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Germanys anschluss with Austria
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. -
Treaty of Munich
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.' -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Despite the promises given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich, he marched into Czechoslovakia, overrun and overtook the country. -
Britain rearms and reassures poland
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. -
Russia and Germany sign a pact.
Hitler and Stalin, Russias leader, signed a non-aggression pact which included secret agreements towards the division of Poland. -
Hitler and the Nazis invade Poland
Hitler invaded Poland. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany.
Britain and France declared war on Germany. Chamberlain announced the war by broadcasting it. -
Phoney war.
The time following Britains declartion of war is referred to as the phoney war becuse Britain inforced no military action. -
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Hitler invaded and overtook Denmark and Norway to secure supply routes of Swedish ore and also to establish a Norwegian base. -
Blitzkrieg
Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against the Netherlands and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied. -
Neville Chamberlain resigns.
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. -
Dunkirk operation. (D-Day)
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. -
Italy enters war, siding with the axis powers.
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. -
France signs armistice with Germany
The French signed an armistice with Germany taking France, which had been devastated, out of the war and into German ownership. -
The Battle of Britain
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. -
Tripartite Pact
This pact of mutual alliance was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan. -
Italy and Germany attack Yugoslavia
German and Italian troops attacked Yugoslavia, Greece and the island of Crete. German Marshall Erwin Rommel led the axis powers back to North Africa. -
Hitler attacks Russia - Operation Barbarossa
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. -
Pearl Harbour
The Japanese, who were already waging war against the Chinese, attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour. -
Britain and US declare war on Japan
Britain and United States declare war Japan -
Japenese take Singapore
The Japanese captured Singapore from the British, taking some 60,000 prisoners. -
Battle of Midway
The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. Following this victory, the US navy was able to push the Japanese back. -
Allies in North Africa
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. -
Battle of El Alamein
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. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Russians won their first victory against Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad. -
Allies push into North Africa
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. -
Axis powers surrender North Africa
The British and American forces managed to defeat the Axis forces in North Africa. -
Allies invade Sicily
British and US forces invaded Sicily. -
Allies take Sicily
The allied troops had won over Sicily. -
Italy surrenders
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. -
Allies meet at Tehran
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. -
Mussolini captured and executed.
Italian partisans captured Mussolini and executed him. -
Rome liberated
Although Italy had surrendered in September, it was only now that the allies were able to liberate Rome from the Germans. -
D-Day
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. -
Japenese evicted from Burma
British forces ,with help from guerrilla-fighting tactics evicted the Japanese from Burma. -
Paris liberated
Frances capital, Paris was liberated by the Germans. -
V2 flying bombs.
The first bombs from a V2 were dropped in London and killed three people. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched its final defensive through Belgium. However, they were pushed back by the allies. -
Allies cross the Rhine
The Allies crossed the Rhine while Soviet union forces were approaching Berlin from the East. -
Roosevelts death
President Roosevelt died. He was succeeded by President Truman. -
Russia reaches Berlin.
Russia reaches berlin shortly before US forces. -
Hilter commits suicide.
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. -
Germany forces surrender
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. -
Donitz offers unconditional love
Hitler's successor, Admiral Donitz, offerred an unconditional surrender to the allies. -
VE day
Europe celebrates its victory -
Chruchill looses election
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. -
Atomic bomb hits Hiroshima
The Japanese generals refused to surrender. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. -
Russia declares war on Japan
Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Japanese-ruled Manchuria. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
The US dropped an atomic bomb on the port of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered, even after Hiroshima boming. -
Japenese surrender
The Japanese unconditionally surrendered to the allies ending the second world war -
MacArthur accepts Japan's surrender
US General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's surrender, therefore, formally ending the second world war.
