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War Begins
In March 1939, Hitler occupied more Czech territory. He demanded the Polish port of Danzig. Britain offered to protect Poland in case of war. To prevent a British-French-Soviet alliance, Hitler signed a pact with Joseph Stalin, head of the Soviet Union. Hilter invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
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World War II
World War II began when Germnay invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. It ended when Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945. World War II lasted six bloody years, and is the deadliest conflict in human history. -
Division of Poland
Hitler stunned Europe with the speed and efficiency of the German attack on Poland. His blitzkrieg, or "lightning war", used armored columns called panzer divisions, supported by airplanes. Within four weeks, Poland had surrendered. Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland on September 28, 1939. -
Germany Moves West
One month after invading Denmark and Norway, Germany launched an attack on the Netherlands, Belgium, and France on May 10, 1940. The main assault was through Luxembourg and the Ardennes Forest. German panzer divisions broke through weak French defensive positions there and raced across northern France. -
France Surrenders
French and British forces were taken by surprise when the Germans went around, instead of across, the Maginot Line (a series of fortifications on the border). The Germans' actions split the Allied armies, trapping French and British forces on the beaches of Dunkirk. The French signed an armistice with Germany on June 22, 1940. -
Germany Invades the Soviet Union
Hitler became convinced that Britain was remaining in the war only because it expected Soviet support. If the Soviet Union was smashed, Britain's last hope would be eliminated. Reassured that the German Army was unstoppable after the invasions of Greece and Yugoslavia, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union on June 22,1941. -
Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. On the same day, Japan launched other assaults against other Pacific Islands. This event caused the U.S. to declare war on Japan, and enter the war on the side of the Allies. -
Battle of Coral Sea
In 1942, the tide of battle in the Pacific changed dramatically. In the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7 and 8, 1942, American naval forces stopped the Japanese advance. Australia was also saved from the threat of invasion. -
The Soviet Victory at Stalingrad
In perhaps the most terrible battle of the war, between November 1942 and February 2, 1943, the Soviets launched a counterattack to defeat the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. This was a major turning point that expelled the Germans from the Soviet Union. -
Axis Surrender in Tunisia
By the beginning of 1943, the tide of battle had turned against Germany, Italy, and Japan. Axis forces in Tunisia, Africa, surrendered on May 13, 1943. The Allies then crossed the Mediterranean and carried the war to Italy. -
D-Day
D-Day Video On June 6th, 1944 (D-Day), Allied forces under U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed on the Normandy beaches of France to invade Nazi-occupied mainland Europe. The Allies fought through many weapons and fortifications. Within 3 months, they broke through German defensive lines. -
Victory in Europe
On May 7, 1945, at Reims in northwestern France, German General Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command, signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces. The war in Europe was now officially over. The only remaining member of the Axis left to defeat was Japan. -
Victory over Japan
After the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan finally accepted defeat. After accepting the terms of unconditonal surrender earlier, Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945. The deadliest conflict in human history was now officially over.
