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Treaty of Versailles Signed
The Treaty of Versailles is signed, putting an end to the First World War. Signed to bring peace between Germany and most of the Allied Nations. The treaty heavily blamed Germany for the war, forcing the nation to pay for reparations and a restricted military. -
Adolf Hitler Comes To Power In Germany
Adolf Hitler is appointed by German President, Paul Von Hindenburg just before his death to become the new Chancellor of Germany. Hitler was part of the German Worker's Party, more commonly known as the Nazi Party. After coming to power, Hitler becomes a dictator, using propaganda to popularize his beliefs. -
Nazi invasion of Poland
Using a tactic called Blitzkrieg, Nazi forces began a joint invasion of the Republic of Poland, the Soviet Union, and the Republic of Slovak. These attacks marked the official beginning of World War Two. The Polish defensive managed to hold for 26 days, before falling to Nazi rule. -
The United Kingdom Declares War on Germany
After the Nazi Invasion of the Republic of Poland, both the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany in order to preserve order in Europe and their position in the world. This would officially begin counter-offensive fighting and military support. This would officially mark the beginning of other nations involvement in World War Two. -
Nazi Invasion of France
Using the same tactics used to invade Poland, the Germans invaded France. The goal of the Invasion was to claim a quick victory before the Soviet Union got involved. The French defense, backed by the United Kingdom lasted 4 months. -
Paris Falls To Nazi Power
After the failed defensive, Nazi forces push deeper into France, eventually making it to the capital, Paris. After Paris falls to Nazi control, the fall of Paris officially marked the end of the French defensive. -
United States Begins to Assist The Allies With Military Supplies
With its allies declaring war on Germany, and the fighting becoming intense in Europe, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act in order to give authorization to lend allied nations military supplies. This was done to assist nations in need all while remaining out of the conflict. This would help to play a key role in the Allies resisting German control. -
Japanese Attack of Pearl Harbor
The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a surprise aerial bombing attack on a U.S. Naval base stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack left 2,403 troops, as well as 68 civilians dead. The attack was done as an attempt to prevent the involvement of the United States in World War Two. -
United States Officially Enters The War
After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States would officially declare war on Japan. 3 days after declaring war on Japan, The United States would declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of the United States involvement in World War Two. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was an important naval battle between the United States and the Empire of Japan. The battle was a key point in securing dominance in the Pacific. The battle resulted in Japan losing lots of its naval fleet. -
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Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was a planned amphibious invasion of the beaches of Normandy. The plan was to move Allied forces into mainland Europe to reclaim France and launch a counter-offensive against the German forces. -
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Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation with the goal of creating a 64-mile salient, with a bridge heading over to Nederrijjn in order to create an Allied route to invade Northern Germany. The operation was a failure, and led to the war to last much longer. -
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Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa or Operation Iceberg, was a key battle in WW2 fought in the Pacific. Victory for the Allies would provide them with an airbase that would allow the Allies to bomb mainland Japan. There were up to 49,000 American casualties, with 12,000 deaths. -
VE Day
After the German forces officially surrendered, Europe celebrated the Allied victory in Europe. The celebration marked the true end of World War 2 in Europe. -
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Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In an attempt to force the Empire of Japan to surrender, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the bomb was devastating, however, the Japanese still refused to surrender. Three days later the United States dropped another bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Together the bombs accounted for between 129,000 and 226,000 deaths. -
VJ Day
With the surrender of the Japanese Empire planned, The United States celebrated victory in Japan. The Empire of Japan would not officially surrender until September 2nd, 1945. The surrender marked the official end of World War 2.