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September 18- Japan Invades Manchuria
This was the first event leading up to the war. The Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan invaded and Japan set up a puppet government soon after. This resulted in the building of mines and factories. -
October 2, 1935- May 1936: The Secon-Italo Ethiopian War
The forces that participated in this were from the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Ethiopia. Ethiopia was defeated, annexed, and subjected to military occupation. The Ethiopian Empire became a part of Italian East Africa. Fighting continued until the Italian defeat in East Africa in 1941, during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. Fascist Italy was able to completely conquer Ethiopia. -
March 14-15, 1939: Changes for the Slovak and Czech
Under German pressure, the Slovaks declare their independence and form a Slovak Republic. The Germans occupy the rump Czech lands in violation of the Munich agreement, forming a Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. -
August 23, 1939: Nonagression Pact + Division of Europe
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a nonaggression pact, which stated that the two countries would not fight against each other and German chancellor Adolf Hitler used it to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed. The pact also contained a secret agreement regarding how they would split up Eastern Europe, and their first step was to invade Czechoslovakia and start a chain reaction. -
September 1, 1939: Leading to WW2 in Europe
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. German units, through using 2,000 tanks and over 1,000 planes, broke through Polish defenses and advanced on Warsaw in a massive attack. This was the first event which triggered the start of war in Europe. Later, Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany on September 3, and continuing the process. -
May 10, 1940- June 22, 1940: Attacks on Europe and surrender
Germany attacked western Europe by using their tanks and infantry to quickly break through the French defensive lines and advance their forces to the coast. Belgium and the Netherlands surrendered and more than 300,000 French and British troops were evacuated from the beaches near Dunkirk. On June 22, France signed an armistice agreement so the Germans occupied the northern half of the country and the entire Atlantic coastline. This was an unsuccessful but productive time for those involved. -
August 30, 1940: The 2nd Vienna Award
Germany and Italy arbitrate a decision on the division of the disputed province of Transylvania between Romania and Hungary. The loss of northern Transylvania forces Romanian King Carol to bring to power a dictatorship under General Ion Antonescu. -
June 22, 1941- November 1941: Winter War
Germany and its Axis, including Finland (who joined just before the invasion) attack the Soviet Union. They quickly overrun the Baltic States and lay siege to Leningrad by September. In the center, the Germans capture Smolensk and drive on Moscow 2 months later. In the south, German and Romanian troops capture Kiev and Rostov on the Don River 2 months later. -
December 7-8, 1941: Bombing of Pearl Harbor and rise of Japanese power
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor on the 7th and on the 8th, The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. Japanese troops land in the Philippines, French Indochina, and British Singapore and by April 1942, fully occupy all countries. -
May 30, 1942- May 1945
The British bomb Köln (Cologne), bringing the to Germany for the first time. Over the next three years Anglo-American bombing demolishes urban Germany and turns it to rubble. -
February 19, 1942: Japanese Internment Camps
After the Executive Order 66 over 100,000 Japanese immigrants and Americans from Japanese descent were forced from their houses and businesses to camps around the western region. They were constantly fearful of Japanese infiltration. -
November 23, 1942- February 2, 1943: Battle of Stalingrad
This was an 8-month battle where the Soviet troops counterattacked, breaking through the Hungarian and Romanian lines northwest and southwest of Stalingrad, trapping the German Sixth Army in the city. They were forbidden by Hitler to retreat or try to break out, resulting in the survivors of the Sixth Army surrendering on January 30 and February 2, 1943. -
December 16, 1944: Battle of the Bulge
The Soviets advance on Germany, and Hitler declares a counterattack in the west, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. German tanks break through the American line and push the allies back resulting in the retreat of the Germans in January. -
June 6, 1944: D'Day
Within a month, over 1,000,000 troops had landed on five beaches along a 60-mile stretch of France’s Normandy region and prepared for what would be the largest land and sea attack in all of history. They codenamed this as "Operation Overlord" and there were over 10,000 allied casualties just on the first day. By September, France, Belgium and Luxembourg were liberated. -
August 20-25, 1944: Liberation of France, Belgium and the Netherlands
Allied troops reach Paris and soon, Free French forces that were supported by Allied troops enter the French capital. By September, the Allies reach the German border and essentially all of France, most of Belgium, and part of the southern Netherlands are liberated by December. -
April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his underground bunker by consuming a cyanide capsule, then shooting himself with a pistol. Eight days later, the German forces issued an unconditional surrender, leaving Germany under the control of the four Allied powers. This event was a very pivotal one, for it aided in the liberation of the many Jews in concentration camps. -
August 6, 1945: Bombing of Hiroshima
The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This is an event that caused a chain reaction of the use of atomic weapons and they are still used today. -
August 8, 1945: Soviets vs. Japan and invasion of Manchuria
The Soviet Union, following through with an agreement made earlier in the war, declared war on Japan. On this same day, they also invaded and attacked Manchuria. -
August 9, 1945: Bombing of Nagasaki
American military figures, General Groves and Admiral Purnell were convinced that two atomic bombs dropped within days of the other would have such an overwhelming impact on the Japanese government that it would surrender. The US did just as they thought, for the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9th was the last major act of World War Two and within days the Japanese had surrendered. -
September 2, 1945: Imperial Japan surrenders and war ends
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II. This was the last event of WW2 and put an end to the many long years of war.
