program won't allow me to choose this date.
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The last Polish soldiers halt fighting with Germany. German losses - about 8100 dead, 28,000 wounded, 5100 missing, 217 tanks destroyed, and 564 planes destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
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The first Canadian soldiers leave Halifax for Britain, escorted by the Royal Canadian Navy.
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Denmark and Norway are seized. One monther later, on April 10, Germany overruns France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. On the same day, Winston Churchill is elected Prime Minister of Britain.
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Holland surrenders to Germany.
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300,000 soldiers are crowded onto the beach at Dunkirk for evacuation. On the 4th of June, the evacuation is finally completed.
The Battle of Dunkirk was an important battle that took place near Dunkirk, France, between the Allies and Germany. It was the defence and evacuation of many Allied soldiers. -
Belgium surrenders to Germany.
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The Nazis bomb Paris.
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Norway surrenders to Germany, and Italy declares war on Britain and France.
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Germany occupies Paris. The French people become prisoners of war in their own city.
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France asks for armistice and Britain is left on its own. Britain establishes the Home Guard, expecting an invasion.
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France signs an armistice with Germany.
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The Battle of Britain begins. This battle was fought entirely in the air.
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Air battles and daylight raids begin heavily over London, and throughout the rest of Britain. This time, known as the Blitz, did not end until May of 1941. There were approximately 400,000 casualties, and 200,000 homes destroyed.
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The first British air raid on Berlin begins. It lasts for two days.
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In the USA, the conscription bill is passed.
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The first units of Germany’s 'Afrika Korps' arrive in Tripoli (in North Africa) led by General Rommel.
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Germany occupies Greece and Yugoslavia. Both Greece and Yugoslavia surrender to the Germans.
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The German attack on Tobruk (in Libya) is rejected.
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exact date unknown) At the same time Germany invades the USSR, they also occupy Russian Poland. They regard Slavic and Jewish people as sub human. Jews are moved to ghettos and are made to wear the star armband. Children are abandoned and starving in the streets. Nazis decide to mass murder Jews and they are deported to camps.
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Hitler gives up invading Britain and turns his attention to the Soviet Union. Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union along an 1100-mile front, with three million soldiers, the largest invasion in history. German troops cross the border, armed with 3000 tanks moving in on 3 fronts from the Baltic to the Black Sea. They move at about 40 miles per day and invade city after city. 3,000,000 Germans move east.
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Over 3 million soviet soldiers are captured, and in 6 months 600,000 prisoners of war die.
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Britain and the Soviet Union make an agreement to assist each other.
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Germany’s siege of Leningrad (in the Soviet Union) begins.
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Germany captures Kiev (in the Ukraine). On the 29th, the German Army murders over 33,000 Jews in the city.
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USA enters the war when they are bombed by the Japanese at Pearl Harbour, the American naval base in Hawaii.
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The USA and Britain both declare war on Japan.
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Italy and Germany declare war on the United States.
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Germans begin a U-boat onslaught along east coast of the United States.
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American forces begin to arrive in Britain.
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(exact date unknown) The mass murder of Jews by gassing begins at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
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265,000 men, women and children are taken from Warsaw to death camps at Treblinka.
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A massive German air raid begins on Stalingrad (in the Soviet Union).
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The Battle of Stalingrad begins. Both Hitler and Stalin order that there will be no surrender – 600,000 die in one battle at Stalingrad. This is the turning point of the war.
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Hitler orders the extermination of all captured British commandos.
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The Soviet Union begin an offensive against Germany in Stalingrad.
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The end of the Battle of Stalingrad marks Germany’s first major defeat, when they surrender.
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German forces start to withdraw from Tunisia, Africa. The Allied victory in North Africa allows the invasion of Italy to begin.
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The Waffen-SS (special squadron of the SS) attacks the growing Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto.
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In North Africa, German and Italian troops surrender to the Allies.
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Himmler orders the termination of all Jewish in Polish Ghettos.
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Tank battles give the Soviet Union’s Army an advantage to push the German army back. The Russians take many German prisoners.
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Allies land in Sicily, and Germany begins to evacuate. By September 8th, Sicily has surrendered.
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German commandos rescue Italian dictator Mussolini, who begins to attempt to restore a Fascist government.
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The Allies enter and capture Naples, Italy.
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Italy changes sides, and declares war on Germany.
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The Soviet Union re-captures Kiev. Another German loss.
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Soviet soldiers move into Poland. The liberation of Jewish people draws near.
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Berlin is bombed by the Allies, during daylight hours. On the 18th, 3000 tons of bombs are dropped over Hamburg.
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American troops reach St. Lô, France.
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The Soviet troops instigate their final attack on Berlin, and American troops enter Nuremberg (located in the state of Bavaria). The German Army in the Ruhr surrender to the Allies. On the 21st, the Soviets finally reach Berlin.
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The Allies arrive in Rome.
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D-Day landings on the northern coast of France.
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'The Battle of the Hedgerows' in Normandy begins. Hedgerows used to divide farmland in France, became entanglements for Allied tanks, yet provided a defence for German soldiers.
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Canadian and British troops seize Caen, France. On the 18th of July, American troops reach St. Lô, France.
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Soviet troops finally liberate the first concentration camp in Majdanek.
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Operation Cobra – The Allies begin to break through at Normandy.
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The Polish Home Army begin an uprising against Nazis in Warsaw.
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Operation Dragoon begins, which is the Allied invasion of Southern France.
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Resistance uprising occurs in Paris. By August 25, Paris is liberated.
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The cities of Verdun, Dieppe, Artois, Rouen, Abbeville, Antwerp and Brussels are liberated by the Allies.
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The last known use of the gas chambers at Auschwitz occurs.
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Battle of the Bulge takes place in the Ardennes. The Americans incur major losses, as they are taken by surprize.
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The Waffen-SS execute 81 U.S. POWs at Malmedy.
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Germany withdraws from the Ardennes. They have also suffered major losses.
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The Soviet troops re-capture Warsaw, Poland.
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The Soviet troops finally liberate Auschwitz.
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The Soviet Union regains control of Eastern Europe after ‘Big Three’ meeting (between Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill)
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The Last German offensive of the Second World War begins - ‘Operation Spring Awakening’.
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The Allies liberate Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camps. American President Roosevelt dies, and Harry Truman becomes President.
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Italy’s former dictator, Mussolini, is arrested and hanged by Italian partisans.
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The American Army liberates the Dachau Concentration Camp.
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German Chancellor Adolf Hitler commits suicide.
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Germany surrenders in Italy.
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The German Forcers surrender absolutely to the Allies. The world celebrates.
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VE-Day; the Allies have won World War Two.
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The Allies split up Germany and Berlin, and take over their government.
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In San Francisco, the United Nations Contract is signed.
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American, British, and French troops advance into Berlin.
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First U.S. atomic bomb test occurs successfully, as on the 6 of August, the Americans drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing over 800,000 people. On the 8, the Soviet Union declares war on Japan and quickly invades Manchuria. The next day, another atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
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The Japanese surrender completely.
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World War II is officially over. Formal capitulation services take place on board the Battleship Missouri in the bay of Tokyo. This day is commonly known as VJ-Day.
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The United Nations is created. Their current motto is: "It's Your World."
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The Nuremberg war crimes trials begin.
