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Japan invades Manchuria
from Sep 18, 1931 to Feb 27, 1932
Carried out by the Kwantung army of the empire of Japan.
30,000 – 60,450 men from Japan vs. 160,000 men from China. -
Hitler Comes to Power
On January 30, 1933, Hitler was appointed as Chancellor of Germany. He pressured his party into passing the Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, which gave him full power over Germany. -
Italy invades Abyssinia
The league of nations ruled against this invasion, but it wasn't fully applied which discredited the league. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was an organized attack on Jewish people in Germany by anti-semitic civilians and the police did not intervene. In German, Kristallnacht means Crystal Night. -
Germany Invades Czechoslovakia
When the Munich Pact was signed it gave Hitler Sudetenland. It also handed over a lot of resources assuring that the rest of Chekoslovakia will also be taken. -
Germany invades Poland
Before the invasion, there was a signed non-aggression pack with Poland so that they wouldn't ally with France before Germany had a chance to rearm. -
The Phony War
This was the begining of WWII, a time with no large military operations where carried out on the western fron while already having declared war. -
Canada Declares War
At first only volunteers where taken. The regular army of 4500 men, augmented by 51,000 partly-trained reservists, possessed virtually no modern equipment. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
It was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk. It was Code-named Operation Dynamo, also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk. -
The Battle of Britain
A military campaign when the Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against the German Air Force. The primary objective of the Nazi German forces was to compel Britain to agree to a negotiated peace settlement. -
The Blitz
Blitz from the German word Blitzkrieg meaning 'lightning war'. Heavy air raids carried out over Britain in 1940 and 1941 -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Total German military casualties: 1,000,000+. Total Russian military casualties: 4,973,820 -
Japan Bombs Pearl Harbour
A surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese fighter planes, bombers, and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. -
The Battle of Hong Kong
Also known as the Defence of Hong Kong and the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific War. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbor, forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the British Crown colony of Hong Kong. -
The Dieppe Raid
An Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe. The Allied commanders were forced to call a retreat. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
Where the axis powers fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad. Marked by fierce close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, it is often regarded as one of the single largest (nearly 2.2 million personnel) and bloodiest (1.7–2 million wounded, killed or captured) battles in the history of warfare. -
The Battle of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily (codenamed Operation Husky) was a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by 6 weeks of ground attacks. The goal was to open up the Mediterranean Sea Lanes for Allied merchant ships. -
D-Day
The Normandy landings (codenamed Operation Neptune) were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy. The invasion planners had requirements for the phase of the moon, the tides, and the time of day that meant only a few days in each month were deemed suitable. -
The Battle of the Rhineland
The Battle of the Rhineland was fought by the Canadian Army and the United States army against Nazi Germany. It pushed the Nazis back to the Rhine River. -
The Battle of the Scheldt
The Battle of the Scheldt was an important battle fought by the Canadian Army. It opened up the port of Antwerp to Allied shipping. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Knowing that the Allies were attacking Berlin and that Germany would lose the war soon, Hitler committed suicide by shooting himself. He also ordered all of his high-ranking officers and his wife to kill themselves as well. -
VE-Day
VE-Day (short for Victory In Europe Day) was the day when the Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allies. Since Hitler had committed suicide a few days prior, the treaty was signed by Reichsprasident Karl Donitz, his successor. -
The Bombing of Hiroshima
The bombing of Hiroshima was the first time nuclear weaponry was used in war. The United States threatened to bomb Hiroshima if Japan didn't surrender, but Japan thought they were bluffing. -
The Bombing of Nagasaki
The United States' excuse for bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki was that they had lots of factories that helped Japan throughout the war, although they were mainly civilians. After the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan finally started believing the United States' threats and surrendered. -
Japan Surrenders
Officially signed on September 2nd 1945 by Japanese officials.
This document officially brought the second World War to an end.
