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Germany invades Poland
German troops invade Poland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler was confident that no other powers would interfere, and that there would be no negative consequences for Germany. The Polish troops were unequipped to fight back, and several tactical mistakes early on enabled the Nazi's swift victory. Hitler wanted to expand Germany's territory and create Lebensraum, as well as obtaining necessary resources. The Soviet Union had signed a non-aggression pact with Germany weeks earlier. -
Britain & France declare war on Germany
Britain and France surprised Hitler by declaring war with Germany after he/they broke the Treaty of Versailles by invading Poland. The two countries waited a couple of days to see if the Nazis were serious about it, but when Germany failed to retreat their hand was forced. Britain suffered the first casualty (an ocean liner, Athenia). The British and French efforts were hampered by orders not to harm German civilians (the Germans were operating under no such restrictions). -
Chruchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain
Churchill replaces Neville Chamberlain, after he resigns. Chamberlain declared war on Germany in September 1939, but was failing at leading Britain in the war against Nazi Germany. As the war progressed (and the British forces continued to fail) members of Congress and the general population lost faith in him. Churchill already had experience with military leadership, and as a result had increased support. Britain's war efforts gained success. Swore to never give in. And Britain never did. -
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Evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo)
Germany defeated France in six short weeks. All attempts to stop the German army had failed, and the British and French troops were cornered by the approaching German army. The plan was successful in evacuating roughly 330,000 British and French soldiers, however approximately 40,000 soldiers (primarily French) were abandoned. Is also known as the "miracle of Dunkirk." Success of the plan enabled the Allies to maintain experienced troops vital for recapturing France. -
Italy enters war on side of Axis powers
Mussolini thought Italy and Germany to be the most influential in Europe, suggesting the others merely revolved on this "axis". Mussolini initially ignored their agreement to go to war when Germany did, as they were poorly prepared when the war began. Italy joined the war after Mussolini was reassured of Hitler's success in the war, and did not want to miss the opportunity to collect the spoils of the war. He thought Britain and France would surrender swiftly, with minimal Italian effort. -
France signs armistice with Germany
Germany was able to defeat the Allies, especially France, in six weeks. Germany succeeded in humiliating France, forcing them to sign the Armistice in the same train car that Germany had surrendered in (in 1918). -
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Battle of Britain
German and British air forces fought in the sky, in the largest sustained bombing campaign (at that point in time). Despite targeting Britain's air bases, military posts and its civilians, Germany's Luftwaffe failed to gain an advantage over the Royal Air force. Britain's success in defending itself from the German's attacks saved the country from the planned ground attack (Operation Sea Lion) which depended on German victory in this battle. Britain remained resilient and persevered. -
Tripartite Pact signed
An agreement between Italy, Germany and Japan to provide assistance should they go to war. The aim of this alliance was to discourage the 'neutral' US from entering the war. The pact allied the three countries, and aimed to repair the rift between Japan and Germany (after their outrage over the German-Soviet Union alliance). The pact connected the two areas (Pacific and Europe/North African) of war. Japan requested Germany declare war against the US a week prior to the Pearl Harbor attack. -
Operation Sea Lion
The German army was able to swiftly occupy France, Belgium and Holland, and set their eyes on Britain. The plan's aim was to remove Britain as a threat and major player in the war, and occupy the country if necessary. In this plan the Royal Air Force was to be destroyed, and after this, troops would be sent across the Channel. Prominent Nazis were opposed to this, and after the failed Battle of Britain, the plan was abandoned, with Germany focusing all of their energy on combatting Russia. -
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Siege of Tobruk
