-
Period: to
World War II
-
Buildup to World War II
Speaking to a crowd in Milan, Benito Mussolini coins the name "Axis" for Italy and its allies when he states that the "line between Rome and Berlin is not a partition but rather an axis around which all European states...can also collaborate." -
The Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact is signed by Nazi Germany and Japan against the International Comintern but not against the Soviet Union. -
Munich agreement
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement which forces the Czechoslovak Republic to cede the Sudetenland, including the key Czechoslovak military defense positions, to Nazi Germany. -
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returns to London
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returns to London, England, to a hero's welcome. Quote on the Munich Agreement: "This is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time." -
The Hitler-Stalin Pact
Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, stunning the world, given their diametrically opposed ideas. -
Germans invade Poland
At 4:45 a.m. just about 1.5 million German troops invade Poland all along its 1,750-mile border with German-controlled territory. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
On this day in 1939, in response to Hitler’s invasion of Poland, Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation declare war on Germany. -
Soviet Union invades Poland
On this day in 1939, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov declares that the Polish government has ceased to exist, as the U.S.S.R. exercises the “fine print” of the Hitler-Stalin Non-aggression pact—the invasion and occupation of eastern Poland. -
Germany invades Norway and Denmark
On this day in 1940, German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities. -
France to surrender
With Paris fallen and the German conquest of France reaching its conclusion, Marshal Henri Petain replaces Paul Reynaud as prime minister and announces his intention to sign an armistice with the Nazis. -
The Battle of Britain begins
On this day in 1940, the Germans begin the first in a long series of bombing raids against Great Britain, as the Battle of Britain, which will last three and a half months, begins. -
Invasion of the Soviet Union
On June 22, 1941, Adolf Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union -
Pearl Harbor bombing
Just before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. -
The United States declares war on Japan
On this day, as America’s Pacific fleet lay in ruins at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt requests, and receives, a declaration of war against Japan.
