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Britain and France Declare War on Germany
Germany pulls the last straw in terms of the Treaty of Versailles, restrictions, and aggressions. Previously Hitler had broken the Munich Ract by absorbing all of Czechslovakia into Germany. Hitler then proceded to invade Poland (the final straw that tiggered the war and indicated the attention towards Hitler's aggressions). Germany and Britain declare war on Germany, as France and Britain had a treaty to protect Poland if Germany were to invade. This marks the beginning of the Second World War. -
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World War II
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Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)
Hitler launches another blitskrieg, also known as lightning war, but this time against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed and damaged so badly that is almost fell to extinction. Hitler then proceded to take over and occupy both Holland and Belgium. He then moved on to invade other countries such as the Netherlands and France. This signified Hitler's aggression and power in Europe and his will to expand his empire. -
Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) Evacuation
British, Frech, and Belgium troops had been cut off by the German army during the Battle of Dunkirk. General Gort, the British commander in chief, retreated to the Dunkirk coast. Evacuation was then ordered signaling the "Miracle of Dunkirk". 338,226 soldiers were rescued off the shores of Dunkirk. This action saved the British/French army, as they had squeezed their way out of a horrific situation. -
Battle of Britain
Hitler had sent his Luftwaffe bombers to British ports, this action to research the speed of the response of the RAF. Many bombing raids were focuses on RAF airfields. During the Blitz, the bombing of British towns/cities, Hitler had hoped to crush British morale. He had also begun to go on nightly bombing raids. The RAF's defended Britain in the sky, and eventually these bombing raids were completly ceased as there was little to no effect on Britain as a result of these bombing raids. -
Hitler attacks Russia (Operation Barbarosa)
Hitler sends millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks into Russia. This completely violated Germany's and Russia's treaty back in 1939. Russia immediately signs a treaty with Britain, opening an Eastern front battle, taking away the lives of 20 million soldiers. USA also contributed to the USSR's war effort by supplying arms to Russia under a Lend Lease agreenment. This battle demonstrated Hitler's manipulative strengths and his power. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan felt pressured by the US as they had become a threat to ther authority in the Pacific region. As a result of this, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the US Navy's main Pacific base. They sent 6 aircraft carriers and 360 airplanes. The attack devasted America, killing and wounding thousands od Americans. Japan's objective was to prevent the US from influencing their war effort. -
Battle of Midway
Japan, whom are threatened of their power in the Pacific by the US, devise a plan to eliminate US as one of their threats, even after Pearl Harbor. Japan hopes this demoralizing defeat will guarantee Japanese Pacific dominance. Japan planned to lure the US aircraft carriers into a trap. Americans though were able to get information about the attack before it happened, preceding that America creates a trap of its own. America was able to defeat the Japanese, and were able to push Japan back. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler and Germany invades Stalingrad, hoping to capture it. The Germans destroyed much of the city. But then in Novemeber the Soviets launch Operation Uranus, targeting weak forces. The Russian winter then came into play, further weaking the German army into freezing and starving conditions. The Soviet army had encircled them, but Germany wasn't able to break through, and eventually surrendered. This battle was marked as one of the bloodiest in history, and held a turning point for the Germans. -
The Tehran Conference
The "Big Three" decide to meet in the first Allied conference, including Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. The three discussed various post-war settlement plans. They also decided to open a Western front (Granted by Stalin, despite Churchill's oppositions, in order to keep the West and Russia in good terms). Post war Europe, and the date for D-day was also discussed. The Big Three would meet again in Yalta, discussing the management of post-war Europe. -
D-Day
In hopes of opening a Western front, the allies invade Normany in Western France. The landings consisted of two phases: an airborne assault landing and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions. Hitler was falsely convinced of a landing near Calais. It was extremely important for the Allies to capture a port. The landings took place on a 50-mile stretch. This ended in an Allied success, and greatly weakened German forces, eventually leading to their loss. -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle was major German counter-offensive in the Ardennes mountain range on the Western front. The goal was to split the British and Amerincan line in half, and go on to encircle and destroy four Allied armies. Then forcing the Allies in the Western front to create a treaty in German favor. Germany could then concentrate on the Eastern front once accomplished. Allied resistance and the blockage of key roads to German success led to Germany's ultimate failure in this tactic. -
V.E. Day
This marks the day the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany, ending the Second World War in Europe.. Upon the defeat the Western world erupted in excitement and celebration of the German defeat, and the Allied success. Europeans oragnized parties on the streets with horns and food (still rationed). The war with Japan, on the other hand was still being fought. But the official ending of World War II would come in a matter of a few months with the bombings in Japan.
