WWII Timeline

By morganwt
  • Operation Husky •The Allied invasion of Sicily •Operation Husky was a major campaign of WWII
    1943 BCE

    Operation Husky •The Allied invasion of Sicily •Operation Husky was a major campaign of WWII

    •The Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers.
    •It began with a large operation, followed by a six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian Campaign.
    •When Mussolini was executed and Italy changed sides, Allied troops approached Austria, then Germany.
    •To make matters worse, the Allies, now winning in the Atlantic, were ready to begin the liberation of Europe.
    Outcome- Allied victory Mussolini's regime collapses Armistice of Cassibile signed Operation Achse launched.
  • The Battle of the Atlantic •The longest military campaign of WWII

    The Battle of the Atlantic •The longest military campaign of WWII

    •The Battle of the Atlantic ran from 1939 to 1945, peaking in December 1943. • A contest between the Western Allies and Axis powers for the control of Atlantic sea routes. •The battle had three objectives:
    -Blockade of the Axis powers in Europe
    -Security of Allied sea movements
    -And freedom to project military power across the seas. •The Axis hoped to frustrate Allied use of the Atlantic to wage war. Outcome - The outcome of the battle was a strategic victory for the Allies.
  • Attack on Pearl Harbor

    Attack on Pearl Harbor

    •The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike. •Was by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. •The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation Z during its planning. Outcome - •The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor destroyed nearly 20 US ships.
    •Destroyed nearly 300 airplanes.
    •2,403 soldiers and civilians were killed, 1,000 people were wounded.
  • The Battle of Midway •Took place six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea.

    The Battle of Midway •Took place six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea.

    •Japan's main goal during WWII was to remove the United States as a Pacific power in order to gain territory in east Asia. •Japan hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet and use Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor. Outcome- •The US Navy's victory in the air-sea battle and it's successful defense of the major base located at Midway Island dashed Japan's hopes of neutralizing the US as a naval power.
  • The Guadalcanal Campaign

    The Guadalcanal Campaign

    •The first major Allied ground campaign in the Far East. •It lasted until February 1943. •It costed thousands of lives, dozens of ships, and hundreds of aircraft on both sides. •Victory at Guadalcanal marked the Allied transition from defense to offense, the beginning of the end for the Japanese Empire. Outcome - •The Guadalcanal Campaign ended all Japanese expansion attempts and placed the Allies in a position of clear supremacy
  • Battle of Kursk The last major Axis offensive in the East, was almost as disastrous as Stalingrad.

    Battle of Kursk The last major Axis offensive in the East, was almost as disastrous as Stalingrad.

    *Through July and August 1943, Axis and Soviet troops fought the world’s largest-ever battle. *Hitler started Operation Citadel on July 5, only for Allied troops to invade Sicily days later. *There were up to 200,000 Axis and 1.2 million Soviet casualties. With this crippling loss went thousands of armored vehicles, aircraft, artillery pieces, and Hitler’s last chance to defeat Stalin. Outcome - The Soviets won the Battle of Kursk and ended Hitler's dream of conquering Russia.