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Germany Invades Poland
Theatre of war: Europe Countries/ key people involved: Germany (Adolf Hitler), Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin) & Poland Details:
The German-Soviet Pact of August 1939 stated that Poland was partitioned (shared) between both Germany and the Soviet Union (USSR). This, in turn, gave Germany the power to attack Poland without fearing the USSR would interfere, so on September 1st, 1939 Germany invaded Poland using more than 2,000 tanks and 1,000 planes to break through Poland's border defences. -
Britain & France declare war on Germany
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people involved: Germany, Poland, France & Britain
Details:
Following the invasion of Poland on September 1st, two days later on September 3rd, 1939 in both Britain and France who were allies with Poland were obligated to declare war on Germany. The Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand governments immediately started aiding the British in the war effort. -
Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people involved:Winston Churchill & Neville Chamberlain
Details:
In 1938, PM Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact with Nazi Adolf Hitler, giving Czechoslovakia to Germany. Hitler invaded Poland & Chamberlain declared war against Germany. During the next 8 months showed himself to be ill-equipped. On May 10th Churchill, who was known for his military ability, was appointed Prime Minister after Chamberlain formally lost the confidence of the House of Commons. -
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Evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo)
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: France, Britain & Germany
details:
Because of British and French armies being halted by advancing German armies. The aim was the evacuation of up to 40,000 troops under attack and The Royal Navy, with the assistance of civilian boats, evacuated 215,000 British troops and 120,000 French troops, during this the Germans captured 30,000 British prisoners-of-war in France. -
Italy enters the war on side of Axis powers
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany, France, Italy
details:
The three principal partners in the Axis alliance were Germany, Italy, and Japan. Italy was drawn into the war by their Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, who in 1936 formed an alliance with Nazi Germany and following the defeat of France, Italy thought it was clear to join the war effort on the Axis powers side. -
France signs armistice with Germany
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: France & Germany
Details:
Marshal Henri Petain, who was Vice Premier of France arranged an armistice with the Nazis to end fighting between the two countries. The armistice, signed by the French on June 22, 1940 and went into effect one day later on June 25. During this time more than half of France was occupied by the Germans and the Armistice was essentially a French surrender with Germany forcing them into agreement. -
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Battle of Britain
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany (Hermaan Göring) & Britain (Sir Hugh Dowding's)
Details:
The Battle of Britain was a struggle between the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air force which played out over Britain between July and October 1940. After Germany had taken most of Europe, the last major country left to fight was Great Britain. The end result was Britain winning their battle because of their advantage of only needing to defend their land. -
Operation Sea Lion
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany & Britain
Details:
Unternehmen Seelöwe known in English as Operation Sea Lion was the planned invasion of Great Britain. After Germany had lost the Battle of Britain Hitler decided to postpone Operation Sea Lion indefinitely and instead focused on the upcoming attack on Russia. The first instruction to begin planning was issued on July 2nd this giving Troops 84 days before the invasion, with Hitler planning on Invasion on September 24th. -
Tripartite Pact signed
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany, Italy, and Japan/ America
Details:
the signing of the Tripartite Pact which took place in Berlin can also be known more simply as the formation or reinforcement of the Axis powers which included Germany, Italy, and Japan, who had all been in alliance previously. This alliance was directly aimed at trying to keep America at bay and from entering the war. -
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Siege of Tobruk
Theatre of war: North Africa
Countries/ key people: Australia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, United Kingdom, Germany & Italy
Details:
The Siege of Tobruk lasted 241 days, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Poland & U.K were allies while Germany & Italy were their enemies. In April, the Germans surrounded the port city & the Siege of Tobruk began. It was vital for the Allies' defence of Egypt and the Suez Canal to hold the town with its harbour and force the enemy to bring most of their supplies overland. -
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Operation Barbarossa
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/Key people: Germany & Soviet Union
Details:
On 22 June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. this was Codenamed Operation Barbarossa, involving more than 3 million Axis troops and 3,500 tanks Operation Barbarossa was the largest military operation in history. It was the logical idea of Hitler’s belief that the German ‘master race’ should seek ‘lebensraum’ (living space) in the east. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: Japan & The United States
Details:
On December 7 1941, Just before 8am hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The bombing lasted two hours and The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. In this fighting 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. -
Britain and the US declare war on Japan
Theatre of war: Pacific & Europe
Countries/ key people: Britain, US & Japan
Details:
Just one day after the Japanese’s surprise attack on America with the horrific Pearl Harbor bombing. President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his 'Infamy speech' and both the US and Britain declared war on the Empire of Japan because of the previous day's. Soon after Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the US, these events solidifying The US’s involvement in WWII. -
Japan Takes Singapore
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: Japan, Singapore & Britain
Details:
On February 8th 5,000 Japanese troops landed on Singapore Island. Singapore was considered a vital part of the British Empire & supposedly too strong to be invaded. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the Japanese were expanding & looking towards Singapore, British command in Singapore still thought they were too strong to be taken, this was false and Singapore was Eventually taken by Japan on February 15th,1942. -
