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Hitler Attacks Poland
Hitler made a surprise attack on Poland. The German aircraft and artillery bombed Poland’s capital, Warsaw. This basically began the war because countries were letting Hitler have things so that he would be satisfied (appeasement). They were afraid of him. -
France and Great Britain unite against Germany
France and Great Britain declared war on Germany although they could not avoid the fall of Poland because it was already too late. In here, we can see that countries started to take action and notice that they should stop giving Hitler all he wanted. -
Primary Document - France and Great Britain unite against Germany
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French Leaders Surrender
Eight days after the German had taken over Paris, the French leaders surrendered. The Germans obtained control of the northern part of the country and left the southern part to a puppet government. Hitler was very powerful at that time and had really good strategies, countries looked weak against him. -
Strategic Advancements from the Germans.
The Germans gave up raids during the daylight so that they could bomb the Londoners during the night. In here, we get a glimpse of how clever Adolf Hitler was. -
The British Retreat to Tobruk
Hitler send a German tank force, Afrika Korps, under Rommel’s command to reinforce the Italians. It attacked and since the British forces were caught by surprise, they retreated to Tobruk, Libya. The Allies were losing the war. -
Operation Barbarossa Begins
Hitler moved ahead with Operation Barbarossa, which was his plan to invade the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was not prepared for this attack because even though it had the largest army in the world, the troops weren’t well trained or equipped. -
Primary Document - Operation Barbarossa
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The United States Cuts Oil Shipments to Japan
Roosevelt cut off oil shipments to Japan. The Japanese expansion affected them because the US owned the Philippine Islands and Guam, they were also allied with France who had Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos as colonies. They were afraid that Japan would eventually take control of this lands. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Day of Infamy occurred. Pearl Harbor (US) was attacked by Japan. More than 2,300 americans were killed and the Japanese had sunk or damaged 19 ships. This got the war going between Japan and the United States. -
Final Solution Begins
Nazi Germany’s plans during World War II to exterminate all of the Jewish population through genocide began. The discussion of the plan took place in the Wannsee Conference. It created one of the greatest tragedies of all time. -
Primary Document - Final Solution
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The Allies Strike Back
Bombers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle bombed Tokyo and several other Japanese cities. The bombings did little damage but it send a message to Japan. -
Battle of Midway
The Japanese began their assault on Midway Island on June 4. When the first Japanese planes got into the air, the United States attacked the Japanese fleet. The plan was successful and Yamamoto decided to withdraw. US had won and the battle was over by June 7. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
On August 7, US marines with Australian support landed on Guadalcanal. Both sides fought hard for the land and after 6 months of intense struggle, the Battle of Guadalcanal ended. After losing ⅔ of their soldiers, the Japanese abandoned the “Island of Death”. Japan was starting to lose it’s territories. -
Operation Overlord, The Largest Land and Sea Attack in History
The invasion of Normandy (or D-Day) began on this day. The Allies fought against the German soldiers. They would later take control of the land and march towards Paris. The Allies are beginning to win the war. -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Allies were caught off guard and attacked in Ardennes by the German tanks. Eventually, they pushed the Germans backs and they would have little choice but to retreat. The Allies are showing that they are now the stronger side in the war. -
Yalta Conference
It was a meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. It's purpose was to discuss Europe’s post-war organization. -
The Allies Move Into Germany
The Allies rolled across the Rhine River into Germany. They would advance and attack them until they got to Berlin. -
Germans Surrender
The Third Reich from the German military surrendered and General Eisenhower accepted their surrender. President Roosevelt did not live to witness the valuable victory. The Germans were basically done and now the focus was on Japan. -
Primary Document - Germans Surrender
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First Atomic Bomb is Dropped
The United States drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. It killed 70,000 - 80,000 people out of the 350,000 individuals living in the city. The United States wanted to end the war, through whatever means. -
Primary Document - First Atomic Bomb is Dropped
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Second Atomic Bomb is Dropped
A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Out of the 270,000 people living in the city, 70,000 were killed immediately. The radiation left afterwards killed many more. This shows how the US was desperate to finalize the war. -
Japan Surrenders
The Japanese surrender to General Douglas MacArthur. The ceremony was aboard on the United States battleship “Missouri” in Tokyo and it was the end of World War II. -
Primary Document - Japan Surrenders
