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Treaty of Munich
Also known as the Munich Pact, it gave the Sudetanland of Czechoslovakia to Germany. This was agreed to during a meeting in Munich by Hitler of Germany, Chamberlain of Britain, Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy, in the hopes of preventing a war. No Czechs were at the meeting, and Hitler assured everyone in attendance that he had no plans for further expansion of territory. Chamberlain went back to England with the signed document, and told everyone there was now ‘peace in our time’. -
Britain and France Declare War on Germany
Two days after Germany’s invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. The announcement that the countries were at war was made by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. -
Tripartite Pact
Also known as the Berlin Pact, this agreement was signed by Germany, Italy and Japan, and it made the three countries allies. They were known as the Axis powers. -
Hitler Attacks Russia – Operation Barbarossa
Even after signing a non-aggression pact with Russia in 1939, Hitler still decided to attack Russia and sent 3 million soldiers and 3,500 tanks there. The Russians were surprised by this attack and Stalin then signed an agreement with Britain to help each other out in the war. The US supplied arms to Russia since they were also already providing this kind of help to Britain. There were 20 million deaths because of the ensuing Eastern front battle. -
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is a US naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. There was a surprise military attack on the base by Japanese forces. This attack led to the US entering into World War II. At this time, the Japanese were already in a war with China, and after the Pearl Harbor attack, they went on to take British, French and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia. -
Britain and US Declare War on Japan
In response to the surprise military attack on the Pearl Harbor US naval base by Japanese forces one day earlier, the US and Britain declared war on Japan. -
D-Day
D-Day is the day that the Battle of Normandy began in Normandy, Western France, against German forces. 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches there and proceeded, over the next month, to liberate Western Europe from the control of Germany. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Hiding in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin, Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, killed himself by swallowing a cyanide capsule and then shooting himself with a pistol. Eva Braun, his wife of one day, was with him at the time and also killed herself with a cyanide capsule. -
V.E. Day
The day after Germany offered unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945, Victory in Europe day was celebrated, marking the end of World War II in Europe. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
Since Japan refused to surrender during World War II, and since invading Japan would have resulted in many American casualties, US President Harry Truman ordered the bombing of Japan. The American Bomber, Enola Gay, dropped a five-ton atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb caused massive damage and killed tens of thousands of people. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
Three days after the US bombed the Japanese city of Hiroshima, Japan still had not surrendered, so the US dropped another atomic bomb, this time on the City of Nagasaki. This second bomb also caused massive damage and killed tens of thousands, but it got the attention of the Japanese leaders. -
MacArthur Accepts Japan’s Surrender
Following the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 14, 1945. Two and a half weeks later, World War II officially ended when US General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan’s surrender.
