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German troops invaded Poland, sparking World War II in Europe. In response to this aggression, Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
The Soviet Union invades Finland and starts the so-called Winter War. The Finns ask for an armistice and cede the northern shores of Lake Lagoda to the Soviet Union. They also cede the small Finnish coast of the Arctic Ocean. -
The Italian invasion of France, also known as the Battle of the Alps, was a war that marked the entry of the Kingdom of Italy into World War II, and was the last operation of the larger contest between the French Third Republic and the Third Reich, which culminated in a German victory. -
Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact on September 27, 1940. This pact formalized the alliance between the three countries later designated as the Axis powers. In the pact, Japan recognized "the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe." -
Germany, Italy and Hungary invade Yugoslavia and, together with Bulgaria, dismember it. Yugoslavia surrenders on 17 April. Germany and Bulgaria invade Greece in support of the Italians. Resistance in Greece ceases in early June 1941. -
One morning, a Japanese fleet of warships attacks the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The Japanese fire bombs and torpedoes at the Americans. At the end of the attack, more than 3,500 Americans were killed and wounded. -
It was a naval battle in the Pacific Theatre, where the United States Navy defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy. This victory changed the course of the war in the Pacific and reduced Japan's ability to launch offensives in the region. -
Soviet forces won a decisive victory over the German Army, marking the beginning of the German retreat on the Eastern Front and significantly weakening Germany's ability to continue its advance into the Soviet Union. -
The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank confrontation in history and marked the climax of the German offensive on the Eastern Front. German forces attempted a massive attack on the Kursk salient, but were repulsed by Soviet forces. This battle resulted in a defeat for Germany and marked the beginning of the German retreat on the Eastern Front, contributing significantly to turning the tide of the war in favour of the Allies. -
The Tehran Conference brought together Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin to coordinate strategy against the Axis Powers. The opening of a second front in Europe and the planning of future military operations were discussed, laying the groundwork for Allied victory in World War II. -
Allied forces carried out a massive invasion of the coast of Normandy, France. This operation marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi rule and the beginning of the end of Hitler's regime -
-Launched by the Soviet Red Army on 22 June 1944, Operation Bagration was one of the largest military offensives in history. Aimed at destroying the German Central Army Group on the Eastern Front, it resulted in a decisive victory for the Soviet Union and severely weakened German forces in the east, paving the way for the subsequent Soviet offensive into Central and Eastern Europe. -
On 8 May 1945, the unconditional surrender of German forces was announced, ending World War II in Europe. This day is known as V-E Day, and marked the end of almost six years of conflict on the European continent. -
On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed by another atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki on 9 August. These events marked the first and only use of nuclear weapons in the war, and led to Japan's surrender on 15 August, ending World War II in the Pacific Theatre.