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Hitler went ahead with his plans to unify all German-speaking people. He annexed Austria then ordered the liberation of German people in the Sudetenland. Neville Chamberlain of the USA flew to Germany to discuss an arrangement before war broke out.
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Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier and Mussolini met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetanland. The Czechs were not recognised and realising that no country would come to help them, they 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.'
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Despite the promises given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich, he marched into Czechoslovakia, overrun and overtook the country.
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Britain had begun re-arming and a highly secret radar early warning system was installed along the east coast. Conscription was introduced and assurances were given to Poland.
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Hitler and Stalin, Russias leader, signed a non-aggression pact which included secret agreements towards the division of Poland.
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Hitler invaded Poland.
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Britain and France declared war on Germany. Chamberlain announced the war by broadcasting it.
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The time following Britains declartion of war is referred to as the phoney war becuse Britain inforced no military action.
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Hitler invaded and overtook Denmark and Norway to secure supply routes of Swedish ore and also to establish a Norwegian base.
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Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against the Netherlands and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied.
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Chamberlain resigned after pressure from Labour members for a more active place in the war and Winston Churchill became the new head of the wartime coalition government. Chamberlain gave Churchill his unreserved support.
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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 some 140,000 French who would form the nucleus of the Free French army under a little known general, Charles de Gaulle.
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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 ruins of war.
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The French signed an armistice with Germany taking France, which had been devastated, out of the war and into German ownership.
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The battle of britain consisted of four phases,
1. During July Hitler sent his Luftwaffe bombers to attack British ports. His aim was also to assess the reaction of the RAF's responce.
2. During August the attacks on ports continued but bombing raids were focussed on RAF airfields.
3. The Blitz - From September 7th London was badly bombed. Hitler hoped to destroy the British peoples morale.
4. Night Bombing - Nighty bombings were taking place. -
This pact of mutual alliance was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan.
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German and Italian troops attacked Yugoslavia, Greece and the island of Crete. German Marshall Erwin Rommel led the axis powers back to North Africa.
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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. The USA, which had been supplying arms to Britain under a 'Lend-Lease' agreement, offered similar aid to USSR.
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The Japanese, who were already waging war against the Chinese, attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour.
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Britain and United States declare war Japan
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The Japanese captured Singapore from the British, taking some 60,000 prisoners.
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The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. Following this victory, the US navy was able to push the Japanese back.
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General Alexander was given a hand-written directive from Churchill ordering that his main objective was the destruction of the German-Italian army commanded by Field-Marshall Rommell together with all its supplies and establishments in Egypt and Libya.
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Montgomery attacked the German-Italian army in North Africa with a massive bombardment followed by an armoured attack. He then proceeded to chase the routed enemy some 1500 miles across the desert.
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The Russians won their first victory against Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad.
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British and American forces landed in the noeth west of Africa and gained control of French Morocco and Algeria. They gradually closed in on the Germans.
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The British and American forces managed to defeat the Axis forces in North Africa.
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British and US forces invaded Sicily.
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The allied troops had won over Sicily.
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Mussolini had been thrown out of leading and the new government of Italy surrendered to 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.
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Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to make plans for a small group attack on Germany. They also discussed post war settlements. Churchill mistrusted Stalin and Roosevelt anxious to show that the West would not stand against Russia, went along with Stalin's wishes.
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Italian partisans captured Mussolini and executed him.
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Although Italy had surrendered in September, it was only now that the allies were able to liberate Rome from the Germans.
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The allies launched an attack on Germany's forces in Normandy. Thousands carried an invasion army under to the Normandy beaches. The Germans who had been told false information about a landing near Calais, rushed troops to the area but were unable to stop the allies from forming a solid fight. For the allies it was essential to first capture a port.
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British forces ,with help from guerrilla-fighting tactics evicted the Japanese from Burma.
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Frances capital, Paris was liberated by the Germans.
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The first bombs from a V2 were dropped in London and killed three people.
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Germany launched its final defensive through Belgium. However, they were pushed back by the allies.
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The Allies crossed the Rhine while Soviet union forces were approaching Berlin from the East.
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President Roosevelt died. He was succeeded by President Truman.
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Russia reaches berlin shortly before US forces.
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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.
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German forces in north west Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery. Admiral Donitz, who Hitler had nominated as his successor, tried to reach agreement to surrender to the Western allies but to continue to fight the Russians. His request was refused.
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Hitler's successor, Admiral Donitz, offerred an unconditional surrender to the allies.
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Europe celebrates its victory
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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.
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The Japanese generals refused to surrender. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
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Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Japanese-ruled Manchuria.
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The US dropped an atomic bomb on the port of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered, even after Hiroshima boming.
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The Japanese unconditionally surrendered to the allies ending the second world war
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US General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's surrender, therefore, formally ending the second world war.
