WWII Timeline

Rise of Hitler

Jul 29, 1921

Adolf Hitler becomes leader of National Socialist (Nazi) Party.

Mein Kampf

Jul 18, 1925

Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" published.

Nazis' Party

Sep 14, 1930

Germans elect Nazis making them the 2nd largest political party in Germany.

New President

Nov 8, 1932

Franklin Roosevelt elected president of the United States.

Night Of Long Knives

Jun 30, 1934

The Nazi "Night of the Long Knives"

Treaty of Versailles

Mar 16, 1935

Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing military conscription.

Rhineland

Mar 7, 1936

German troops occupy the Rhineland

Ethiopia

May 9, 1936

Mussolini's Italian forces take Ethiopia.

Sudetenland

Oct 15, 1938

German troops occupy the Sudetenland; Czech government resigns.

Kristallnach

Nov 9, 1938

Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass.

Nazis Pact

Aug 23, 1939

Nazis and Soviets sign Pact.

Germany invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invades Poland WWII starts.

Britain, France, Autralia, New Zeland declared war.

Sep 3, 1939

Britain, France, Australia, New Zeland declare war on Germany.

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor; Hitler issues the Night and Fog decree.

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

D-Day landings on the northern coast of France.

Hitler's Dead

Apr 30, 1945

Adolf Hitler commits suicide.

V-E

May 8, 1945

V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.

First atomic bomb in Japan

Aug 6, 1945

First atomic bomb dropped, on Hiroshima, Japan.

Japanese Surrender

Sep 2, 1945

Japanese sign the surrender agreement; V-J (Victory over Japan) Day.

Nuremberg Trials

Nov 20, 1945

Nuremberg war crimes trials begin.