World War II Timeline

Hitler comes to Power

Jan 30, 1933

Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany.

Reichstag Fire

Feb 27, 1933

On February 27, 1933, the German parliament building burned down due to arson. The government falsely portrayed the fire as part of a Communist effort to overthrow the state.

Enabling Act of 1933

Mar 23, 1933

This act gave Hitler dictatorial power.

Nazis Come to Power

Jul 14, 1933

Nazi Party declared Germany's only political party.

Nazis defy Global Powers

Oct 14, 1933

Germany quits the League of Nations.

Hitler gets more Power

Aug 19, 1934

Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany by using President Hindenburg's death as an opportunity to seize total power in Germany.

Treaty of Versailles is Violated

Mar 16, 1935

Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing military conscription and avoiding the weapon restirictions implaced by the Treaty.

Nuremberg Laws

Sep 15, 1935

German Jews stripped of rights by Nuremberg Race Laws. The laws excluded German Jews from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with persons of "German or related blood."

Germany invades the Rhineland.

Mar 7, 1936

German troops occupy the Rhineland. First violation by the Treaty of Versailles.

Italy attacks Ethiopia

May 9, 1936

Mussolini's Italian forces invade and take Ethiopia.

Anschluss

Mar 12, 1938

Adolf Hitler announces an "Anschluss" (union) between Germany and Austria, in fact annexing the smaller nation into a greater Germany.

Munich Conference

Mar 21, 1938

A policy of "appeasement" was given to Hitler on his demand of invading the Sudetenland, in the hope that Hitler would not make any more demands. Thus, Chamberlain,Eduard Daladier, and Benito Mussolini met in Munich with Hitler and officially agreed to the annexation of the Sudeten region to Germany.

Sudetenland is Captured

Oct 15, 1938

German troops occupy the Sudetenland.

Kristallnacht

Nov 9, 1938

The Night of Broken Glass. This was the destruction of Jewish businesses and homes in Munich, as well as the beating and murder of Jewish men, women, and children.

Reichstag Speech

Jan 30, 1939

Hitler threatens Jews during Reichstag speech. The leader of Germany provides a horrifying resolution to the "Jewish problem."

Hitler Invades the Czechs

Mar 15, 1939

Hitler's forces invade and occupy Czechoslovakia--a nation sacrificed on the altar of the Munich Pact, which was a vain attempt to prevent Germany's imperial aims.

Pact of Steel

May 22, 1939

Nazis sign 'Pact of Steel' with Italy. Italy and Germany agree to a military and political alliance, giving birth formally to the Axis powers.

Non-Aggression Pact

Aug 23, 1939

Nazis and Soviets sign Non-Aggression Pact, which guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other.

Invasion of Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Hitler invades Poland despite Western Warnings. Official Start to WWII

War has Begun

Sep 3, 1939

Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany.

Canada vs. Germany

Sep 10, 1939

Canada declares war on Germany

Soviets invade Poland

Sep 17, 1939

Soviets invade Poland. They will proceed to split Poland with Germany.

Poland is Divided

Sep 29, 1939

Germany and the Soviet Union agree to divide control of Poland, along the Bug River--the Germans taking everything west, the Soviets taking everything east.

Hitler Lives to See Another Day

Nov 8, 1939

First assassination attempt on Hitler fails. A bomb explodes just after Hitler has finished giving a speech. He was unharmed.

Soviets Expelled

Dec 14, 1939

Soviet Union expelled from the League of Nations. This was triggered by the invasion of Finland.

Moscow Peace Treaty

Mar 12, 1940

Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty with the Soviet Union. Finnish troops and the remaining population are immediately evacuated.

Nazis invade Denmark and Norway

Apr 9, 1940

Nazis deploy thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, other German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities.

Churchiill Comes to Power

May 10, 1940

Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister.

Battle of Dunkirk

May 26, 1940

Evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk begins.

Italy Declares War

Jun 10, 1940

Italy declares war on Britain and France.

Paris is Invaded

Jun 14, 1940

Germans begin their advance on Paris.

Soviets Attack

Jul 23, 1940

Soviets take Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Operation Sea Lion

Sep 3, 1940

Hitler plans Operation Sea Lion (the invasion of Britain). Operation Sealion was never carried out during the war.

Italians invade Egypt.

Sep 13, 1940

Italians invade Egypt.

Axis Powers Begin

Sep 27, 1940

Tripartite (Axis) Pact signed by Germany, Italy and Japan.

