World War II Timeline

Annexation of Sudetenland

Oct 1, 1938

Nazi Germany annexed Sudetenland, following the Munich Pact. This allowed Hitler to get the area for peace. This weakened Czechoslovakia and strengthened Germany, laying the foundation of World War II.
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Island Hopping

Period: 1939 to 1945

The U.S had a military strategy in the Pacific Theater. They would capture strategic islands while bypassing the heavily fortified ones. This allowed the Allies to advance toward Japan and conserve resources.
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Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Japan did a surprise attack on the U.S naval base located at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack was the reason why the United States declared war on Japan, entering World War II.
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Japanese Internment Camps

Period: 1942 to 1945

The government relocated around 120,000 Japanese Americans in camps across the western U.S. This was because the U.S was afraid after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Battle of Midway

Period: Jun 7, 1942 to Jun 7, 1942

This was a decisive battle between the U/S and Japan. U.S defeat Japan and cripple Japans fleet and shifted the balance of power in the Pacific, favoring the Allies.
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Guadalcanal

Period: Aug 7, 1942 to Feb 9, 1943

Fought between the Allies and Japan. The victory at Guadalcanal marked the beginning of Allied forces to start island-hopping to regain stolen territory from Japan.
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Stalingrad

Period: Aug 23, 1942 to Feb 2, 1942

A battle fought between Soviet Union and Nazi Germany from 1942 to 1943, this is one of the bloodiest battles in history. It was the turning point in the war on the Eastern Front. The battle ended with Germany surrendering.
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Los Alamos

Period: 1943 to 1939

Los Alamos, New Mexico was a site of the top-secret Manhattan Project, where scientists by Oppenheimer and Eintein. They developed the first atomic bombs during WWII. This gave the U.S a military advantage in the war.
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D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. This invasion was the turning point in the war and marked the beginning of liberating Eurpose from the Nazis. The success lead to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.
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The Philippines

Period: Oct 20, 1944 to Jul 4, 1945

The U.S and Filipinos fight to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Japan lost the battle and surrendered the Pacific for the Allies
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Yalta Conference

Period: Feb 4, 1945 to Feb 11, 1945

Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at Yalta to discuss the post-war order. They agreed on how Germany will be divided and set plans for the establishment of the United Nations. The conference also mentioned issues about the war in Europe and Japan.
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Fall of Berlin

Period: Apr 16, 1945 to May 2, 1945

Battle between the Soviet Union and Germany, started off the capture of the German capital in May 1945. Eventually this collapsed Nazi Germany and ended the war in Europe.
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Death of Hitler

Apr 30, 1945

Adolf Hitler commited suicide as the Soviet forces started advancing into Berlin. His death lead to the collapse of Nazi Germany and ended WWII in Europe. His suicide was a symbol of the end of the Nazis.
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Meeting at Potsdam

Period: Jul 17, 1945 to Aug 2, 1945

Truman, Churchill, and Stalin finalize decision on post-war Europe. They issued the Potsdam Declaration, demanding Japan's surrender and outlining the occupation of Germany.
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