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Axis Powers Alliance
On October 15, Germany signs a friendship treaty with Italy. Later on the 25th of November Japan and Germany both sign an anti-communist treaty. Germany and Italy sign the 'Pact of Steel' 22nd of May, and Japan signs it on September 27, 1940. -
Kristallnacht / Night of broken glass
Nazi-Germany starts a pogrom against the Jews in Germany. The German authorities do nothing to stop it. -
Pact of Steel
A strong alliance between Italy and Germany gets signed, forming the Rome-German axis.
Japan also signs this contract a year later on September 27. -
Germany invades Poland
This is the 'official' start of ww2.
Nazi-Germany invades Poland demonstrating their ability to merge airpower and armour in a new kind of modern warfare. -
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WORLD WAR 2
The time in which world war two officially began and ended. -
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Blitzkrieg
'Lightning war' in german.
A german strategy that consists of using the element of surprise to quickly defeat the enemy with fast but powerful attacks. They used mobile and maneuverable tanks and air support. -
Britain and France Declare war on Germany
After Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France both declared war on Germany. -
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Wanting to gain access to the big coastline and wanting to secure the Iron, Germany Invaded Norway. Germany first invaded Denmark, and then later Norway. Sweden wanted to remain neutral, so they let Germany pass through with no resistance.
Since Norway's government fled to London, Norway never legally surrendered. -
Battle of Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces in Europe from 26 May to 4 June 1940. Dunkirk was a big turning point in World War II. -
Germany invades France
After both Britain and France declare war on Germany, Germany invades France on the 10th of June. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbour
After becoming a part of the Axis Alliance, Japan bombs the American marina base Pearl Harbour without declaring war first, and America is now a part of world war 2 -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway took place in the Pacific in June of 1942, it was a crucial and decisive naval battle between the USA and Japan, which eventually saw the Americans as victorious. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Soviet Union and Germany battle for control over the Russian city Stalingrad. This is the biggest confrontation in all of world war 2 with around 2 million killed, wounded or captured. In the end, Germany won and the Axis Powers gained control over Stalingrad. -
El Alamein
The Allied victory at El Alamein on 11th November 1942, was a turning point in the Western Desert Campaign. -
D-Day
The Allied invasion of France began on 6th June 1944. It led to the eventual liberation of France from the Nazis and contributed to the Allies' victory in the war. It's regarded as the biggest seaborne invasion in history. -
Liberation of Paris
After D-Day/the Normandy invasion Paris was liberated on the 24th of August 1944. It was a bloody battle with 500,000 dead injured or missing before the german forces surrendered the french capital. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The battle of Iwo Jima was part of the Pacific campaign against Japan. It ended with a costly American victory and showed how the Japanese forces were willing to fight to the last man. -
The battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was the bloodiest of the Pacific Campaign, and given the heavy losses sustained, America reconsidered their approach to invading the Japanese home islands. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt dies
American President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies of a hemorrhagic stroke. Vice President Harry S. Truman assumed the role of President. -
Russia invades Berlin
On the 24th of April, Russian forces surrounded the german city of Berlin. This resulted in the Fall of Berlin on the 2nd of May, 1945. -
Hitlers Suicide
When things started to go bad for Germany, Hitler and his wife take suicide by gunshot and cyanide respectively. -
Germany surrenders
After Hitler took suicide and Berlin fell, German forces began to surrender. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
American forces drop the two atom bomb 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This has devastating effects and killed at least 129.000 humans directly. After dropping 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima, American President Harry S. Truman called again for Japan's surrender, warning them to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth." Needless to say, Japan didn't surrender, which ked to the second atom bombing. -
Japan surrenders
After having been bombed with atom bombs by America two times, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrenders. It was officially signed on the 2nd of September 1945 by the Japanese representatives.