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Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially known as the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow. -
Germany invades Poland, starting World War II
the German army under Adolf Hitler launched an invasion of Poland that triggered the start of World War II (though by 1939 Japan and China were already at war). The battle for Poland only lasted about a month before a Nazi victory. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
in response to Hitler's invasion of Poland, Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation declare war on Germany. They would begin bombing German ships on September 4, suffering significant losses. They were also working under orders not to harm German civilians. -
Battle of the Atlantic begins
the longest battle of World War II. It began immediately upon the British declaration of war against Germany in September 1939 and ended with Germany's surrender to the Allies. -
Auschwitz is established
the main camp, was the first camp established near Oswiecim. Construction began in April 1940 in an abandoned Polish army barracks in a suburb of the city. SS authorities continuously used prisoners for forced labor to expand the camp. -
Germany invades France, Belgium, and the Netherlands
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Evacuation begins of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France
British commanders were already considering the withdrawal of the entire British Expeditionary Force (BEF) by sea. The British began to implement Operation Dynamo—the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk. -
Italy declares war on France and Great Britain
after withholding formal allegiance to either side in the battle between Germany and the Allies, Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy, declares war on France and Great Britain. Britain and France were also wooing him with promises of territorial concessions in Africa in exchange for neutrality. -
France surrenders to Germany
the French government signed an armistice with Nazi Germany just six weeks after the Nazis launched their invasion of Western Europe. -
Battle of Britain begins
the Germans begin the first in a long series of bombing raids against Great Britain, as the Battle of Britain, which will last three and a half months, begins. -
The United States begins its first peacetime draft
the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. -
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease bill
It permitted him to "sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government [whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States] any defense article." -
The British ship Hood is sunk by Germany's Bismarck
Germany's largest battleship, the Bismarck, sinks the pride of the British fleet, HMS Hood. Commanded by Admiral Gunther Lutjens, commander in chief of the German Fleet, the Bismarck sunk the Hood, resulting in the death of 1,500 of its crew; only three Brits survived. -
The Bismarck is sunk
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Germany invades the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa)
original name Operation Fritz, during World War II, code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which was launched. The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war. -
Atlantic Conference begins
a group of 26 Allied nations pledged their support for this declaration, known as the Atlantic Charter. The document is considered one of the first key steps toward the establishment of the United Nations. -
Siege of Leningrad begins
when the Wehrmacht severed the last road to the city. Although Soviet forces managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city. -
The Japanese launch a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Japan launched a sneak attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet's base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as part of a plan to eliminate any potential challenge to Japanese conquests in Asia. The events set in motion by the attack also led to the United States becoming a global superpower. -
Germany and Italy declare war on the United States; then the United States declares war on Germany and Italy
in response to the latter's declaration of war upon the Empire of Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor four days earlier. Germany also declared war on the U.S. the same day. -
The Wannsee Conference
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Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066, which allows the internment of Japanese Americans
The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation. In an atmosphere of World War II hysteria, President Roosevelt, encouraged by officials at all levels of the federal government, authorized the internment of tens of thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry and resident aliens from Japan. -
The Doolittle Raid on Japan
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The Battle of Midway begins
the Battle of Midway, fought between American and Japanese fleets in the Pacific Ocean, began. The Battle of Midway became one of the most important American naval victories of World War II. -
First Battle of El Alamein begins
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is brought to a standstill in the battle for control of North Africa. In June, the British had succeeded in driving Rommel into a defensive position in Libya. -
Anne Frank and her family go into hiding
after Margot Frank received a letter ordering her to report to a work camp in Germany, Anne Frank's family went into hiding in an attic apartment behind Otto Frank's business, located at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. -
Guadalcanal Campaign begins
During those seven months, 60,000 US Marines and soldiers killed about 20,000 of the 31,000 Japanese troops on the island. -
Battle of Stalingrad begins
was the largest confrontation of World War II, in which Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Southern Russia. -
Second Battle of El Alamein begins
was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented the Axis from advancing further into Egypt. -
The Allies invade North Africa (Operation Torch)
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Casablanca Conference begins
the first war conference between the Allied Powers, was held in Casablanca, Morocco. The purpose of the conference was relatively vague. It took steps toward planning the allied strategy and the end of the war. -
The Germans surrender at Stalingrad, Soviet Union
Von Paulus surrendered German forces in the southern sector, and on February 2 the remaining German troops surrendered. The Battle of Stalingrad turned the tide in the war between Germany and the Soviet Union. -
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins
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Battle of Kursk begins
the largest tank battle in history began near the southern city of Kursk. Over the course of the war, the Soviet lines had bulged into German-held territory near Kursk. This bulge or salient was 250 kilometers long from north to south and 160 kilometers wide. -
Mussolini resigns
The Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, is reported to have stepped down as head of the armed forces and the government. In fact, previous reports from Italy suggested the Duce was on his way out. -
Italy surrenders
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Tehran Conference begins
was the first meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, the three leading leaders of the Allies. Two important military decisions and a political decision were made. -
After 900 days, the Siege of Leningrad is finally over
the city by German and Finnish forces was finally lifted. The city's name was changed back from Leningrad to St. Petersburg after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. -
D-Day
on which Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy. -
Battle of the Philippine Sea
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Assassination attempt against Hitler fails
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Anne Frank and her family are discovered and arrested
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The Allies liberate Paris
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Battle of Leyte Gulf begins
The aerial and naval battle conducted as Allied forces invaded the Philippines began with Leyte Island. Expecting an invasion, the Japanese fleet command ordered its forces to sea at the very first sign of Allied landings. -
Battle of the Bulge begins
the Germans launch the last major offensive of the war, Operation Mist, also known as the Ardennes Offensive and the Battle of the Bulge, an attempt to push the Allied front line west from northern France to northwestern Belgium. -
Yalta Conference begins
was a meeting of three World War II allies: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin. The trio met in the resort city of Yalta, located along the Black Sea coast of the Crimean Peninsula. -
Allies begin bombing Dresden
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Battle of Iwo Jima begins
was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps and Navy landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. -
Battle of Okinawa
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Franklin D. Roosevelt dies
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Battle of Berlin begins
when the Soviets attacked along the Oder River near Berlin. They quickly defeated the German forces outside Berlin and advanced on the city. The Soviets began bombing Berlin. They worked their way around the city and had it completely surrounded in a few days. -
Mussolini is hanged by Italian partisans
the deposed Italian fascist dictator, in the final days of World War II in Europe, when he was summarily executed by an Italian partisan in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra in northern Italy. -
Adolf Hitler commits suicide
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Germany signs an unconditional surrender
at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, to take effect the following day, ending the European conflict. -
Potsdam Conference begins
following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit. -
The United States drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
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The United States drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan
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World War II Ends