Hungary joins the Axis Powers.

Nov 20, 1940

Hungary joins the Axis Powers.

Romania joins the Axis Powers.

Nov 23, 1940

Romania joins the Axis Powers.

Lend-Lease Act

Mar 11, 1941

President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act. This allows any European country to get weapons from the US as long as they can pay after the war.

Operation Barbarossa

Jun 22, 1941

Germany attacks Soviet Union as Operation Barbarossa begins.

American Oil Embargos

Aug 1, 1941

United States announces an oil embargo against aggressor states.

Atlantic Charter

Aug 14, 1941

Roosevelt and Churchill announce the Atlantic Charter. The Atlantic Charter provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims.

Operation Typhoon

Oct 2, 1941

Operation Typhoon begins which was the German advance on Moscow.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including 8 battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.

USA Joins the War

Dec 8, 1941

United States and Britain declare war on Japan.

Germany Declares War

Dec 11, 1941

Hitler declares war on the United States.

German Army goes to Hitler

Dec 19, 1941

Hitler takes complete control of the German Army.

United Nations

Jan 6, 1942

Declaration of the United Nations signed by 26 Allied nations.

America Arrives in Europe

Jan 26, 1942

First American forces arrive in Great Britain.

Operation Torch

Nov 8, 1942

Operation Torch begins which was the U.S. invasion of North Africa.

Casablanca Conference

Jan 14, 1943

Casablanca conference between Churchill and Roosevelt. During the conference, Roosevelt announces the war can endonly with "unconditional German surrender." January 14-24

Mussolini Arrested

Jul 25, 1943

Mussolini arrested and the Italian Fascist government falls; Marshal Pietro Badoglio takes over and negotiates with Allies.

Italy Surrenders

Sep 8, 1943

Italian surrender to Allies is announced.

Italy Turns Sides

Oct 13, 1943

Italy declares war on Germany.

Teheran Conference

Nov 28, 1943

Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet at Teheran. The three leaders coordinated their military strategy against Germany and Japan and made a number of important decisions concerning the post World War II era.

Germans Retreat

May 15, 1944

Germans withdraw to the Adolf Hitler Line.

D-Day Invasion

Jun 6, 1944

Western Allies landed in northern France, opening the "Second Front" against Adolf Hitler's Germany. The Normandy invasion was in a strategically important region, setting the stage to drive the Germans out of France and ultimately destroy the National Socialist regime.

Hitler Survives Again

Jul 20, 1944

Assassination attempt by German Army officers against Hitler fails. The apparent purpose of the assassination attempt was to seize political control of Germany and its armed forces from the Nazi Party in order to obtain peace with the western Allies as soon as possible.

Liberation of Paris.

Aug 24, 1944

Liberation of Paris. To free the French capital triumphantly. Pockets of German intransigence remained, but Paris was free from German control.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes. December 16-27. It was the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies. The battle was a last ditch attempt by Hitler to split the Allies in two in their drive towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply for themselves.

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet at Yalta. Here they made important decisions regarding the future progress of the war and the postwar world.

Harry Truman becomes President

Apr 12, 1945

After the death of FDR, Harry Truman becomes President.

Mussolini Dies

Apr 28, 1945

Mussolini is captured and hanged by Italian partisans

Hitler Dies

Apr 30, 1945

Adolf Hitler commits suicide.

Germany Surrenders

May 7, 1945

Unconditional surrender of all German forces to Allies.

VE Day (Victory in Europe Day)

May 8, 1945

VE Day officially announced the end of World War Two in Europe.

United Nations Charter

Jun 26, 1945

The Charter of the United Nations was signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco. It was done at the end of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945. The Statute of the International Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter.

Potsdam Conference

Jul 17, 1945

The major issue at Potsdam was the question of how to handle Germany.

Hiroshima Bomb

Aug 6, 1945

First atomic bomb dropped, on Hiroshima, Japan.

Soviets Declare War on Japan

Aug 8, 1945

Soviets declares war on Japan and invade Manchuria.

Negasaki Bomb

Aug 9, 1945

Second atomic bomb dropped, on Nagasaki, Japan.

Surrender of Japan

Sep 2, 1945

In the morning of 2 September 1945, more that two weeks after accepting the Allies terms, Japan formally surrendered.

United Nations is Born

Oct 24, 1945

United Nations is born. Charter of the United Nations is enacted.