World War II: Before, During, and After

By aleegan002

  • Hitler tries to overthrow the German government

    Hitler tried to overthrow the German government in 1923. He failed.

  • Hitler becomes Chancellor

    Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and abolished democracy. Political scientists began to predict a second Great War.

  • Italy invades Ethiopia

    The Kingdom of Italy invaded the Ethiopian Empire, beginning in October 1935 and ending in May 1936.

  • Spanish Civil War

    Hitler lent support to Nationalist rebels in Spain.

  • Japanese invade China

    Japanese tried to invade all of China. After taking over Nanking and Shanghai, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians were murdered by the Japanese. China did not fall as the Japanese had hoped, instead the Chinese government relocated to Chongqing and continued the war.

  • War breaks out in Europe

    Germany invaded Poland. France, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa all declared war on Germany in the proceeding week.

  • Western Europe (1940-1941)

    Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to protect shipments of iron ore from Sweden. Italy invaded France on June 10, and France surrendered 12 days later. Germany fought against Britain. In September 1940, Japan, Italy, and Germany formed the Axis Powers.

  • Mediterranean (1940-1941)

    Italy sieged Malta in June, and made an incursion into British-held Egypt in September 1940. Germans helped Italy take over North Africa. Germany conquered Greek island of Crete. Also invaded Yugoslavia and Greece.

  • Axis Attack on USSR

    Germany, suppoerted by Italy and Romania, invaded the Soviet Union. The Axis's campaign to take over the Soviet Union failed. The blitzkrieg phase of the war had ended in Europe.

  • The US enters the War

    The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into the war. The Japanese also lead attacks on Thailand, Malaya, and Hong Kong, leading Britain, United States, China, and Australia to declare war on Japan.

  • Axis advance stalls

    The U.S., Britain, Soviet Union, China, and 22 other smaller or exiled governments agreed to not sign a separate peace with the Axis powers. Japanese easy victories left Japan overconfident and overextended. The Germans tried to invade Russia, but suffered tremendous losses. The British and Americans began the "Combined Bomber Offensive" in early 1943 to disrupt the German economy.

  • Allies gain momentum

    Germans tried to attack the Soviets around the Kursk bridge, but failed as they had exhausted themselves against the Soviet's defense. The Soviet victory at Kursk marked the end of German superiority. Chinese fought the Japanese which cost the Japanese. The Allies attacked Italy, Soviet offensive expelled German forces from the Leningrad region.

  • Allies close in

    Western Allies invaded northern and southern France. They continued to push back German forces in western Europe during the end half of the year. They slowly pushed into Germany. American forces in the Pacific continued to press back the Japanese perimeter.

  • Axis collapse, Allied victory

    Germany made its last desperate attempt for success on the Western front by launching a massive counter-offensive in the Ardennes to split the Western Allies. Western Allies kept pushing Germans back. The Germans surrendered in Italy on 29 April 1945, and total and unconditional surrrender was signed on 7 May. Japan surrendered on 25 August 1945 after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.