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Start of WW2
Hitler invades Poland, triggering the start of the war. -
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Germans overrun Denmark and Norway
Norway was positioned to provide German submarines and ships access to the Atlantic. On 9 April 1940, the Germans invaded, overrunning Denmark to provide forward bases and also landing troops in Norway by sea and air. The Norwegians resisted, helped by the British and French. However, The Germans had superior equipment and training, exploiting these advantages to force the Norwegian government out of the country. Fighting ceased on 9 June, and the Germans established a puppet regime in Norway. -
Battle of Flanders
On the 10th of May, the Germans charged into Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg (Neutral countries) and began invading areas with both air and ground forces. Britain and France tried to fight back, but they couldn't stop the mighty Germans. This lead to the surrendering of Dutch on 15th May, and the surrendering of Belgium on 28th May. -
Battle of France
After the win in the Battle of Flanders, the Germans organized 142 divisions southwards against France. The French tried to defend along the Somme and Aisne Rivers, but German air attacks delayed the arrival of more men for France. After a week of intense fighting, the Germans broke through the west and east of Paris. Following this, the Allies evacuated 163,000 troops from French ports, and eventually, France surrendered on 22 June. -
Italy enters the war
Italy signed the “Pact of Steel” with Germany in 1939, and entered the war on 10 June 1940, by attacking the French along the border between France and Italy. -
Battle of Britain
Hitler made plans for an invasion in Britain, named Operation Sea-lion. He first decided to destroy the Royal Air Force and had German aircraft sweep in to bomb planes. Defending against this, British Spitfire and Hurricane fighters started attacking the German air force, shooting down a considerable amount of German planes. After the ferocious battle, German aircraft and pilot losses increased drastically. Due to this, Hitler set aside his plans for an invasion of Britain on 17 September. -
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The 'Blitz'
Having failed to destroy the Royal Air Force, Hitler chose to have bombing attacks in Britain, primarily at night, on British ports and British cities. He hoped that public demoralization, panic and economic damage would weaken the British and cause chaos. -
Tripartite Pact of Germany, Italy, and Japan
The dictatorships of Germany, Italy and Japan signed a pact with each other to declare war on any country that joined the war against any of the other three countries. -
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British secure East Africa
After declaring war in June 1940, Italy overran the British in Somalia and seized land in Sudan and Kenya. British forces gathered help with 220,000 Commonwealth troops from India, South Africa, British West Africa, Northern and Southern Rhodesia and Great Britain, securing their own land in Kenya and Sudan. Britain and Italy clashed near Keren, resulting in the Allies gaining Addis Ababa on 6 April. On 28 November, Britain captured Gondar, ending the long lasted battle. -
Germans invade Greece
On 6 April, the Germans crashed into Belgrade and Yugoslav with air attacks and launched ground force into Yugoslavia from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria. Yugoslavia collapsed fast, and this created panic in Greece, where the soldiers were not prepared to be attacked from Yugoslavia. The Germans raced through Yugoslavia and outnumbered Greek defences, and the Greek resistance collapsed by 30 April. -
Rashid Ali rebellion in Iraq
Iraq gained independence as a constitutional monarchy in 1932. However, the British still had power over troops, which many Iraqis resented. On 1 April, nationalists of Iraq (Rashid) began a coup. On 2 May, fighting broke out at Habbaniyah between the Rashid and British. At first, the British were heavily outnumbered, but British, Indian, and Arab Legion troops were deployed just in time to win the fight. Britain then re-established the constitutional monarchy, signing an armistice on 31 May. -
Germans invade Soviet Union
On 22 June 1941, the Germans attacked Russia with a massive force. They were then aided by Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Rumanian and Slovakian forces. The Soviets were caught by surprise of the attack, and German air strikes destroyed over 1200 Soviet aircraft on the first day. Hitler commanded each army group to advance towards each part of Russia and by December, these army groups had total control of their areas. -
Attack on Pearl Harbour
The Japanese force brought six carriers carrying over four hundred planes to Oahu undetected. On 7 December, two waves of Japanese planes attacked, resulting in eighteen ships, including seven of eight battleships sinking or severely damaged. 347 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged. Fortunately for the Americans, their aircraft carriers were not present for the attack, and the Japanese did little damage to the oil-storage. The United States declared war on Japan the very next day. -
Philippines Island Campaign
The Japanese attacked the Philippines, quickly seizing airfields. On 22 December they launched their main attack through the Lingayen Gulf, and on the next day launched a smaller invasion force through Lamon Bay. The Filipino-American Army was forced to withdraw into the Bataan Peninsula. On 3 April, the Japanese overwhelmed Bataan as well, as the Allies were forced to flee to mountains. -
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Burma Campaign
