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Germany invades Poland
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
Honoring their guarantee of Poland’s borders, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
The Soviet Union invades Poland
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east. -
Germany and the Soviet Union divide Poland between them.
Warsaw surrenders on September 27. Germany and the Soviet Union divide Poland between them. -
Germany attacks western Europe
Germany attacks western Europe—France, Belgium, Netherlands and the neutral Low Countries. -
Italy enters the war
Italy enters the war and it invades France. -
The Battle of Britain ends in defeat for Nazi Germany.
The air war known as the Battle of Britain ends in defeat for Nazi Germany. -
The Tripartite Pact.
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. -
The Axis.
Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania join the Axis. -
Invasion of Yugoslavia
Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria invade Yugoslavia -
Invasion of Soviet Union
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners (except Bulgaria) invade the Soviet Union. Finland, joins the Axis just before the invasion. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. -
The United States declares war on Japan
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. -
Germany and the Axis declare war on the United States.
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States. -
New offensive in the Soviet Union.
Germany and her Axis partners launch a new offensive in the Soviet Union. -
Soviet troops counterattack.
Soviet troops counterattack. -
Benito Mussolini is deposed. Pietro Badoglio gets the power.
The Fascist Grand Council deposes Benito Mussolini, enabling Italian marshall Pietro Badoglio to form a new government. -
The Germans occupy Hungary.
The Germans occupy Hungary. -
British and US land on the Normandy beaches
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans. -
The Soviets destroy the German
The Soviets launch a massive offensive and destroy the German Army Group Center and drive towards central Poland. -
Anglo-American forces break out of the Normandy beachhead
Anglo-American forces break out of the Normandy beachhead and race eastward towards Paris. -
Finland leaves the Axis
Finland concludes an armistice with the Soviet Union, leaving the Axis partnership. -
The Hungarian fascists prevent the Hungarian government for surrender to the Soviets.
The Hungarian fascist Arrow Cross movement carries out a coup d’état with German support to prevent the Hungarian government from pursuing negotiations for surrender to the Soviets. -
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west
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. -
Some countries are freed.
Most of France, Belgium and the south of Netherlands are freed. -
The Soviets launch their final offensive
The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin. -
Hitler commits suicide.
Hitler commits suicide. -
Germany surrenders to the Allies.
Germany surrenders to the western Allies. -
Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
Germany surrenders to the Soviets. -
An atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. -
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria. -
An atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. -
Japan formally surrenders. End of the World War II.
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.
