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Britain at war
Britain won against the German army near the river Marne in northern France. -
The outbreak of the war
A Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Fedinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo.
Germany violated Belgium neutrality in order to attack France, so Britain declared war. -
The Lusitania
A German submarine sank the British passenger liner Lusitania and many people died, including Americans. The US president Woodrow Wilson sent diplomatic protests to Germany. -
Italy
Italy declared war on Austria and joined France and Britain in the conflict. -
Battle of the Somme
The bloodiest battle in British history took place on the Somme, in northern France. The Somme was a perfect example of the war of attrition. -
The Battle of Caporetto
The Italian army collapsed at the Battle of Caporetto against Austria and the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. -
The US
The United States joined the war. -
The Germans' retreating
By October the Germans ware retreating along the Western Front, thanks to the British artillery that dropped shells on the Hindenburg Line. -
The Armistice Day
Germany asked president Woodrow Wilson for an armistice which would bring about German withdrawal from occupied territory, but included no punishment for the country: France and Britain agreed. -
The Treaty of Versailles
The peace treaty was signed at Versailles by the Allied powers.
President Woodrow Wilson presented a plan to set up the League of Nations and proposed "Fourteen Points" to prevent future wars. -
The 2nd World War
The 2nd World War began and the UK sent British troops to aid in the defence of France. -
Operation Sea Lion
The Battle of Britain saw English and German bombers fighting in the skies over Sussex and Kent. The Battle was won by Britain but Hitler ordered an intense bombing of civilian targets in London.
King George VI and his wife Elizabeth remained in Buckingham Palace, becoming symbols of resistance. -
The occupation of Norway
Hitler invaded Norway and Denmark by sea and air.
In May there was a sudden German attack on Holland and Belgium, while German tank corps were heading for Paris. -
Operation Barbarossa
Hitler decided to declare war on the Soviet Union because he wanted to get oilfields in the Caucasus region. -
America joined the war
Japan bombed the US fleet in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and Germany declared war on America. -
The Battle of Midway Islands
The US fleet sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, weakening the Japanese position in the Pacific. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
In July the Allies entered in Sicily led by general George Patton and a long fight up Italian territory began. Germany's advance eastward was stopped by their defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad. -
The Allies
The Allies entered in Rome and decided to open a western front in France. -
Operation Overlord
On the beaches of Normandy the Germans retreated across France.
General Patton's forces went across the Rhine River and into Germany. -
The end of the war
The Soviet Red Army liberated Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Austria.
Hitler committed suicide and Berlin fell on the 2nd of May.
At the Yalta Conference in Crimea, US President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet Premier Stalin made important decision concerning the post-war world. -
The atomic bombing
Victory only came with the explosion of two atomic bombs on the Japanese town of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
A new age began.