WWII Timeline by John Foster

Jan 30, 1933

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Period: Jan 30, 1933 to Sep 2, 1945

WWII Timeline
Oct 3, 1935

Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia
May 1, 1937

FDR signs the 1937 Neutrality Act, banning travel on belligerent ships, forbids the arming of American merchant ships trading with belligerents, and issues an arms embargo with warring countries

FDR signs the 1937 Neutrality Act, banning travel on belligerent ships, forbids the arming of American merchant ships trading with belligerents, and issues an arms embargo with warring countries
Sep 14, 1937

FDR forbids U.S. ships from carrying arms to China or Japan
Oct 5, 1937

In response to Japanese action in China, FDR delivers a speech in which he calls for peace-loving nations to act together to “quarantine” aggressors
Dec 12, 1937

Japanese warplanes dive-bomb the American gunboat Panay in the Yangtze River in China, then apologizes and pays reparations for the lives lost
Jan 21, 1938

Time Inc. releases an anti-Nazi propaganda newsreel entitled March of Time in Nazi Germany
Feb 20, 1938

Hitler announces support for Japan
Mar 26, 1938

Hermann Goering, marshal of the Third Reich and Hitler’s second in charge, warns all Jews to leave Austria
May 14, 1938

Benito Mussolini agrees to fight alongside Hitler if war should break out
Nov 10, 1938

Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht); 7500 Jewish businesses are looted, 191 synagogues were set on fire, about 100 Jews were killed, and tens of thousands are sent to concentration camps
Aug 23, 1939

Germany and the Soviet Union agree to a nonaggression pact, allowing the Soviets to strengthen their western frontier
Sep 3, 1939

Britain and France declare war on Germany
Nov 3, 1939

Congress lifts the embargo on arms so that munitions could be sold to Britain and France
May 16, 1940

In a speech to Congress, FDR requests new defense spending, an enlarged army, and an expanded air fleet
Jun 22, 1940

France surrenders to Germany
Nov 5, 1940

FDR was elected for a third term
Mar 30, 1941

U.S. seizes Axis ships that sail into American ports
Jun 22, 1941

Germany invades the Soviet Union
Dec 7, 1941

Japanese fighter planes bomb Pearl Harbor
Jan 1, 1943

Winston Churchill and FDR meet to plan attacks
Jun 6, 1944

D-Day: Nearly 3 million Allied soldiers arrive in Normandy, on the northern shores of France
Apr 12, 1945

FDR dies of a cerebral hemorrhage
May 2, 1945

Germany surrenders
Sep 2, 1945

WWII ends

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

WWII Timeline

Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia

FDR signs the 1937 Neutrality Act, banning travel on belligerent ships, forbids the arming of American merchant ships trading with belligerents, and issues an arms embargo with warring countries

FDR forbids U.S. ships from carrying arms to China or Japan

In response to Japanese action in China, FDR delivers a speech in which he calls for peace-loving nations to act together to “quarantine” aggressors

Japanese warplanes dive-bomb the American gunboat Panay in the Yangtze River in China, then apologizes and pays reparations for the lives lost

Time Inc. releases an anti-Nazi propaganda newsreel entitled March of Time in Nazi Germany

Hitler announces support for Japan

Hermann Goering, marshal of the Third Reich and Hitler’s second in charge, warns all Jews to leave Austria

Benito Mussolini agrees to fight alongside Hitler if war should break out

Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht); 7500 Jewish businesses are looted, 191 synagogues were set on fire, about 100 Jews were killed, and tens of thousands are sent to concentration camps

Germany and the Soviet Union agree to a nonaggression pact, allowing the Soviets to strengthen their western frontier

Britain and France declare war on Germany

Congress lifts the embargo on arms so that munitions could be sold to Britain and France

In a speech to Congress, FDR requests new defense spending, an enlarged army, and an expanded air fleet

France surrenders to Germany

FDR was elected for a third term

U.S. seizes Axis ships that sail into American ports

Germany invades the Soviet Union

Japanese fighter planes bomb Pearl Harbor

Winston Churchill and FDR meet to plan attacks

D-Day: Nearly 3 million Allied soldiers arrive in Normandy, on the northern shores of France

FDR dies of a cerebral hemorrhage

Germany surrenders

WWII ends