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Annexation of Czechoslovakia
The Munich Agreement permitted Nazi Germany to take over Czechoslovakia's Sudenland which was occupied by Germans. The agreement was negotiated without Czechoslovakia's input in Munich, Germany on September 30, 1938 and signed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. -
Pact of Steel
The Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy created a pact of cooperation and trust between the two countries and encouraged economic and military cooperation or union. It was signed by the Italian leader Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. -
German and Russian invasion of Poland
The Poland Campaign, or the invasion of Poland by the combined forces of Germany, the Soviet Union, and a Slovak contingent, marked the beginning of World War II in Europe. On October 6, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union divided and annexed Poland. -
Partition of Poland
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and the Soviet Union invaded on September 17. By the end of the month, Germany and the Soviet Union had conquered and divided Poland. -
Invasion of the low Countries and France begins -Blitzkrieg used against West
The Battle of France marked the invasion of France by Germany using armored vehicles and lightening fast tactics which immobilized the French troops and resulted in France being divided into German and Italian occupation zones. -
Beginning of the Evacuation of Dunkirk
Also known as Operation Dynamo or the Miracle of Dunkirk, the Allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France between May 27 and June 4 of 1940. Winston Churchill called the events in France, "a colossal military disaster". -
France Surrenders to Germany
An Armistice is signed between Germany and France which allowed Germany to occupy two thirds of France and required the French to disband their army while also paying for the cost of the German invasion. The Armistice was signed at Campiegne in the same railroad car where the Germans had signed the WWI armistice. -
The Battle of Britain Begins
After France was occupied by Germany, Britain waited for the German attack. The battle began with the German bombers targeting a British convoy in the English Channel. The British had superior radar and aircraft and a national will to defend their country. -
Tripartite (Axis) Pact signed
The Tripartite Pact combined the alliances made in two previous pacts. On Nov 1, 1936, Germany and Italy solidified their alliance with the Rome-Berlin Axis and on Nov 25, 1936, Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Imperial Japan to defend against the Soviet Union. Italy joined this pact on Nov 6, 1937 and later signed the Pact of Steel with Germany. -
United States declares War on Germany and Japan
United States declared war on Japan, Germany, and Italy after both Germany and Italy declared war on the US. President Roosevelt stated, "The forces endeavoring to enslave the entire world now are moving toward this hemisphere". -
Lend Lease Act Signed
The United States Congress passed the Lend Lease Act to assist allied nations fighting WWII. It allowed the president to ship weapons, food , and equipment to any country whose involvement in WWII assisted in US defense. -
Operation Barbarossa Begins
Hitler invaded the Soviet Union based on a fictitious violation of the nonaggression treaty with Stalin. This invasion marked the beginning of the scorched earth policy and ruthless occupation. -
Final Solution Begins
The Final Solution was the attempt by the Germans to totally eliminate European life and culture. It began with the German death squads in German occupied Kaunas Lithuania and continued with the gas chambers in December 1941. -
Germans Abandon Attack on Moscow
Germans began the Battle for Moscow in hopes that the fall of Moscow would lead to the fall of Russia. Hitler conceded defeat and withdrew troops in January 1942. -
Pearl Harbor bombed
The Japanese mounted a surprise attack of warplanes on the Hawaiian US Naval base. This actions drove the United States to enter WWII. -
Declaration of War on Germany
Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress and requested that Congress "recognize a state of war between the United States and Germany, and between the United States and Italy". -
Battle of Stalingrad Begins
The Battle of Stalingrad took began on July 17, 1942 and ended on Feb 2, 1943. Nazi Germany and its allies invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa. -
Auschwitz opens
The German Concentration and Extermination Camp opened to imprison more than 150,000 inmates who would die due to starvation, work, or the gas chamber. -
German and Italian surrender in North Africa
On May 13, 1943 Field Marshall Rommel, commander of the German- Italian army surrendered his campaign in Egypt and Libya. The North African campaign was initiated to secure raw materials for the Nazis. -
Allies Land in Sicily
Allies begin the invasion of Europe in Sicily and find little resistance. The British Army was led by Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery and the US Army was led by General George Patton. Within three days, 150,000 Allied troops landed. -
Italy surrenders
On September 8, 1943, General Dwight Eisenhower announced the surrender of Italy to the Allies. The Germans reacted with Operation Axis and the Allies land in Sicily. -
Italy declares war on Germany
On Oct 13, 1943, Italy declares war on Germany and joins the battle on the side of the Allies. Mussolini is out of power and the fascist government collapses. -
D-Day
D-Day is the first day of Operation Overlord which was the Allies attempt to liberate Western Europe from Nazi Germany. This operation began with the Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1944, with the largest amphibious military operation which coordinated American, British, and Canadian forces. -
Assassination attempt on Hitler fails
On July 20, 1944, at 12:42 local time, a bomb exploded in Hitler's headquarters known as the Wolf's Lear, in Rastenberg, East Prussia. Colonel Clauss Schenik von Stauffenberg, a senior officer, was accused of planting the bomb. -
Battle of Bulge begins
On December 6, 1944, Hitler mounted a massive attack on the Allied forces in Western Europe creating a bulge in the Allied front. Hitler's operation was known as the Ardennes Offensive. -
Mussolini hanged
On April 28, 1945, Mussolini was caught by Italian partisans while he attempted to escape to the north. He was executed near Lake Como and then his body was hung upside down in Milan. -
Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, in his bunker in Berlin by consuming a cyanide capsule and then shooting himself with a pistol. He committed suicide with his wife Eva Braun. Both bodies were cremated. -
Potsdam Conference
US President Truman, Soviet Premier Stalin, and British Prime Minister Churchill met in Potsdam, Germany on July 16, 1945, to discuss post war arrangements in Europe and to proclaim the "Potsdam Declaration" which demanded that Japan surrender or face a unified trio of military powers set on destruction. -
Hiroshima bombed
On Aug 6, 1945, the United States unleashed the first nuclear bomb which carried 20,000 tons of TNT on Hiroshima, Japan. The power of this bomb killed tens of thousands of people and flattened the city. -
Nagasaki bombed
On Aug 9, 1945, the Americans dropped a second atomic bomb on Japan on the city of Nagasaki. The bomb exploded 1625 ft above ground an destroyed the city. -
V-J Day
On Aug 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally to the Allies signaling the end of WWII. This day is celebrated as V-J Day or Victory ove Japan Day. -
UN Established
On Oct 24, 1945, the United Nations Charter was ratified by the 5 permanent members of the Security Council; France, China, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States. The United Nations replaced the League of Nations after it failed to prevent WWII. The goal of the United Nations is to foster copperation in international law and security, social progress and economic development. -
Nuremberg Trial begins
On November 20, 1945, 24 high ranking Nazi officials were put on trial for war crimes in Nuremberg, Germany. The trial was conducted by an international tribunal which consisted of members from the United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. Ultimately, 12 were sentenced to death, 7 were sent to prison, and 3 were acquitted.
