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1939
The start of the war began in Europe, beginning with the invasion of Poland. -
1939
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
1940
Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia signed the Tripartite pact and became axis partners. -
1940
SS authorities establish the Auschwitz concentration camp outside the Polish city of Oswiecim ocated in German-annexed Upper Silesia. -
1940
Italy enters the war a an ally of Germany. -
1941
Bulgaria becomes a axis partner. -
1941
The SS inspectorate of Concentration Camps opens Natzweier Concentration camp in France, near Strasbourg. -
1941
Romanian military and police officials conduct a program in the city of Iasi, Romania, killing at least 4,000 Jews. -
1942
The Inspectorate of Concentration Camps redesignates Stutthof as a concentration camp. -
1942
German authorities begin systematic deportations of Jews from France. -
1942
German authorities begin systematically gassing Jews at the Auschwitz killing center. -
1943
The Inspectorate of Concentration Camps formally redesignates the prisoner-of-war camp of the Waffen-SS in Lublin as Lublin concentration camp. -
1943
The SS Inspectorate of Concentration Camps open the Riga-Kaiserwald concentration camp, near Riga, Latvia. -
1943
German authorities establish a residence camp at Bergen-Belsen for Jews suitable for prisoner exchanges with the western Allies. -
1943
Italy, Germany's Axis partner, surrenders unconditionally yo the Allies. German military and police units quickly occupy northern Italy. -
1944
US president Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9417, creating the War Refugee Board. -
1944
German troops occupy Hungary -
1944
D-Day, British and American troops launch an invasion of France. -
1945
The SS begins the final evacuation of the Stutthof concentration camp -
1945
Hitler commits suicide in his bunker in Berlin. -
1945
German units in Berlin surrender to soviet forces. -
1945
Soviet forces enter and liberarte the camp-ghetto Theresienstadt. -
1945
United States special envoy Earl Harrison makes a Public report to President Truman on the treatment of Jewish displaced persons in Germany. -
1945
Japan surrenders. World War II officially ends.