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The Battle of Midway
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: United States & Japan
Details:
The battle of Midway was a sea and air battle that lasted four days between June 3rd and June 7th, involving the US & Japan. The outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircrafts carriers, 248 aircrafts, and over 3,000 soldiers and only managed to lose one of their own aircraft carriers. The Japanese hoped to defeat the US Pacific Fleet, The 4-day battle ended with a critical US victory. -
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First Battle of El Alamein: July 1st 1942 – July 22, 1942
Theatre of war:N Africa
Countries/ key people:Germany, Italy, Britain, British India, AUS,NZ &South Africa
Details:
The First Battle of El Alamein was fought in Egypt between Axis forces (Germany and Italy) & the Allied forces (Britain,British India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand).The British prevented a 2nd advance by Axis forces into Egypt.The battle halted the Axis advance on Alexandria.The 9th Australian Division had taken 7,000 prisoners & inflicted damage on Axis men & machines -
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Battle of Stalingrad
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany & Russia
Details:
The Battle of Stalingrad was fought during the winter of 1942 and lasted till early 1943. Stalingrad was a target as it was Russia’s center of communications & manufacturing.In early September 1942,the German Army advanced to the city. The Russians, devastated by the destruction of Operation Barbarossa, couldn't let the city fall. The Russian victory was a humiliation for Hitler & a great step back for Germany in WWII. -
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Second Battle of El Alamein
Theatre of war: North Africa
Countries/ key people: Germany, Italy, Britain, British India, Australia, New Zealand & South Africa
Details:
The Second Battle of El Alamein was a turning point in WWII, It was the only great land battle won by the British and Commonwealth forces without direct American interference.The loss by the Axis powers (Germany & Italy) was a major setback for the nations as it was ultimately unknown that the allied powers had the strength to hold the area for 241 days. -
D-Day Landings
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: America, Britain, Germany
Details:
The D-Day Landings codenamed Operation Overlord, began on June 6, 1944 when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. Within a week more than 1 million men had landed along the beach. D-Day Landings resulted in a successful start to the Allies' invasion of North West Europe. -
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Battle of the Bulge
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: US, UK, France, Canada, Belgium & Germany
Details:
On December 16th the Germans launch the last major offensive in WWII (Operation Mist) also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to north-western Belgium. The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, But the Battle ended in a victory for the allies. -
Mussolini captured and executed
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Benito Mussolini & Clara Petacci
Details:
On April 28th 1945, Benito Mussolini, and his wife, Clara Peace, were shot dead by Italian partisans who had captured the two as they attempted to flee to Switzerland. The 61-year-old former dictator of Italy who was known for his power and strong connection with Adolf Hitler, was captured on the border and killed with his wife. -
Hitler commits suicide
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Adolf Hitler & his wife Eva Braun
Details:
On April 30th, 1945 both Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun swallowed cyanide capsules although Hitler also shot himself with his service pistol. The bodies of Hitler and Eva were cremated in the chancellery garden by the bunker on Hitlers orders and reportedly later recovered in part by Russian troops. A German court finally officially declared Hitler dead, but not until 1956. -
German forces surrender
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany
Details:
On May 7th 1945, a little under a month since Adolf Hitler committed suicide, The German High Command (General Alfred Jodl) signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces. After this all German forces in East, West, at Reims and in northwestern France were under orders to surrender. -
V.E. day
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: Germany ( US, UK, NZ, AUS, Soviet Union & france all celebrated)
Details:
On May 8th 1945, one day Germany surrender the Victory in Europe Day was celebrated. Generally known as V-E Day, VE Day or simply V Day was a celebration to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: America & Japan
Details:
On August 6th, 1945, The United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, 90,000–146,000 people were killed during the Atomic Bombing. The bombing of Hiroshima marked the end of WWII but also ignited the beginning of the Cold war. -
Soviet Union declares war on Japan
Theatre of war: Europe & Pacific
Countries/ key people: Soviet Union & Japan
Details:
On August 8th, 1945, 2 days after the horrific Hiroshima bombing the Soviet Union officially declared war on Japan. More than 1 million Soviet soldiers went into Japanese-occupied Manchuria, northeastern China, to take on the 700,000-strong Japanese army. This was the beginning of the Soviet – Japanese war which lasted till September 2nd, 1945 -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: Japan & America
Details:
On August 9th, 1945 only 3 days after the horrible Hiroshima bombings, japan was faced with yet another atomic Bomb. the United States dropped a second Atomic Bomb in Nagasaki, resulting in Japan’s unconditional surrender. The atomic bomb caused anywhere between 60,000 and 80,000 people to be killed (most of which were civilians) -
Japanese surrender – End of WWII
Theatre of war: Pacific
Countries/ key people: Japan
Details:
On September 2nd, 1945, following the Atomic Bombings on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and also the new of the Soviet Union declaring war on Japan, with troops crossing into northeastern China. Emperor Showa replied to the allies Option to Surrender, the Japanese empire officially surrounded and with this came the end of WWII. -
United nations is born
Theatre of war: Europe
Countries/ key people: United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and China The United Nations was born on October 24th, 1945 seen as a necessity for the new world, as a means of better controlling international conflict and negotiating peace than was provided for by the old League of Nations.