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World War II Timeline
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Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
On September 19th, 1931 The Japanese Invasion of Manchuria signaled the end of the apparent international stability. The attack was preformed by the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan. This act was an attempt of the Japanese Empire to gain control over the whole providence, this could easily be known as one start to World War II. With control in Manchuria the Japanese now had easy access to Asia. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
On the night of January 30, 1933, the Nazis organized a massive torchlight parade in Berlin to celebrate the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Hilter was sworn in witht he oath "I will employ my strength for the welfare of the German people, protect the Constitution and laws of the German people, conscientiously discharge the duties imposed on me, and conduct my affairs of office impartially and with justice to everyone." Just as the other chancellors before him. -
The Reichstag Burns
The Reichstag building, seat of the German government, burns after being set on fire by Nazis. This enabled Adolf Hitler to seize power under the pretext of protecting the nation from threats to its security. In the early hours of February 27th, 1933 the Berlin Fire Department was notified about the blaze however, despite the best efforts of the firemen, the building was gutted by the blaze. Return to The History Place - World War II Timeline - 1933 -
The Night of Long Knifes
The Night of the Long Knives also know as "Operation Hummingbird" was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political executions. Most of those killed were members of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary Brownshirts. Hitler was simply getting rid of his enemies. -
Paul Von Hindenbrug Dies
Known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the 2nd President of Germany from 1925 to 1934. Hindenburg was re-elected in a runoff but nonetheless played an important role in the Nazi Party's rise to power, dissolving parliament twice in 1932 and eventually appointing Hitler as Chancellor in January 1933. In February, he issued the Reichstag Fire Decree which suspended various civil liberties, aiding Hilter. -
Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister of England
Upon becoming prime minister Chamberlain would be known for his appeasement in for foreign policy and most of all the signing of the munich pact with Hilter and Nazi Germany. Prime Minister Chamberlain would remain prime minister of Britian for the first eight months of World War II. -
The Great Purge
Joseph Stalin "man of steel" created a complete dictatorship and autonomy in Russia during his time of rule. In order to eliminate all competition, Stalin carried out a purge of the Red Army as well as a purge of the communist party in the The great purge started when Stalin sent police throughout Russia to requisition food and put areas back under control. The police were extremely violent, executing thousands in a couple of days. Entire cities were destroyed and the people murdered. -
The Anschluss
The Anschluss was the political union or annexation of Austria with Germany. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the First World War, the majority of the German speaking people in Austria wanted to unite with the new German Republic. However, this was forbidden by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Later the leader of austria Seyss-Inquart invited the German army into Austria and declared the union. Breaking the treaty. -
Munich Conference
In the early hours of September 30th, 1938 Russia, Germany, Britain, France, and Italy met in Munich to decide what action, to take concerning Germany’s aggression in Czechoslovakia. While there, the allies decided to enact a policy of appeasement, wherein they would allow Germany to erase the boundaries of the Versailles Treaty without taking military action. However, it was also agreed that the sovereignty of Poland would be protected, drawing a boundary to Germany's agression. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht also known as "The Night of Broken Glass" was an anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany and Austria which started on November 9th, 1938. In which 91 Jews were murdered and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked. -
The Non-Agression Pact
In 1939, Adolf Hitler was preparing for war.Hitler was planning against the possibility of a two front war. Largely because fighting a two front war in World War I had split Germany's forces, and played a large role in Germany losing the First World War. Hitler was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So on August 19th,1939 Germany signed a Non-Agression Pact with the Soviet Union.Though each were both carefully watching the other, this assured an agreement to protect each others borders. -
The Start of World War II
The start of the war is generally known to be September 1, 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the countries of the British Empire. By breaking the Munich pact and attacking Poland Germany started a whirlwind of protest from other countries. Germanys act of agression was the final straw. -
Warsaw Surrenders
Warsaw is forced to surrender to German troops encircling its borders. Massive air and artillery bombardments left the polish no choice. Eastern Poland was occupied by the Soviet Union, while the rest of Poland was occupied by the Germans. The Germans immediately began their campaign against the Jews of Poland, herding them to live in ghettos in big cities. Only able to hold up for 26 days 140,000 polish troops are taken prisoner by Hitlers superior forces. -
The Miracle At Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, When British, French, Canadian, and Belgian troops were cut off by the German army during the Battle of Dunkirk it was said that the heart of the british army was stranded and would be captured if not evacuated. On the first day, only 7,010 men were evacuated, but by the ninth day, a total of 338,226 soldiers had been rescued by 850 boats. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, and the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign until that date. This air campaign was betweem the German Air Force led by Luftwaffe and the United Kingdoms Royal Air Force (RAF). This battle which was won by Britain dashed the hopeful attempts of a full German invasion and conquest.
