World War II Timeline by Dianne Hernandez

By Dianne_HG

  • 1939

    The start of the war began in Europe, beginning with the invasion of Poland.

  • 1939

    Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.

  • 1940

    Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia signed the Tripartite pact and became axis partners.

  • 1940

    SS authorities establish the Auschwitz concentration camp outside the Polish city of Oswiecim ocated in German-annexed Upper Silesia.

  • 1940

    Italy enters the war a an ally of Germany.

  • 1941

    Bulgaria becomes a axis partner.

  • 1941

    The SS inspectorate of Concentration Camps opens Natzweier Concentration camp in France, near Strasbourg.

  • 1941

    Romanian military and police officials conduct a program in the city of Iasi, Romania, killing at least 4,000 Jews.

  • 1942

    The Inspectorate of Concentration Camps redesignates Stutthof as a concentration camp.

  • 1942

    German authorities begin systematic deportations of Jews from France.

  • 1942

    German authorities begin systematically gassing Jews at the Auschwitz killing center.

  • 1943

    The Inspectorate of Concentration Camps formally redesignates the prisoner-of-war camp of the Waffen-SS in Lublin as Lublin concentration camp.

  • 1943

    The SS Inspectorate of Concentration Camps open the Riga-Kaiserwald concentration camp, near Riga, Latvia.

  • 1943

    German authorities establish a residence camp at Bergen-Belsen for Jews suitable for prisoner exchanges with the western Allies.

  • 1943

    Italy, Germany's Axis partner, surrenders unconditionally yo the Allies. German military and police units quickly occupy northern Italy.

  • 1944

    US president Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9417, creating the War Refugee Board.

  • 1944

    German troops occupy Hungary

  • 1944

    D-Day, British and American troops launch an invasion of France.

  • 1945

    The SS begins the final evacuation of the Stutthof concentration camp

  • 1945

    Hitler commits suicide in his bunker in Berlin.

  • 1945

    German units in Berlin surrender to soviet forces.

  • 1945

    Soviet forces enter and liberarte the camp-ghetto Theresienstadt.

  • 1945

    United States special envoy Earl Harrison makes a Public report to President Truman on the treatment of Jewish displaced persons in Germany.

  • 1945

    Japan surrenders. World War II officially ends.