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German Anschluss with Austria
Hitler annexed Austria then demanded the liberation of German people in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. -
Treaty of Munich
Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetenland. -
Britian rearms and reassures Poland
Britain had begun re-arming and a highly secret radar early warning system was installed along the east coast. Conscription was introduced and assurances were given to Poland, who was being threatened by the Fuhrer. -
Russia and Germany sign pact
Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact which included secret clauses for the division of Poland. -
'Phoney War'
The months following Britain's declaration of war are referred to as the 'phoney war' because Britain saw no military action. -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Despite the assurances given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich, he marched into Czechoslovakia and occupied the country. -
Hitler invades Poland
Adolf Hitler invaded Poland -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain and France declared war on Germany. Neville Chamberlain broadcasted the announcement that the country was at war. -
Hitler invades Denmark and Norway
Hitler invaded and occupied Denmark and Norway to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore and also to establish a Norwegian base from which to break the British naval blockade on Germany. -
British Rout Italians in N. Africa
Italian forces in North Africa were routed by the British led by General Wavell. -
Allies in N. Africa
General Alexander was given a directive form Churchill ordering that his main directive was to be the destruction of the German-Italian army. -
Blitzkrieg
Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied. -
Chamberlain resigns
Neville Chamberlain resigned after pressure from Labor members for a more active prosecution of the war and Winston Churchill became the new head of the wartime coalition government. -
Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo)
The British commander-in-chief, General Gort, had been forced to retreat to the coast at Dunkirk. The troops waited, under merciless fire, to be taken off the beaches. More than 338,000 men were rescued. -
Italy enter war on side of Axis powers
Italy entered the war on the side of the Axis powers. Italy's motive for entering the war was the hope of rich pickings from the spoils of war. -
France signs Armistice with Germany
The French, Marshall Petain, signed an armistice with Germany taking France, which had been devastated, out of the war and into German occupation. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain comprised of 4 phases: 1) Hitler sent Luftwaffe bombers to attack Britain ports. 2) The attacks on shipping continued but bombing raids were focused on RAF airfields. 3) The Blitz. 4) Night Bombing -
Tripartite Pact
This pact of mutual alliance was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan. -
Italy and Germany attack Yugoslavia
German and Italian troops attacked Yugoslavia, Greece and the island of Crete. -
Hitler attacks Russia - Operation Barbarossa
Hitler sent 3 million soldiers and 3,500 tanks into Russia. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese, who were already waging war against the Chinese, attacked the U.S. pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a preliminary to taking British, French and Dutch colonies in South East Asia. -
Britain and U.S. declare war on Japan
Britain and the U.S. declared war on Japan. -
Japanese take Singapore
The Japanese captured Singapore from Britain -
Battle of Midway
The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Russians won their first victory against Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad. -
Allies push into N. Africa
British and American forces landed in the NW of Africa and assumed control of French Morocco and Algeria. -
Battle of El Alamein
Montgomery attacked the German-Italian army in North Africa with a massive bombardment followed by an armored attacked. -
Allies invade Sicily
Allie powers invaded Sicily -
Allies take Sicily
The allied troops had won the island of Sicily. -
Allies meet at Tehran
Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met to coordinate plans for a simultaneous squeeze on Germany. -
Axis surrenders N Africa
The Allie forces managed to defeat the Axis forces in North America. -
Italy surrenders
Mussolini had been thrown out of office and the new government of Italy surrendered to the British and the USA. They then agreed to join the allies. -
Leningrad relieved
The siege of Leningrad was lifted by the Soviet Army. -
Rome Liberated
Although Italy had surrendered in September, it was only now that the allies were able to liberate Rome from the Germans. -
Japanese evicted from Burma
British forces, with help from guerrilla-fighting Chindits led by Orde Wingate, evicted Japanese from Burma. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched its final defensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium. They were beaten back by the allies. -
D-Day
The allies launched an attack on Germany's forces in Normandy, Western France. -
Paris liberated
The French capital of Paris was liberated from the Germans. -
V2 flying bombs
The first V2 flying bombs killed three people in London. -
Allies cross the Rhine
The Allies crossed the Rhine while Soviet forces were approaching Berlin from the East. -
Death of Roosevelt
President Roosevelt died, he was succeeded by President Truman. -
Russians reach Berlin
The Russians reached Berlin shortly before the U.S. forces. -
Mussolini captured and executed
Italian partisans captured Mussolini and executed him. -
Hitler commits suicide
The German leader, committed suicide in his bombproof shelter together with his mistress, Eva Braun, who he made his wife at the last minute. -
German forces surrender
German forces in Italy surrendered to the Allies. -
German forces surrender
German forces in north west Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery on Luneburg Heath. -
Donita offers unconditional surrender
Admiral Donitz, offered an unconditional surrender to the allies. -
V.E. Day
Victory in Europe was celebrated -
Churchill loses election
Winston Churchill lost the election to Clement Atlee's Labor Party. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
The Japanese generals refused to surrender. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Hiroshima. -
Russia declares war on Japan
Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Japanese-ruled Manchuria. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
The US dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered following Hiroshima. -
Japanese surrender
The Japanese unconditionally surrendered to the allies ending the second world war. -
MacArthur accepts Japan's surrender
US general, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's surrender thus formally ending the second world war.