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Germany wanted to regain their territory, so Adolf Hitler invaded Poland. It took Poland by surprise and the Polish Army fell easily. This opened up the Eastern Polish border for Germany to inhabit. Pictured: German tanks moving into Poland -
Great Britain and France, upholding their deal to protect Poland, gave Germany an ultimatum to back out of Poland. Germany continued their fight in Poland, which in turn led France and Great Britain to declare war on Germany. Pictured: Newspaper headlines that war has been declared. -
Germany moves in on Great Britain, attacking the coast and Britains shipping operations. The Royal Air Force takes to the air in response, which made it the first battle to be fought in the air. Britain won this battle. Pictured: A Royal Air Force bomber plane -
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This prompted the United States to fight, as the war had moved onto American soil. This also caused the tension that was once more between Germany and UK, to now be between US and Japan as the war changes venues. Pictured: Bombs going off as seen from a beach in Pearl Harbor -
America dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The bombs killed over 100,000 people in Japan. The effects were devastating, but helped secure the end of the war. Pictured: The mushroom cloud that is the telltale sign of an atomic bomb being detonated. -
United State General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's formal surrender on the US battleship Missouri. It is estimated that in the 6 years of war there were 60-80 million deaths, most of which were civilians. Pictured: Soldiers hoisting up the American flag as a signal of victory