Burma, a country surrounded by mountains and rich in rice, timber and oil, was a piece of valuable land for the Japanese. Thus, the Japanese Army quickly invaded the Tenasserim area of Burma and seized its airfields. The Chinese Fifth and Sixth Armies, along with the Commonwealth forces came into Burma to defend. However, the Japanese had air and naval supremacy, shifting towards victory. After further fighting, the British and Chinese Fifth Army withdrew over the mountains into India in May. -
East-Indies Campaign
The Japanese quickly acted to seize the oil-rich Indonesia. They first struck airfields and then landed troops to seize ports. American ships fought Japanese ships and planes at the Makassar Strait but failed, and British and American forces withdrew. The Japanese overran Sumatra, Borneo and Java, and pushed on towards Timor, a base fit for travelling to northern Australia. -
Battle of Midway
After their successful attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese still needed to destroy the remaining American fleet in the Central Pacific. However, the Americans had broken Japanese naval codes and gained knowledge of Japan's entire plan. They attacked the Japanese carriers by air while the Japanese planes were bombing Midway, sufficiently diverting the Japanese defenders. The Americans sank four aircraft carriers while losing one with their tactful plan. -
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China Defence Campaign
China’s poorly equipped army was much weaker than the modernized Japanese and suffered from a political disorder. The Japanese brought up to 820,000 men in China, and in April 1944 launched the ICHI-GO Offensive to overrun airfields. In this, they succeeded, but in January 1945, the Allies liberated Burma. Desperate to reverse this, the Japanese launched an offensive attack into Western Hunan Province. But the Chinese held and drove the Japanese back. Japan's situation deteriorated immensely. -
Manhattan Project
The United States Government created the “Manhattan Project” to build an atomic bomb. Since the twentieth century, scientists speculated that enormous energy could be generated by atomic fission. On 17 September, Colonel Groves was given command of the Manhattan Engineering District and directed all efforts to build an atomic bomb. Ultimately the project made a nuclear explosion at New Mexico on 16 July 1945. -
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Tunisia Campaign
American and Commonwealth forces went into Tunisia, hoping to trap the retreating Panzerarmee Afrika troops. However, Germany intervened, occupying Tunisia with German and Italian forces. Taking advantage of the short sea route from Sicily, the Germans began a series of attacks near Bou Arada, Robaa, Fondouk, and Faid. In early March, the Allies retreated from German attacks with heavy losses. However, effective resistance ceased on 13 May with the surrender of the Germans. -
Papua New Guinea Campaign
After the bloody fighting of the Papua Campaign (23 July 1942 - 23 January 1943), American and Australian forces were in possession of outposts in western New Guinea. The Japanese decided to reinforce their forces there, but the Allies inflicted huge losses on Japanese attempting to reinforce New Guinea. The Japanese retreated through mountains, with a huge amount of casualties. The Allies suffered 34,000 casualties, while the Japanese lost 110,000 men. -
Sicily Campaign
The Allies planned to seize Sicily after defeating the Axis in Tunisia. This invasion could force Italy out of the war. On 10 July, the United States Navy landed on Sicily’s southern coast. The British Eighth Army landed on Sicily’s east coast. The Germans and Italians launched counterattacks, but the Allies held on. Threatened by Allied forces, the Germans and Italians decided to withdraw from Sicily. The fighting in Sicily ended with the Allied seizing Messina on 17 August. -
Tehran Conference
The Tehran Conference involved President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Secretary of the (Soviet) Communist Party Joseph Stalin to discuss the war. Operation OVERLORD, the invasion of France and the liberation of Western Europe, was talked about to begin in the spring of 1944. The Soviets committed to join the war against Japan once Germany was defeated. The Tehran Conference confirmed the strategy for the rest of the war. -
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Bismarck Archipelago Campaign
The Bismarck Archipelago, located northwest of the Solomon Islands, consists of New Britain, New Ireland, and the Admiralties. In New Britain, the Japanese had established a base called Rabaul. The Allies wanted this base and establish more bases nearby for their own benefits. On 15 December 1943, American soldiers charged towards Rabaul. After fierce fighting, the Americans wiped out Japanese resistance and gained the base. The Americans soon defeated the Japanese in the Admiralties as well. -
Anzio Campaign
The Allies faced the defences of the Gustav Line of the Axis from the Gulf of Gaeta to Pescara. The Allies resolved to put more than two divisions ashore near Anzio on 22 January. But the Germans quickly gathered other forces against it. By 29 January the Germans had 71,500 troops against 69,000 Allied soldiers. On 11 May, the Allies launched a massive offensive into the Gustav Line, and on 24 May, forces from the south linked up with those attacking Anzio, thus ending the Anzio Campaign. -
Normandy Campaign
Great Britain and the United States committed to an invasion through France, called Operation OVERLORD, to cooperate with the Soviet Union. A massive Allied force of almost three million was built up in preparation. On the morning of 6 June, US Navy, US Coast Guard and Royal Navy landed six divisions, supported by air and naval forces. By the end of the day, more than 100,000 Allied soldiers were ashore. The American secured the city Cherbourg ten days later and secured St. Lo on 18 July. -
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V-1 Bombing Attacks
