-
The Beginning of the War
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. They do this because of a nonaggression pact that Germany signs with the Soviet Union which basically gave Hitler the freedom to invade Poland. Two days after Germany invades Poland, on September 3, England and France declare war on Germany beginning World War II. -
Period: to
World War II
-
Change in British Leadership
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns. This resignation follows the embarrassment of Chamberlain by his conclusion that the Munich Conference had brought on an agreement that would mean peace for Great Britain, when it actually just escalated the war. Winston Churchill, pictured, replaced him. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They did this because when Japan tried to demand raw materials from Indochina, the U.S. threatened to sanction the oil and scrap iron that Japan recieved from them. To get Indochina's materials, they would sacrifice the United State's support. On this same day, Germany declared war on the U.S. because they were allied with Japan. -
Japan is Brought into the War
All of the Allied countries declare war on Japan. The Soviet Union is the only exceotion. The reason they don't declare war on Japan is because earlier, in April of 1941, the Soviets and the Japanese signed a neutrality pact. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, in which U.S. planes destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers occured on June 4, 1942. This is considered the turning point of the war in Asia. The U.S. defeated the Japanese navy and became the superior navy in the Pacific Ocean. -
Italy Signs an Armistice
On September 3, 1943, Italy signed an armistice to end it's involvement in the war. This comes after Mussolini's Fascist government is overthrown. Mussolini was still alive until April 1945, when he was killed by a firing squad, and then his body was hung upside down in a public area of Milan. -
The Normandy Invasion
On June 6, 1944, a day known as D-Day, the Normandy Invasion, also known as Operation Overlord commenced. Within three months, the Allies had managed to land two million men, and a half-million vehicles on the beaches of Normandy. These forces pushed inland and broke through the German defense. -
U.S. President Dies
FDR U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passes away. He was succeeded by President Harry S Truman. Truman, pictured, was the man who ultimately decided to bring atomic weapons into the war. -
Hitler Committs Suicide
Hitler was in his underground bunker in Berlin, and he had finally realized that there was no hope of Germany winning the war. He, along with his wife of 40 hours, Eva Braun, comitted suicide. Until the very moment of his death, Hitler blamed the Jews for the war. -
Germany Surrenders
The German forces declared an unconditional surrende. They were to either do this, or Eisenhower threatened that they would close the western front and force them to surrender to the Soviets, who would not deal as kindly with them. News of the surrender broke a day later, which is why May 8, 1945 was declared V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
The first atomic bomb the world has ever seen used in a war situation was dropped on this day on Hiroshima, Japan. An American B-29 bomber called Enola Gay dropped "Little Boy" which immediately killed 80,000 people. Later, tens of thousands more would die of radiation exposure. -
Second Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
U.S. dropped the second deployed atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. A plane called Bockscar flown by Major Charles Sweeney dropped "Fat Man",as the second bomb was named. This bomb was meant to hit Kokura, a different Japanese city, but due to thick clouds, the secondary target of Nagasaki was hit instead. -
The End of the War
The Japanese surrendered on this day, marking the end of the war. Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender over a radio broadcast. The news quickly traveled and August 15th was declared V-J (VIctory in Japan) Day.
