-
Germany invades Poland from the west. This marks the beginning of World War II.
-
Great Britain and France demand Germany to withdraw their forces from Poland. After Hitler accuses Great Britain of advocating the Polish provocation, Great Britain, France, Australia, India, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
-
Soviets invade Poland from east as established in a non-aggression pact signed between Soviets and Germany on August 23, 1939.
-
Heydrich issues instructions to SS Einsatzgruppen (special action squads) in Poland regarding treatment of Jews. Jewish people were to be gathered in ghettos near railroads for the future “Final Solution.” Census is ordered and establishment of Jewish administrative councils within ghettos to implement Nazi policies.*Ghettos were the sections of cities that German authorities and their allies used to exploit and concentrate Jews.
-
Nazis and Soviets divide up Poland. About 1.8 million Jews are contained in German areas of Poland, and 1.3 million are trapped in Soviet areas of Poland.
-
Jewish "resettlement" -Plans for resettling Jews in places like Lublin district begins and establishing a Jewish “reservation” as a part of Nazi plans to reorganize Eastern Europe according to racial lines and separate Jewish people from the rest of the population.
-
Jews, over the age of 10, throughout occupied
Poland are required to wear white armbands with a blue star-the Jewish Badge (Star of David) in order to be easily identified. -
Nazis use gas vans to terminate the lives of Germans with mental disabilities as part of their "Euthanasia Project." The process of murdering mentally ill people, disabled people, and disabled people actually began in October of 1939 in Germany.
-
Polish and Jewish-owned businesses in the Generalgouvernement (administrative unit consisting of the districts of Warsaw, Lublin, Galicia, Krakow) are placed under German control. Jewish people must register all of their property with local authorities which meant they were giving up their possessions and sources of income.
-
When Germany invades Denmark and Norway, German navy suffers heavy losses.
-
With the Dutch and Belgium defeated, Germany proceeds with invasion of France. Allied forces (300,000 troops) are forced to evacuate from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, to Great Britain.
-
Deportation of first prisoners, 728 Polish political prisoner, to Auschwitz I concentration camp. This will be the largest concentration camp established by the Nazis. It included 3 main camps and many subcamps, including Birkenau. Birkenau served as the main murder center. Over 1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz.
-
The Battle of Britain begins. Under Winston Churchill's leadership, British air force engages against Germany.
-
Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece with occupation to follow. Germans gain access to Mediterranean Sea due to victory over Greece. This will provide them with some protection when they begin invasion into Soviet Union.
-
Operation Barbarossa: Germany invades the Soviet Union. Hitler considers the invasion of Soviet Union to be an opportunity to get rid of communism.
-
Einsatzgruppen begin mass killings of Jews, including women and children, in Soviet Union.
-
First experimental gassings were administered on Russian prisoners Of War and ill prisoners at Auschwitz- Birkenau. Gas chambers look like shower rooms in order to confuse victims, so they are quickly murdered by Zyklon B gas (poisonous gas that was originally used to exterminate insects). The gas chambers at this complex will be the most efficient means of exterminating Jews by the Nazis.
-
Japanese attacked U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. U.S. is ready to enter the war. Once U.S. declares war on Japan, Italy and Germany (Axis allies) proclaim war on the United States.
-
Wannsee Conference in Berlin, Germany takes place. Plan is developed for “Final Solution.” This was the Nazi systematic plan to murder every Jewish man, woman, and child in Europe.
-
This is considered to be a turning point in World War II. The Soviets will reclaim their lands that were occupied by Germany.
-
Germany takes control of Hungary. Hungary will be the last country to be occupied by Nazis.
-
Nazis begin deportation of Hungarian Jews mainly to Auschwitz-Birkenau on May 15, 1944. Between May 15 and July 9, 1944 approximately 437,000 Hungarian Jews will be deported to this camp. Most of these people are gassed. The ones that are not gassed are taken to concentration camps to perform hard physical labor ,endure dreadful living conditions, starvation, and experience very physical beatings.
-
Invasion of Normandy takes place in which 150,000 Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy in an effort to retake France and then move forward to fight against Germany.
-
Battle of the Bulge- Allied troops win a battle against German forces. This battle ruined the German army and was a major factor in bringing W W II to an end. This was Germany’s last attempt to drive the Allied forces off their mainland, and it failed.
-
The Soviets free the prisoners from Auschwitz- Birkenau concentration camp. (Approximately 7,650 prisoners who were too sick to participate in death marches were found by Soviets.) *The death marches refer to the marches of Nazi concentration camp prisoners toward German interior when Allied forces were invading. Death marches were an attempt to prevent Allied forces from freeing the prisoners from the concentration camps.
-
On April 30, 1945, Eva Braun, Hitler's wife, takes a cyanide capsule, and Hitler (dressed in a new Nazi uniform) also commits suicide in his underground bunker in the Reich Chancellery. Their bodies were then set on fire by two assistants.
-
World War II ended when Western Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi German troops. *Victory Day for Soviets is May 9, 1945.
