-
Invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939, Germany began their crusade of German Empowerment and antisemitism with the invasion of Poland. The Germans wanted to expand their control into neighboring nations, as well as pursue the ethnic cleansing of the Jewish population. It was this action that forced the hands of the French and the British to go to war. -
Britain & France declare war on Germany
Two days after the Nazis invaded Poland, Britain and France both declared war on Germany. The two countries had previously agreed to protect Poland from any German retaliation, which led to the declaration of war, starting the six year long conflict of WW2. -
Period: to
Battle for France
The Battle of France was an invasion performed by the Germans to gain greater control over Europe. Along with France, the Germans invaded the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. This gave the Nazis greater access to resources, which helped to fuel their campaign. -
Period: to
Miracle of Dunkirk
The Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo, was the successful evacuation of over 338,000 allied soldiers from the port of Dunkirk, France. Because of how quickly the Germans were taking land in France, it was that it was safer to evacuate most of the remaining forces than continue fighting. Over 338,000 soldiers were evacuated out of France. This success greatly boosted the morale of the Allied troops. -
Period: to
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the successful defense of Great Britain against the unrelenting aerial raid by the German forces. The Germans intended to cripple the British defenses before invading and claiming the territory. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was an attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the US navy fleet stationed there. Their goal was to cripple the US fleet. They nearly succeeded, leaving a majority of the fleet destroyed with high casualties. But, this aggravated the US forces, leading to them joining the war siding with the Allies. -
US Joined the War
In December of 1941, the day after Japanese bombers attacked the naval base of Pearl Harbor, then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan in retaliation to the bombing. But, he did not declare war on the Axis powers of Germany and Italy, prompting them to ally with Japan and declare war on the US. US joined the Allies war campaign, helping in many battles, eventually subduing Germany and Italy, and later Japan with the development of the atom bomb. -
Battle of Midway
Lasting from the 3rd to 7th of June, the Battle of Midway was a naval and aerial battle between the US and Japan over the Midway Islands. The Japanese planned to claim the islands as footing for their battle with the US in the Pacific. The US's victory practically neutralized all of Japans forces in the Pacific, giving America the advantage and eventually leading to Japanese forces being forced out of the Pacific. -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the intense and prolonged conflict between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany over the city of Stalingrad. The Germans were attempting to take control of Stalingrad, as it was a major industrial center and connects to various supply routes. The battle lasted almost 7 months, with around 2 million casualties. The battle is considered a turning point for the war, as it kick started the soviet union's counter offensive, eventually ending the German offensive in the east. -
Raid of Dieppe
The Raid on the French port of Dieppe, code named Operation Jubilee, was a major assault performed by the Allied forces as a way of practicing amphibious assaults; they thought they could take the port with 6,000 soldiers, 29 tanks, little air support, and the element of surprise. They were wrong. Though the blunder cost them most of troops, they realized that tanks and surprises didn't make a good plan, and helped lay the groundwork for the Normandy assault that would take place 2 years later. -
D-Day
The invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces, code named Operation Overlord, occurred along the beaches of Normandy, France. The goal of the invasion was to set a foothold for the liberation of France from Nazi forces, using united efforts from land, sea, and aerial assault forces. Canada troops were some of the most successful on D-Day, with one squad reaching their intended destination. The operation succeeded, giving the allies the foothold they needed to swiftly retake Nazi occupied France. -
End of WWII in Europe
Factors such as the success of the Soviet troops, the advances made by the Western Allies, and the power vacuum left by the death of Adolf Hitler (suicide), influenced German officials to surrender unconditionally to the Allies. This effectively and immediately ended the war in Europe. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
With Germany and Italy having both surrendered, japan was the only country left on the Axis fighting. With Japan not willing to surrender, the US chose to drop two atom bombs onto Japan to force to surrender. The bomb dropped on Hiroshima, called Little Boy, used Uranium-235 as the reactant, and generated forces equal 15 kilotons of TNT. With the devastation the two bombs caused, the Japanese had no choice but to surrender unconditionally, leading to the end of WWII. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
With Germany and Italy having both surrendered, and Japan not willing to surrender, the US chose to drop two atom bombs onto Japan to force to surrender. The second bomb the US dropped was on Nagasaki. Named Fat Man, it used a Plutonium-239 reactant, and generated forces equal to 21 kilotons of TNT. The two bombs destroyed a large portion of Japan, killing over a hundred thousand civilians. The Japanese had no choice but to surrender unconditionally, leading to the end of WWII. -
End of WWII
Germany, Italy, and Japan all surrendered to the Allies after facing defeat. Though it was still 2 years before peace treaties were signed between the nations, each of the Axis nations surrendered the land they captured and more in reparations to the rest of Europe and the world, as they were the ones that started the war. And finally, when the Paris Peace Treaties were signed in 1947, WW2 was officially over.