World War II Timeline by Michl Maxwell

  • Start of WW2

    World War II begins when Nazi Germany invades Poland's capital. German forces than defeat the Polish army and Warsaw (capital of Poland) surrenders.
  • Declaring War

    Following the attack on Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany which are allied nations of Poland.
  • Invasion

    Germany invades Norway and Denmark
  • Invasions

    Germany launches invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France. After a couple weeks, all but France has surrendered.
  • Surrender of France

    France signs the official surrender to Germany
  • Battle of Britain

    Germany starts to bomb Great Britain in the Battle of Britain
  • Italy

    Italian troops invade British controller areas of Egypt to try and expand Italian territories.
  • Axis Powers

    Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact in Berlin for the alliance of the Axis Powers. The alliance is for mutual assistance for any members suffering an attack by a nation not already in the war.
  • Largest Military Effort

    Germany launches Operation Barbarossa which is the invasion of the Soviet Union and the largest military effort of World War II. Within a few weeks, the Soviet Union joins the Allied Nations.
  • Pearl Harbor

    Japan launches a surprise attack on American soil and bombs Hawaii's naval base at Pearl Harbor. More than 2,300 American soldiers and sailors died and another 1,100 were wounded.
  • After Pearl Harbor

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares war on Japan
  • War on U.S.

    After the United States declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. When this happened, the United States officially enter World War II as part of the Allied Powers
  • Japan Captures Singapore

    Japan beats British resistance and captures Singapore which was Britain's last strategic foothold in the East
  • Executive Order 9066

    President Roosevelt signs the Executive Order 9066, which orders the capture and incarceration of all Japanese-Americans in the United States. There was a total of about 100,000 Japanese-American citizens captured
  • Philippines

    Japan captures the Philippines
  • Japan Captures Burma

    Japan captures Burma, ending British rule in the country.
  • Turning Point

    Japan is defeated by the Allies in the Battle of Midway. This battle marks a turning point for the Allies.
  • German Troops Surrender

    German troops surrender to the Soviet Red Army in Stalingrad, USSR.
  • Italy Officially Surrender

    Italy surrenders to the Allies and becomes the first of the Axis Powers to break and weaken the Axis Powers.
  • D-Day

    Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy, France to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control.
  • Japan's Navy Defeat

    Japan's navy is defeated by the Allies
  • Germany Surrenders

    Germany surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe
  • Hiroshima

    The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The United States becomes the first and only nation to use nuclear warfare. The bomb immediately killed about 60,000 to 80,000 people. A total of 135,000 were killed from the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.
  • Nagasaki

    The United States drops a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. About 40,000 to 75,000 people died immediately. The total death count reaches an estimated 80,000
  • End of WW2

    Japan formally surrenders to the Allies, ending World War II completely.