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Treaty of Munich
Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetanland of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were not represented at the meeting and realising that no country would come to their aid were forced to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany.Chamberlain returned to England with a piece of paper signed by Hitler, proclaiming 'peace in our time.' -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Despite the assurances given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich, he marched into Czechoslovakia and occupied the country. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
They sent in 1.5 million troops at the same time the German Luftwaffe bombed Polish airfields. The attack came without any declaration of war by Germany. Great Britain and France sent Hitler an ultimatum to either withdraw German forces from Poland or face the two nations in war and two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
Blitzkreig
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 Labour members for a more active prosecution of the war and Winston Churchill became the new head of the wartime coalition government. Chamberlain gave Churchill his unreserved support. -
Dunkirk
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. A call went out to all owners of sea-worthy vessels to travel to Dunkirk to take the troops off the beaches of Dunkirk. More than 338,000 men were rescued, among them, 140,000 French who would form the nucleus of the Free French army under general, Charles de Gaulle. -
Italy entered the war
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. -
Battle of Britain
During July Hitler sent his Luftwaffe bombers to attack British ports. His aim was also to assess the speed and quality of response by the RAF. During August the attacks on shipping continued but bombing raids were concentrated on RAF airfields.The Blitz - From September 7th the city of London was heavily bombed. Hitler hoped to destroy the morale of the British people. -
Tripartite Pact
This pact of mutual alliance was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan. -
Hitler attacks Russia
Hitler sent 3 million soldiers and 3,500 tanks into Russia. The Russians were taken by surprise as they had signed a treaty with Germany in 1939. Stalin immediately signed a mutual assistance treaty with Britain and launched an Eastern front battle that would claim 20 million casualties. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbour, in the Naval Base of Hawaii. It was a surprise attack which led to declaration of war on Britain and the U.S by the Japanese.The attack was a shock, however, there was no doubt that it had been planned for years. -
Battle of Midway
The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. Following this victory, the US navy was able to push the Japanese back. -
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. The Germans took control of the Italian army, freed Mussolini from imprisonment and set him up as head of a puppet government in Northern Italy. This blocked any further allied advance through Italy. -
Allies meet at Tehran
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to co-ordinate plans. They also discussed post war settlements. Churchill mistrusted Stalin; Roosevelt anxious to show that the West would not stand against Russia, went along with Stalin's wishes for a second front in France and no diversions further east. Churchill was over-ruled and the fate of post-war Eastern Europe was decided. -
D-Day
A massive Allied airborne and amphibious assault happened against the German fortifications and defenses in occupied Normandy, France. By the end of the day, more than 120,000 American, British, Canadian, and Free French troops were on French soil, and the liberation of France had begun. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched its final defensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium. However, they were beaten back by the allies. -
Hitler commits suicide
The German leader, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bombproof shelter together with his mistress, Eva Braun, who he had, at the last minute, made his wife. -
VE- Day
Germany surrendered and President Truman and Prime minister Churchill declared victory in Europe today, celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany . -
Churchill loses election
Winston Churchill lost the election to Clement Atlee's Labour Party. The Labour party promised sweeping social reforms including nationalisation of the coal and railway industries and the creation of a welfare state. The Labour party gained 393 seats to the Conservatives 213. It was generally accepted that the landslide victory for Labour was due to the men and women of the armed services who did not want to resume civilian life under the conditions that they had before they entered service. -
Atomic bomb dropped
The United States dropped an atomic bomb on the port of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered following Hiroshima. -
End of WWII
Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on board the USS Missouri. The surrender ceremony marked the end of World War II
