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Hitler takes Rhineland
Hitler orders troops into Rhineland, a zone which had been demilitarized for a decade, This act breaks the Locarno Pact and the older Treaty of Versailles, leading to tensions between the Allied and Axis powers. -
The Start of A Conflict
On March 7th, Hitler sets into motion what would become the most devastating war the world had ever known. As tensions mounted, alliances formed, and by the time that fighting broke out, it was the Allies (Britain, France, U.S, and the Soviet Union) pitted against the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan). -
Hitler Occupies Sudetenland
After Hitler took Rhineland, he planned to move on to other neighboring territories. On March 13th, Hitler moved into Sudetenland and asked the Allies (Britain, France) for permission to occupy the land. -
Appeasement policy to Hitler
Great Britain Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain went to Germany to negotiate with Hitler about his claim on Sudetenland. Great Britain and France gave in to Hitler's opinion and signed the Munich Pact leading to the ceding of Sudetenland to Germany. This only increased Hitler's appetite for expansion. Six months later, Hitler would take Czechoslovakia. -
Hitler-Stalin Pact
Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, stunning the world, given their conflicting political viewpoints. A short time later, the two countries would carry out a joint occupation of Poland. -
German Invasion of Poland
Germany invades Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. From East Prussia and Germany in the north and Silesia and Slovakia in the south, German garrisons, with over 2,000 tanks and 1,000 planes, broke through Polish defenses along the border and advanced on Warsaw in a massive encirclement attack. -
German-Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty
September 28, 1939: German-Soviet Boundary and Friendship Treaty Treaty signed by the Nazis and the Soviet Union after their joint occupation and invasion of Poland. The treaty was a follow up to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which the two countries had signed on August 23, prior to their invasion of Poland and the start of World War II in Europe. Only a small portion of the treaty was publicly announced. -
Winston Churchill Elected Prime Minister
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns as the British Prime Minister. Winston Churchill, former First Lord of the Admiralty, was elected to take his place. -
France's Exit From The War
France, under the leadership of Petain, signs an armistice with Germany. Signed at Rethondes, the armistice was a direct result of the German invasion and conquest of France that coincided with their invasion of other neighboring countries such as Belgium -
Operation Barbarossa
The start date of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. One of two major events in the beginning of the war, Operation Barbarossa marked the end of German-Soviet nonaggression and brought the Soviets into the war against Germany -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese surprise attack on American naval base at Pearl Harbor with over 3000 casualties. This was the tipping point for the Americans, as the casualties and the humiliation gave the push for the U.S to drop their claims of neutrality and enter the war
