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Hitler invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland in order to reclaim and control areas that had been lost following World War I. The non-aggression deal with the USSR ensured that Germany would invade if the USSR took action. Britain and France would declare war on Germany when Hitler refused to evacuate Poland. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The war for control of the Atlantic between Germany and the Allies. During WWII, this was the longest continuous fight. Britain relied on the Atlantic for all of its resources, and if it were to lose it, it would lose access to all of them. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
Over 338,000 British and French soldiers were evacuated. The Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom proved crucial in this, intercepting German bombers from over the shore. This would increase British troop morale and provide them with a larger force. -
Fall of France
After France declared war on Germany, Germany successfully invaded France and Belgium. They followed the same approach as in WW1, passing through Belgium, but this time they were successful, taking just over a month to accomplish it. France was one of Germany's most formidable foes in the war and dominating it increased Germany's chances of victory. -
Battle of Britain
Germany ordered bomber planes to attack Britain's ports, air bases, aircraft manufacturers, and radar sites in order to degrade the country's air defenses. Winning helped Britain to avoid the Nazi takeover and provide a staging area for the invasion of Normandy on D-day. -
Battle of Dieppe
The Allies attempted a large raid on the French port of Dieppe, but it was unsuccessful. The German defenses were stronger than the allies had anticipated, and the Canadian naval and air force were unavailable to assist them. After the attack, many soldiers were killed or taken prisoner, and the allies learned a great deal that would contribute to D-triumph. Day's -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
The Japanese navy launched an unexpected attack on the US naval facility in Honolulu, Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona, which sank with over 1000 soldiers on board, was successfully sunk and detonated by the Japanese navy. The strike would break America's isolation in the war and lead to the United States unleashing an atomic bomb on Japan. -
Japan's Invasion of Hong Kong
Japan sent air raids over Hong Kong starting December 8 and Japanese soldiers landed in Hong Kong on December 18. Japanese soldiers took no prisoners gathering up and executed soldiers and took over Hong Kong from Britain on December 25. This was one of the first battles in the pacific during WW2 and Britain lost one of its territories. -
Italian Campaign
From the south, Allied forces invaded Italy, marching up the mainland until they were near Germany. This would result in Mussolini's demise and the end of fascism in Italy. -
D-Day
The allied forces began a naval, air, and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. In the north of France, Allied soldiers parachuted into drop zones. Ground soldiers then landed on five different beaches. Germany began to lose the war after D-Day and surrendered less than a year later. -
End of the War in Europe (Germany Surrenders)
The German Instrument of Surrender was signed, signaling the end of Germany's involvement in World War II as well as the Nazi Party. -
USA Drops Atomic Bombs
On August 9, the United States detonated two atomic bombs on Japan, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was the first and only occasion a nuclear bomb was used in a war or armed conflict, and it remains so today. -
End of the War in Pacific (Japan Surrenders)
On August 15, barely six days after the United States launched an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan proclaimed its surrender from WWII. On September 2, they signed their capitulation papers, formally ending World War II.
