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Pact of Steel
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini signed the Pact of Steel, linking the two countries politically and militarily. -
German invasion of Poland
On August 23, 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty, Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, in which they promise to not attack each other. After Hitler had unknowingly shocked the world of the treaty, He was free to invade and take Poland. On September 1, 1939 the German forces invaded western Poland. Since then Britain and France declared war on Germany, World war 2 began. -
Japan launches an attack
Due to the attack imposed on China by the Japanese it has aroused a lot of criticism, especially in the United States. In the summer of 1940, Japan demanded the right to exploit economic resources in French Indochina. The United undoubtedly warmed the Japanese that they would apply economic sanctions unless they withdrew or seceded from the area and returned to their borders. -
Germany Invades France
With the use of his Blitzkrieg, Hitler launches several attacks in Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. His main and most proud assault was the through Luxembourg and the Ardennes Forest. Within the attacks displayed during this time period, The French and British forces were taken down by surprise ,instead of the German forces crossing the Maginot Line as was intended by the Britain and French forces they were actually taken out by surprise from Frances border. -
Italy invades Southern France
It began with air raids and exchanges in offensives before ending with a armistice. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite pact on September 27, 1940. It created a defense alliance between the countries and was largely intended to deter the United States from entering the conflict. -
Germany invaded the Soviet Union
Hitlers invasion of the Soviet Union was indeed delayed in the spring of 1941 because of the problems that surfaces in the Balkans. Due to this Hitler seized and gained control of both Greece and Yugoslavia in April. Hitler then again went ahead with his previous plan of invading the Soviet Union, He invaded the Soviet Union in June 22, 1941 -
The Russian Winter
As the German troops were nearing Moscow, the rain hit causing the roads to turn to mud. The Germans continued to push onward to Russia's capital until the Russian winter came. Temperatures plunged into the -40 degrees, freezing German tanks and equipment, shutting down diesel engines and freezing the German soldiers who were not equipped with winter clothes. Stalin then called in troops from the Siberian front and Germany eventually retreated. -
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the U.S naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the naval base destroying 20 naval vessels which included 8 battleships, and over 300 airplanes. 2400 people died and an additional 1000 people were wounded. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war against Japan the day after. -
Japan Invades Southeast Asia
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan launched their invasion towards Southeast Asia. They took Guam, the Gilbert Islands, Wake Island, Hong Kong and the Philippines. They forced Thailand to join so they could march their troops through Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, the East Indies, New Guinea, and the Solomons. Japan expanded to the border of India and north Australia. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The 6th Army of Wehrmacht began the assault to Stalingrad on August 23, 1942. The Russian forces were able to slow down the 6th Army's advances. A few days later, Germany's Luftwaffe air force attacked the city, dropping dozens of air strikes on Stalingrad. By the fall of 1942, Stalingrad was in ruins. Despite the huge casualties, Stalin order his troops to not retreat. Stalin then sent in reinforcement to Stalingrad and were able to surround the 6th Army. The 6th Army eventually surrendered. -
Battle of El Alamein
The British launched an infantry attack on El Alamein on October 23, 1942. German Field Marshall Rommel tried to halt the invasion, but failed due to the British superior personnel and artillery. The Battle of El Alamein marked the end of the German-Italian campaign throughout North Africa. -
Allied Invasion to the Italian Mainland
British Field Marshal Montgomery began the Allied invasion to the Italian peninsula. The Allies landed in Sicily, an island off mainland Italy. The U.S. Army lead by General Patton landed and helped the conquest of Sicily. The Allied conquest of Sicily was the last straw for Mussolini's government as he was forced to resign by the Fascist Grand Council. On September 3, Montgomery's men began the invasion on mainland Italy. The new Italian government agree to surrender to the Allies. -
Italy Surrender
On September 8, 1943, it was announced by General Dwight D. Eisenhower that Italy has surrendered from the war. The surrender was signed 5 days before the announcement by Italy's new prime minister Pietro Badoglio. They signed the Armistice of Cassibile. -
D-Day
D-Day was an Allied invasion on Normandy. On the night of June 6, paratroopers and glider troops were sent in to sabotage Germany's defense. The next morning, Allied ships fired at the German coastline defense. After all of that, the Allies landed in Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno, code-names for the beaches. Less than a week later, there were over 356000 troops onshore. In the ensuing weeks, the Allies pushed Germany out of France and liberated France. -
Germans surrendered
Hitler commuted suicide on April 30 after just two days the Italian partisans short Mussolini. After Hitler has passed Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, the war in Europe was finally over. -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The Americans dropped the more than 9000 pound uranium-235 bomb, named "Little Boy", on Hiroshima Japan. The blast was equivalent to 12-15000 tons of TNT. -
Bombing of Nagasaki
After Japan refusal to surrender, the Americans dropped another atomic bomb, called "Fat Man", on Nagasaki. The bomb destroyed 2.6 square miles of land. On August 15, 1945, Japan's emperor announced Japan's surrender to the war. -
Japan surrenders
The devastation led Emporer Hirohito to accept the Allied force’s demands for unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945 -
Citations
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allies-invade-italian-mainland
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/8/newsid_3612000/3612037.stm
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uk_6vfqwTA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo2Rb9h788s&t=674s -
Citations
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor
https://www.britannica.com/event/Pact-of-Steel
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tripartite-Pact
https://www.newscenter1.tv/living-history-how-40-temperatures-stopped-nazi-germany/
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-stalingrad
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-el-alamein
