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Germany invades Poland
Historians refer to this date as the start of World War II -
Period: to
World War II
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France and Britain declare war
France and Great Britain declare war on Germany because they invaded Poland, who was their ally. -
Germany invades Western Europe
The Germans take Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. France signs an armistice agreement in which the Germans take control of the northern half of the country and the Atlantic border. -
Italy invades France
Italy joins the war and invades southern France -
Germany is defeated in the Battle of Britain
The air war known as the Battle of Britain ends in defeat for Nazi Germany. -
Axis powers invade Yugoslavia
Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria invade and dismember Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia surrenders on April 17. -
Axis powers invade Soviet Union
Nazi Germany and it’s Axis partners invade the Soviet Union -
Soviet counteroffensive drives Germany away
A soviet counteroffensive drives the Germans from the Moscow suburbs in chaotic retreat. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks United States directly by bombing Pearl Harbor in Hawaii -
US declares war on Japan
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II after an attempt at strict neutrality -
Axis powers declare war on US
Nazi Germany and it’s Axis partners declare war on the United States -
Battle of Midway
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway. This is a turning point for the US. -
Germany fights Soviet Union
Germany and her Axis partners launch a new offensive in the Soviet Union. German troops fight their way into Stalingrad -
German occupation of southern France
German occupation of southern France -
Germans launch massive tank offensive near Soviet Union
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. The Soviets blunt the attack within a week and begin an offensive initiative of their own. -
Ally troops liberate Rome
Ally troops liberate Rome. Within six weeks, Anglo-American bombers could hit targets in Eastern Germany for the first time. -
British and US opened a Second Front Germans
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans -
Germans launch final offensive
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. -
Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazis, commits suicide -
Germany surrenders to the Western Allies
Germany surrenders to the Western Allies -
Germany surrenders to the Soviets
Germany surrenders to the Soviets -
The United States drops an atomic bomb Hiroshima
The United States drops an atomic bomb Hiroshima -
The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invades Manchuria
The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invades Manchuria -
The United States drops am atomic bomb on Nagasaki
The United States drops am atomic bomb on Nagasaki -
Japan surrenders
Japan surrenders