World War 2 Era By Tyler Porter Period: Jul 29, 1920 to Sep 2, 1945 World War II Jul 29, 1921 Adolf Hitler becomes leader of National Socialist (Nazi) Party. The first step in the 2nd World War Sep 18, 1931 Japan invades Manchuria. Jan 30, 1933 Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. Mar 23, 1933 Enabling Act gives Hitler dictatorial power. Oct 25, 1936 Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sign the Rome-Berlin Axis. Nov 25, 1936 Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact. Sep 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe. Jun 10, 1940 Italy enters the war. Italy invades southern France. Sep 27, 1940 Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. Mar 1, 1941 Bulgaria joins the Axis. Jun 22, 1941 Nazi Germany and its Axis partners invade the Soviet Union. Dec 7, 1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. Dec 8, 1941 The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. Dec 11, 1941 The Axis partners declare war on the United States. May 13, 1943 Axis forces in Tunisia surrender, ending war in North Africa. Jun 4, 1944 Allied troops liberate Rome. Sep 12, 1944 Finland leaves the Axis partnership. Apr 9, 1945 The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Apr 16, 1945 The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin. Apr 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide. May 7, 1945 Germany surrenders to the western Allies. Aug 6, 1945 The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Sep 2, 1945 Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.