Approximately 14,000 Australian soldiers were besieged by a German-Italian army. Tobruk was vital for the Allies' defence of Egypt and the Suez Canal, as it forced the Axis Powers to bring their supplies overland (across 1500km of desert), and diverted troops. They faced repeated ground assaults and shelling and bombing. The Australian soldiers adopted the term 'rats,' their description in Nazi propaganda. Impaired German efforts, and showed 'blitzkrieg' tactics could be defeated. -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany invaded the Soviet Union, reneging on their previous alliance. Hitler had planned for over a year (following their triumph over France). Stalin had refused to acknowledge the possibility of Hitler's betrayal, leaving them unprepared. The German troops were eventually driven back by a counterattack, and once Russian winter came, Germany retreated. The Soviets survived despite huge losses in men, territory and weaponry. Showcased their strength, resilience, weaponry and manpower. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
A Japanese attack on the America base in Hawaii. The plan, whilst initially viewed as a success by the Japanese, drew America into the war, and eventually the Japanese failure. The attack failed to do any longterm damage. Japan saw America as their biggest threat, and aimed to demoralise the US, thus keeping them out of the war. The failure of Japanese declaration of war ('sneak attack' left the Japanese embassy too narrow a timeframe) enraged the US, to whom the attack was unprovoked. -
Britain and US declare war on Japan
After the attack of Pearl Harbour, the US broke their 'neutrality' and actively joined the war effort. The US had placed trade embargoes and other economic restrictions, siding with the Allies whilst avoiding active participation. Britain also declared war on Japan, following the attack (and attacks on Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong). Other countries from the Commonwealth independently declared war. This declaration connected the wars in Europe and North Africa to the war in the Pacific. -
Japan takes Singapore
This was a major shock to the British (Commonwealth) troops who were defeated by a Japanese army half their size. Thousands were captured as POWs, including 15,000 Australians. Singapore was defended by more than 130,000 troops from the British Empire (including Indian and British forces, and the Australian 8th Division). The fall of Singapore left Australia exposed leading to widespread panic, the bombing of Darwin, weakened Britain and her image, and led to the return Australian troops. -
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Battle of Midway
A naval battle where America destroyed Japan's first line carrier strength along with most of their (best trained) naval pilots. Japan's plans to invade Midway Island and bases in the Aleutians were not impaired by the Battle of the Coral Sea. They sought a showdown with the much smaller US Pacific Fleet. However, US intelligence were able to discover Japan's plans, and the Americans were well prepared. This battle marked the turning point for the war in the Pacific (in America's favour). -
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First Battle of El Alamein
The British were successful in driving Erwin Rommel's troops into a defensive position in Libya. However the battle was sustained by a series of air and tank attacks that then forced a British retreat (where they left a large amount of supplies behind). Rommel's Afrika Korps gained control in Egypt, only 60 miles of the British naval base in Alexandria. The Italian troops were returned to the winning side, and Mussolini and Hitler began to consider the spoils of the war. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Considered by Russians to be the greatest battle, as they were able to stop the German's advance into the Soviet Union. Is one of the bloodiest battles in history, with almost two million military and civilian casualties. The Soviet forces surrounded and crushed the German army, despite the Germans assumptions that they would be able to occupy Stalingrad quickly. Stalingrad was considered to be essential to the German campaign, strategically. Marked the turning point for the war in Europe. -
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Second Battle of El Alamein
Marked the beginning of the end of the North African campaign, where the British Empire and the German-Italy had been engaged for some time. Destroyed Mussolini and Hitler's hopes for Axis control Egypt and northern Africa. The Allied soldiers won the battle after ten days, although the German-Italian army escaped annihilation. Forced the Panzerarmee to withdraw (to Tunisia!), and the campaign was over by May 1943, with the Mediterranean dominated by the Allies. -
D-Day Landings
Roughly 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches (spanning 50 miles) in northern France. This led to the liberation of most of northern France by late August (1944) and is credited with being the start of the end of the war in Europe. Was delayed by a day due to poor weather conditions. The loss in Normandy was a psychological blow to Hitler, and prevented Hitler from building up his army (through France) on the Eastern Front as they faced the Soviet Union. -
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Battle of the Bulge
Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwestern Europe. American units were caught off guard, and adopted the appearance of a large bulge to protect vital bridgeheads. The success manoeuvring of the army enabled the Allied defence to neutralise the German counter-offence, despite the heavy casualties they sustained. Shortage of fuel impaired Germany's efforts, and they were forced to abandon their attempt to split the Allies, and destroy the Allied connection to their supplies. -
Mussolini captured and executed
Benito Mussolini was the founder of fascism, and leader of Italy (1922-1943). After failure of Italian troops in Greece and Africa, and an invasion of mainland Italy, the fascist party was fractured. Mussolini was dismissed from his position in July 1943, before being arrested. He was freed two months later by a German rescue party, and was head of the puppet government established in Italy by Hitler. In April 1945, Germany lost the war, and Mussolini was captured, tried and executed. -
Hitler commits suicide
Hitler withdrew to an underground bunker in January of 1945, where he continued to lead and meet with close subordinates. As Soviet troops closed in on his bunker in Berlin, Hitler accepted the inevitability of defeat, and planned his suicide. Hours before his death he married Eva Braun who had been by his side for 11 years. They both bit into thin glass vials of cyanide, although Hitler also shot himself through the head. Soon after his suicide, Germany surrendered to the Allied powers. -
German forces surrender
The German forces surrender unconditionally to the Allied powers, which was signed by General Alfred Jodl. Initially there had been hopes to only surrender in the West, where German troops were actively fighting the Western Allies. However, the terms explicitly stated surrendering ALL troops, or they would prevent the German troops exit and leave them at the mercy of the approaching Soviet Union. This ended the conflict in Europe, leaving the Allies to focus their war efforts in the Pacific. -
V. E. day
Victory in Europe Day, celebrated by England and the US, the day after the German troops surrendered. 13,000 British POWs were returned Great Britain.
In Moscow Victory Day wasn't celebrated until the ninth, as the Soviets lost 600 soldiers on the eighth before the German troops surrendered to them. Wasn't celebrated as much in Australia, due to the ever present threat of the Japanese, the war in the Pacific not yet completely over. European countries began to move on, repair after the war. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
By the summer of 1945, Japan had lost almost all the land they had taken control of in the Pacific, and whilst their soldiers were retreating, they weren't prepared to stop fighting just yet. The President of America, Harry S. Truman did not want to invade Japan (high number of American casualties) and ordered the use of the bomb to bring the war to a quick end. The US is the only nation to use atomic weapons during wartime. Demonstrated their functional, new weapon to the Soviet Union. -
Soviet Union declares war on Japan
Over a million Soviet soldiers were sent to the Japanese-occupied Manchuria in northeastern China following their declaration of war. After the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan still refused to surrender, demanding guarantees about Japan's future. Japanese civilians remained mostly unaware. Up until this point, Japan had been more or less unaffected by the Soviet Union, and thought they would not have to engage until Spring 1946. Emperor Hirohito began to plead with the War Council to surrender. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
80,000 were killed on impact in Hiroshima, and almost 40,000 in Nagasaki. (In the aftermath there were 10,000s of deaths.) The release two atomic bombs sent a strong message to both Japan and the Soviet Union. Japan were forced to surrender, having no substantial alternatives. The Soviet Union (whose relations with America had been steadily deteriorating since August) saw the US' new technology, and developed their own by 1949. Can be seen as the first shot of the Cold War. -
Japan surrenders - End of WWII
Japan surrenders unconditionally to the Allies, after the bombing of Nagasaki. Japan's surrender had been a forgone conclusion for some time, but Japan refused to surrender without guarantees pertaining to their future. Japan's naval fleet and air force were destroyed, and the Allies naval blockade had decimated the country's economy and bombing devastated Japanese cities. Emperor Hirohito held a supreme War Council where they agreed to surrender. Marked the end of World War Two. -
United Nations is born
An international organisation founded to maintain international peace and security. The United Nations was a new and improved version of the League of Nations, intended to prevent another world war. 51 nations were involved its foundation. Had a strong focus on equal rights and ensuring global co-operation in "solving economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems around the world." The war (in the Pacific and Europe) had finally ended, and everyone was trying to recover from the war.
