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Germany invades Poland
Germany invades Poland, causing World War II in Europe. -
Period: to
WWII
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Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east. -
Warsaw Surrenders
Warsaw surrenders on September 27. The Polish government flees into Romania. Germany and the Soviet Union divide Poland between them. -
Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
Germany invades Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9. -
Germany attacks western Europe
Germany attacks western Europe---France and the neutral Low Countries. Luxembourg is occupied on May 10; the Netherlands surrenders on May 14; and Belgium surrenders on May 28. -
Italy enters the war
Italy enters the war -
Italy Invades France
Italy invades southern France on June 21. -
Battle of Britain
The air war known as the Battle of Britain ends in defeat for Nazi Germany. Ends on October 31, 1940 -
The Tripartite Pact.
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. -
Italy invades Greece
Italy invades Greece from Albania -
Invasion of Yugoslavia.
Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria invade and dismembers Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia surrenders on April 17. -
Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor
Japan Bombs Pearl Harbor -
USA Declares War
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. -
Germany Declares WAr
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States. -
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway.
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway. -
US Lands in Algeria
US and British troops land at several points on the beaches of Algeria and Morocco in French North Africa. The failure of the Vichy French troops to defend against the invasion enables the Allies to move swiftly to the western border of Tunisia, and triggers the German occupation of southern France on November 11. -
USSR Counter Attacks
Soviet troops counterattack, breaking through the Hungarian and Romanian lines northwest and southwest of Stalingrad and trapping the German Sixth Army in the city. Forbidden by Hitler to retreat or try to break out of the Soviet ring, the survivors of the Sixth Army surrender on January 30 and February 2, 1943 -
Tunisia Surrenders
Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies, ending the North African campaign. -
Massive Tank Offensive
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. -
Sicily
US and British troops land on Sicily. By mid-August, the Allies control Sicily. -
Allies Beat Rome
Allied troops liberate Rome. Within six weeks, Anglo-American bombers could hit targets in eastern Germany for the first time. -
Normandy
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans. -
Allies Reach Paris
Allied troops reach Paris. On August 25, Free French forces, supported by Allied troops, enter the French capital. By September, the Allies reach the German border; by December, virtually all of France, most of Belgium, and part of the southern Netherlands are liberated. -
Philippines
US troops land in the Philippines. -
Final Offensive
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. By January 1, 1945, the Germans are in retreat. -
New Offensive
The Soviets launch a new offensive, liberating Warsaw and Krakow in January, capturing Budapest after a two-month siege on February 13, driving the Germans and their Hungarian collaborators out of Hungary in early April, forcing the surrender of Slovakia with the capture of Bratislava on April 4, and capturing Vienna on April 13. -
Berlin Surrounded
The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin. -
Hitler Dies
Hitler commits suicide. -
Germany Surrenders
Germany surrenders to the Allies -
Atomic Bomb
Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II after the Atomic Bomd Drops
