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German Invasion of Poland
German airborne and infantry elements begin their invasion of Poland under Hitler's orders. Hitler's goal was to capture the capital of Poland- Warsaw- and gain back the land Germany lost during World War 1. Using the strategy of Blitzkrieg, they were able to rapidly capture Poland and its capital. http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/1939-ww2-events-timeline.asp -
German capture of Paris
After quickly defeating the French army on May 10, 1940, the Germans moved in to occupy Paris. Paris was governed by German military and French officials appointed by Germany while they were occupied by a country whose goals were total domination. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
The Battle of Britain Begins
This attempted invasion initiated by Adolf Hitler consisted completely of airborne combat. Hitler bombarded Britain with his aerial units with the goal of destroying their air force and eventually invading the nation. Germany was defeated by Britain's superior air force and effectively weakened. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Lend-Lease Act Signed Into Law
Winston Churchill suggested the concept of the Lend-Lease Act to American president Roosevelt, proposing that the US provide them with necessities and war materials. Roosevelt agreed , and a bill to achieve what Churchill had wanted was passed. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Operation Barbarossa Begins
"Operation Barbarossa" is the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Japan's surprise aerial attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the loss of over 2,300 Americans. This event caused the US to declare war in no time. It single-handedly caused their entry into World War 2. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Germany Declares War on the US
Because Hitler made an agreement with Japan that he would engage in a war with the US, he was glad- yet surprised- when Pearl Harbor was bombed. War was declared on the US 4 days after the bombing, and subsequently they were part of World War 2 as the Allied Powers. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Bataan Death March Begins
After the April 9, 1942 U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese during World War II , the approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make an arduous 65-mile march to prison camps. The marchers made the trek in intense heat and were subjected to harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Thousands perished in what became known as the Bataan Death March. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Battle of Midway
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States defeated Japan in one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. It was a "turning point because the Allied Powers had not majorly defeated the Axis Powers in battle much before. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Soviet Union Defeats Germany at Stalingrad
On June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa was launched- an invasion of Russia by Germany. The Battle of Stalingrad was significant because it was a great goal of Hitler's to obtain that part of the Soviet Union, so when he was defeated it resulted in a "turning point" for eastern Europe. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
On April 19, 1943, the Warsaw ghetto uprising began after German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport its surviving inhabitants. Seven hundred and fifty fighters fought the heavily armed and well-trained Germans. The ghetto fighters were able to hold out for nearly a month, but on May 16, 1943, the revolt ended. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Allied Troops Land in Normandy; D-Day
On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. Code named Operation 'Overlord', the Allied landings on the Normandy beaches marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation. Though costly, their liberation was successful in defeating Germany and freeing nations in northwestern Europe from Nazi occupation. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Battle of the Bulge Begins
Adolph Hitler attempted to split the Allied armies in northwest Europe by means of a surprise blitzkrieg thrust through the Ardennes to Antwerp. Lieutenant General George S. Patton’s successful maneuvering of the Third Army to Bastogne proved vital to the Allied defense, leading to the neutralization of the German counteroffensive despite heavy casualties. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Battle of Iwo Jima Begins
U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of the craggy, bombed-out island of Iwo Jima. The island’s Japanese defenders had entrenched themselves in a honeycombed network of caves, tunnels, pillboxes and spider holes, and U.S. forces would spend the next several weeks advancing inch by bloody inch across unforgiving terrain. When the fighting finally ended in late-March, nearly 7,000 Marines and some 21,000 Japanese troops lay dead. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
US Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
The US dropped an atomic bomb, ("Little Boy") to effectively and quickly get Japan to surrender so American casualties could be minimized. The result was complete destruction and a total death count ranging between 100,000 and 180,000 out of a population of 350,000. http://www.cnduk.org/campaigns/global-abolition/hiroshima-a-nagasaki -
2nd US Bombing; Nagasaki, Japan
The US atomic bombing of Nagasaki came just 3 days after their first nuclear weapon use, and the first ever in a war. The bombing was the last major act of World War 2 and within days Japan had surrendered. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm -
Japan Announces Surrender
Because of the Soviet declaration of war and the US's bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan surrendered nearly simultaneously with the nuclear weapons use on Nagasaki. If Japan had not surrendered, the US was planning on using further atomic bombs and would probably follow through with doing so. http://spartacus-educational.com/2WW.htm