Hitler had “miracle weapons” that were supposedly made for mass destruction. The V-1 was a cruise missile with a steel body, plywood wings, and a 150-mile range. It accurately hit large area targets without putting pilots at risk. The Germans began launching the V-1 on 13 June 1944. However, Allied defence systems could efficiently intercept the missiles from high altitude. 2,419 of 9,521 V-1s launched at England reached London. Over half were shot down by Allied pilots and gunners. -
Rhineland Campaign
On 11 September Allied troops fighting the Northern France Campaign and the Southern France Campaign met at Sombernon. In September, the Allies launched airborne attacks to seize bridges through the Netherlands and across the Rhine. But German counterattacks stopped the Allies before they could reach the Rhine. In February 1945, the Allies finally arrived at the Rhine after fierce battling. By 21 March, the Allies had the Rhine under their territory as the Germans suffered catastrophic losses. -
Leyte Campaign
By October 1944, the Allies were finally set to invade Philippines Island. They first decided to invade Leyte because of its few defences. On 20 October, four divisions stormed ashore on Leyte. Within a few days, they secured a part of the island. Meanwhile, the Japanese decided to distribute lots of ground forces to eliminate the American Seventh Fleet. However, this plan failed. By 7 November, Americans had captured Carigara, Dagami and Burren. The Japanese lost heavily in the Leyte Campaign. -
Battle of Budapest
The Soviets arrived at Budapest by 26 December. The Germans and Hungarians were determined to defend it no matter how hard it was. The Soviet first launched artillery bombardments and costly ground assaults. The Germans launched several major attacks as well, but they were pushed back by Soviet forces. The Soviets entered east of the Danube by 18 January 1945 and finally obtained the city by 13 February. The Soviets lost 80,000 men while the Germans and Hungarians lost more than 150,000 men. -
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Central Burma Campaign
Major Allied forces in Burma included the British-led Fourteenth Army, the Sino-American Northern Combat Area Command, and the Chinese Expeditionary Force. The Chinese Expeditionary Force liberated Lashio on 7 March and pushed south. The Fourteenth Army conducted the main attack down the Irrawaddy River valley and captured Mandalay. The Allies went south, defeating most Japanese armies faced. By May, the Japanese Army in Burma had almost all retreated. -
Yalta Conference
Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt and General Secretary Joseph Stalin were present in the Yalta Conference to discuss what will happen after the war in Europe and the war against Japan. The Yalta Conference provided a better resolution with all the Allied leaders together against Germany and Japan. -
Berlin Offensive
By 16 April 1945, the Soviets had built up massive forces. General Eisenhower, recognizing that he could invade Berlin, drove north and south to gain full control of Germany. The Germans put up a very weak defence, and by 25 April, Soviet forces surrounded the city. By 30 April, the Soviets had seized the Reichstag. Over 480,000 Germans marched into captivity. -
Germany surrenders
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was executed by partisans on 28 April, and Hitler committed suicide on 30 April. The Chancellor of Germany, Joseph Goebbels, committed suicide as well. On 7 May the Chief of the German Armed Forces High Command, General Alfred Jodl, signed documents at Eisenhower’s headquarters, surrendering all German forces. The western Allies celebrated “V-E Day” on 8 May, and the Soviets on 9 May. -
Central Europe Campaign
Beginning 23 March, American forces attacking north of the Ruhr, trapping almost 400,000 Germans. Russian forces drove north to secure Hamburg and northwestern Germany. The Americans crossed the Danube on 22 April into Czechoslovakia and Austria, seizing Salzburg. The British secured Bremen, Hamburg, Lubeck and Wismar by 2 May. Confronted by the Soviets in Berlin, Hitler committed suicide on 30 April. His successor, Admiral Karl Donitz, surrendered on 7 May. The war in Europe was over. -
UN Charter signed
The League of Nations, founded after WW1, had failed to prevent World War II. During World War II the Allies resolved to construct a better organization. In 1945, representatives from fifty nations, met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference to draft a new charter. The final United Nations Charter was signed on 26 June. -
Alamogordo Atomic Test
In September 1942, the United States started the development of the Manhattan Project to build an atomic bomb. By the summer of 1945 the United States tried once more, with all the past resources, to build an actual atomic bomb. On 16 July, it tested a plutonium bomb with an implosion firing mechanism in New Mexico. The test proved to be a huge success and resulted in an explosion the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT. This became the start of the Atomic Era. -
Hiroshima Bombing
Following the Potsdam Conference (17 July – 2 August 1945), the Allies presented Japan with an ultimatum of surrendering. The Japanese government ignored the ultimatum. President Harry Truman decided to drop an Atomic Bomb on a Japanese city to force a surrender from Japan. At 8:15 on 6 August, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, dropped a U-235 bomb on Hiroshima. The city was instantly demolished, with about 70,000 dead immediately and another 70,000 dead later from radiation injuries. -
Japanese surrender
With America's atomic bombing and the Soviet Union's Manchuria attack, Japan was in deep shock. Opinions split between those willing to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and those wanting a final battle to force more favourable terms. On 9 August, the Americans dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. On 14 August, the Japanese committed to surrender within the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and on 15 August Emperor Hirohito broadcasted the surrender to the Japanese nation.
