World War 2 Timeline By Claire St. John Period: 1939 to 1945 Battle of the Atlantic https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-the-atlantic Aug 23, 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union (USSR) sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-soviet-pact#:~:text=The%20German%2DSoviet%20Pact%20was%20an%20agreement%20signed%20by%20Nazi,Minister%20Vyacheslav%20Molotov%20negotiated%20it. Sep 1, 1939 Germany attacks Poland https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939#:~:text=On%20September%201%2C%201939%2C%20Germany,to%20encircle%20and%20dismember%20Germany. Sep 3, 1939 Great Britain and France declare war or Germany https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1939-1941/britain-and-france-declare-war#:~:text=Honoring%20their%20guarantee%20of%20Poland's,the%20German%20and%20British%20militaries. Sep 17, 1939 USSR attacks Poland from the east. Poland soon falls and is divided between the Germans and Russians https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939#:~:text=After%20heavy%20shelling%20and%20bombing,was%20along%20the%20Bug%20River. Period: Nov 30, 1939 to Mar 13, 1940 Winter War between the USSR and Finland. War ends when Finland cedes border lands to the USSR https://www.britannica.com/event/Russo-Finnish-War 1940 Slovakia, Hungary, Romania joins the Axis Powers https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/axis-powers-in-world-war-ii Period: Apr 9, 1940 to Jun 9, 1940 Germany invades and captures Denmark and Norway https://www.annefrank.org/en/timeline/61/germany-invades-denmark-and-norway/#:~:text=Under%20the%20code%20name%20'Operation,surrendered%20on%209%20June%201940. Period: May 10, 1940 to Jun 22, 1940 Germany attacks Western Europe https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/operations/westerneurope_e.html Jun 10, 1940 Italy joins the war and, on June 27, invades Southern France https://www.britannica.com/place/Italy/World-War-II Period: Jun 14, 1940 to Aug 6, 1940 USSR gains control over the Baltis States(Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/europe/1966-04-01/how-baltic-republics-fare-soviet-union#:~:text=The%20Baltic%20States%20of%20Estonia,republics%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union. Period: Jul 10, 1940 to Oct 31, 1940 Battle of Britain https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-britain Sep 13, 1940 Italy invades British controlled Egypt https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/italy-invades-egypt Sep 27, 1940 Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-tripartite-pact-is-signed-by-germany-italy-and-japan Oct 28, 1940 Italy invades Greece https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/operations/greece_e.html 1941 German Africa Corps are sent to North Africa to reinforce the Italians https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-guide-to-the-war-in-africa-during-the-second-world-war Mar 1, 1941 Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/bulgaria#:~:text=In%20early%20March%201941%2C%20Bulgaria,attack%20on%20Yugoslavia%20and%20Greece Apr 28, 1941 Mussolini is executed https://www.nationalww2museum.org/death-of-benito-mussolini Jun 22, 1941 Germany joined by Axis allies and Finland attack the USSR https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/axis-powers-in-world-war-ii Sep 3, 1941 Italy surrenders unconditionally https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/italian-surrender-is-announced Dec 7, 1941 The Japanese launch a surprise attack on the U.S naval base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack Dec 8, 1941 The United States declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy soon declare war on the United States https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1939-1941/us-declares-war-on-japan Period: Dec 8, 1941 to 1940 The Japanese gain control over the Philippines, French Indochina and Singapore https://www.pacificatrocities.org/japanese-imperialism-through-the-lens-of-french-indochina.html Period: May 4, 1942 to May 8, 1942 The Battle of Coral Sea https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Coral-Sea Period: Jun 3, 1942 to Jun 7, 1942 The Battle of Midway https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway Period: Jul 1, 1942 to Jul 27, 1942 1st Battle of El Alamein https://www.britannica.com/event/battles-of-El-Alamein Period: Aug 7, 1942 to Feb 9, 1943 The Battle of Guadalcanal https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/solomon-islands-campaign-guadalcanal Aug 9, 1942 The Bataan Death March begins as the Imperial Japanese Army forces Filipino and American prisoners of war to march 60 tortured-filled miles https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-bataan-death-march Period: Aug 23, 1942 to Feb 2, 1943 Battle of Stalingrad https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Stalingrad Period: Oct 23, 1942 to Nov 5, 1942 2nd Battle of El Alamein https://www.britannica.com/event/battles-of-El-Alamein Jun 6, 1944 Operation Overlord, D-Day https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/world-war-ii-d-day-invasion-normandy Aug 25, 1944 Paris is liberated https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/liberation-paris Period: Dec 16, 1944 to Jan 25, 1945 Battle of the Bulge https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge Period: Feb 4, 1945 to Feb 11, 1945 Yalta Conference https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/yalta-conf Period: Feb 19, 1945 to Mar 26, 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1945/battle-of-iwo-jima.html Period: Apr 1, 1945 to Jun 22, 1945 Battle of Okinawa https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-of-okinawa Apr 12, 1945 FDR dies, Harry Truman becomes President https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/trivia/biographical-sketch-harry-truman Apr 30, 1945 Hitler commits Suicide https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1942-1945/hitler-commits-suicide May 8, 1945 V-E Day https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-ve-day Period: Jul 17, 1945 to Aug 2, 1945 Postdam Conference https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf Aug 6, 1945 U.S drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/decision-drop-atomic-bomb Aug 9, 1945 U.S drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki https://www.britannica.com/event/atomic-bombings-of-Hiroshima-and-Nagasaki#:~:text=When%20were%20the%20atomic%20bombs,AM%20on%20August%209%2C%201945. Aug 15, 1945 V-J Day https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/VJ-Day/#:~:text=V%2DJ%20Day%2C%20or%20Victory%20over,the%20world%20erupted%20in%20celebration.