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WWII Begins
On the first of September, 1939, Hitler invades Poland. He was confident that Britain and France would continue practicing appeasement, but he was wrong. Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, starting WWII. British Declaration Of War - Radio Broadcast - 3 Sept 1939 -
Start of the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain lasted from July to September 1940 and was faught exclusively from the air. Germany lost mostly becasue the British had radar and they could get into bomb shelters very quickly. They also had plenty of morale, thanks to the British "Keep Calm" propaganda posters. The British saw victory and postponed Hitler's invasion plans. The German "Blitz" of British Cities lasted throughout the war, claiming 40,00 civilian lives. -
Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
On the 7th of December 1941, Japan attacked the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, forcing the US to enter the war. Within a week of the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan had invaded the Phillippines, Burma, and Hong Kong. The attacks made Americans fearful and all "enemy aliens" had to register with the government. Japanese, Italian, and German Americans were subject to arrest or deportation if thought to be dangerous to national security. 100,000 Japanese Americans were put in internment camps. -
Battle of Midway
Midway was another turning point battle. Midway was vital to the protection of Hawaii and if the US lost it, they would be forced back to the California coast. Fortunately, Admiral Chester Nimitz found out about the Japanese plans and he concentrated his forces there. The US sank 4 aircraft carriers and 250 planes and only lost a single plane. Some of Japan's best pilots were lost in that battle. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the true turning point of of war in Europe. The Nazis were forced into a full-scale retreat, ending any of Hitler's realistic plans to dominate Europe. It was thier first significant defeat. After this battle, The Soviet Union went on the offensive after the German's surrendered at Stalingrad. -
D-Day
The D-Day invasion of Normandy, or Operation Overlord, involved some of the most experienced Allied officers in Europe such as General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. Bernard Montgomery, and Gen. Omar Bradley. The invasion involved landing 21 American divisions and 26 British, Polish, and Canadian divisions on five beaches in Normandy. Instead of using the real names, they codenamed them Utah, Juno, Omaha, Gold, and Sword. The fleet had more than 4,400 ships and landing crafts. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was Hitler's counterattack. The Germans caught the Allies by surprise and created a bulge in the American line. They captured several key towns and they almost succeeded.The Nazis killed 19,000 Americans and delayed the Allies' march into Germany. On the 23rd of December, Allied bombers started to push the Germans out of France. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
On April 30, 1945, Hitler and several of his colleagues committed suicide in an air-raid shelter. He was on various drugs and his armies had lost the will to fight. He swallowed a cyanide capsule and shot himself with a pistol. -
V-E Day
With their leader dead, Germany surrendered to the Allies on May 7, 1945. The next day was celebrated as V-E day and the war in Europe was over. With Germany out of the war, the Allies could focus on the war in the Pacific. -
V-J Day and End of WWII
After the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. The next day, the Allies celbrated V-J Day. After nearly six years, the war was over. Over 60,000,000 people were killed in the war.
