-
Just like the name suggests, this was a battle for control over the Atlantic sea. Due to fighting being near its coasts, Canada entered the war. Canada's entrance into this battle boosted their navy to be very powerful. The Allies wanted control of the Atlantic to keep men and supplies flowing to and from North America to Europe, but Germany was against this. Due to advanced Canadian and Allied technology, German U-boats suffered heavy losses. The battle ended May 8th, 1945. -
The Battle of Britain began on September 3rd. The British Royal Air Force and the Nazi Luftwaffe battled for control over the airspaces of Germany, Great Britain, and the English channel. In an attempt to invade Britain, the Luftwaffe took air superiority of Southeast England. After a bombing made by the British RAF, Hitler announced he would start bombing British cities. The battle ended on Oct 31st, 1940. -
Only 6 months after Pearl Harbor, Japan planned to do another bombing in hopes of replicating the damage done by the bombing in Hawaii. The US was able to crack secret Japanese messages, causing the attack to no longer be a surprise to the US. Major combat between the two countries ended on June 4, but two large US ships were struck on June 6. The battle officially ended when Japan withdrew from the battle on June 6th, 1942. This boosted American morale while draining Japanese morale. -
Just a day after Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces invaded the Philippines and captured the capital, Manilla. The capture of Manilla forced Filipinos to retreat to Bataan. Around 75,000 Filipino and American troops were forced to march around 65 miles to prison camps located on the southern Bataan Peninsula. Thousands of citizens and troops died along the way, and those that survived would most likely die at the camps. In February of 1945, Manilla was recaptured and liberated by the US. -
The Battle of Stalingrad began on July 17, 1942. The Axis powers planned on invading Stalingrad, despite Germany telling Russia they would not do so. Some of the nations from the Allied powers assisted Russia in defending Stalingrad, leading to the capture and defeat of General Friedrich Paulus's 6th army in 1943. As a result, many Axis armies were destroyed. The battle ended on February 2nd, 1943. -
In 1942, US Marines launched a surprise attack on the island of Guadalcanal, occupied by the Japanese. The US planned to use the island for its air base, which was important to control sea lines of communication between the US and Australia. Heavy casualties caused Japan to withdraw, giving control of the island to the US. After the battle, the US had a growing naval power and was able to secure more land taken by the Japanese. The battle ended on February 9th, 1943. -
Operation Torch was planned by Allied forces to invade Northern Africa in hopes of drawing away Axis forces from the Eastern Front. The allies aimed to secure bridgeheads for opening a second front to the rear of German and Italian forces. Unfortunately, their presence did not draw away German forces. Americans took their shortcomings as a learning experience to prepare for future battles. -
Up until D-Day, Germany was in control of France. The allied powers aimed to take back France in an attempt to gain back more European territory. Allied leaders tricked Germany into thinking the invasion would be on the Belgian border, when really it would be at Normandy. By the end of the day, the Allies successfully gained back France and formed a new government under Charles de Gaulle, replacing the old Vichy regime. -
Allied powers landed on the island of Leyte in 1944. The powers came in hopes of ending the ability of resources to be moved from southeast Asia to the home islands of Japan. They did exactly that when an aircraft attack caused the Japanese navy to withdraw from the battle. The battle ended on October 26th, 1944. -
In hopes of negotiating a truce with the Western Allies, Hitler advanced into Belgium. Germany lost many troops, machinery, and tanks during this attempt. Germany aimed to disrupt the Allies’ lines of communication by taking the key transportation centers of Liege and Antwerp. The battle ended on January 16th, 1945. -
Located 750 miles off the coast of Japan, the island of Iwo Jima seemed like a good place for the US to use as a staging facility to invade Japan. Japanese forces hid in the mountainous regions of the island, causing the battle to rage on for four years after WW2. The battle ended in 1949, and the US never got to use the island for their initial intent because the Holocaust had ended. -
The Battle of Okinawa began on April 1st when Allied forces began to invade the island of Okinawa. Allied leaders hoped to obtain the island to use as an airbase, which could serve as a good place to bomb Japan from, as well as blocking air strikes from Japan. Around 150,000 Okinawan citizens and 110,000 Japanese died during the fighting. The capture of Okinawa lead the Japanese to surrender almost 3 months later.
Plan projects on a visual timeline
Map milestones, phases, deadlines, and key events in one place so the sequence is easier to see and share. Timetoast is a timeline maker for work, school, research, and stories.