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Invasion of Poland
Germany attacks Poland, marking the start of World War II. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
Honoring their guarantee of Poland’s borders, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
Soviet Union invades Poland
Soviet Union invades Poland from the east. -
Warsaw surrenders
Warsaw surrenders on September 27. The Polish government flees into exile via Romania. Germany and the Soviet Union divide Poland between them. -
Period: to
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Germany invades Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9. -
Period: to
Germany attacks Western Europe
Germany attacks western Europe—France and the neutral Low Countries. Luxembourg is occupied on May 10; the Netherlands surrenders on May 14; and Belgium surrenders on May 28. On June 22, France signs an armistice agreement by which the Germans occupy the northern half of the country and the entire Atlantic coastline. In southern France, a collaborationist regime with its capital in Vichy is established. -
Italy invades France
Italy invades the southern part of France. -
Axis recruitment
Bulgaria joins the Axis powers. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. -
U.S. enters WWII
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. Japanese troops land in the Philippines, French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), and British Singapore. By April 1942, the Philippines, Indochina, and Singapore are under Japanese occupation. -
War
Nazi Germany and her axis allies declare war on the United States. -
Period: to
Japanese Navy stopped
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway. -
North African Campain
Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies, ending the North African campaign. -
Salerno beach
Allied troops land on the beaches of Salerno near Naples. -
Anzio landing
Allied troops land successfully near Anzio, just south of Rome. -
D- Day
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans. -
Soviet troops on the Prut River
The appearance of Soviet troops on the Prut River induces the Romanian opposition to overthrow the Antonescu regime. The new government concludes an armistice and immediately switches sides in the war. The Romanian turnaround compels Bulgaria to surrender on September 8, and the Germans to evacuate Greece, Albania, and southern Yugoslavia in October. -
U.S. troops land in the Philippines
U.S. troops land in the Philippines -
Battle of the Bulge
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. By January 1, 1945, the Germans are in retreat. -
Hitler commits suicide
Hitler commits suicide. -
Germany surrenders
Germany surrenders to the Western allies. -
Germany surrenders
Germany surrenders to the Soviets. -
Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. -
Soviets declare war
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria. -
Atomic Bomb: Nagasaki
The United Sates drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. -
World War 2 Conclusion
Japan formerly surrenders, ending World War 2.
