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The Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, is considered the event that officially marked the start of World War II, as it triggered Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany following the attack, thus initiating large-scale hostilities across Europe. -
Great Britain and France Declare war on Nazi Germany
Great Britain and France declaring war on Nazi Germany marked the official start of World War II, as their decision was triggered by Germany's invasion of Poland, which prompted them to fulfill their treaty obligations to defend Poland and thus, actively enter the conflict against Nazi Germany. -
The Invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherleands & France
The invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands by Germany, which led to the subsequent fall of France, was a pivotal moment in World War II because it marked the first major offensive on the Western Front, demonstrating Germany's aggressive "Blitzkrieg" tactics and effectively pulling Britain and France fully into the war, leading to the rapid occupation of Western Europe and setting the stage for the later battles against the Allied force. -
The Battle & Great Escape at Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a significant event in World War II because it allowed the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to evacuate a large number of troops from France, preventing their potential capture and significantly boosting British morale. -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was significant to World War II because it marked the first major defeat for the German Luftwaffe, preventing them from gaining air superiority over Britain and effectively stopping Hitler's planned invasion of the British Isles. -
Selective Service & Training Act
The Selective Service and Training Act, also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act, was significant to World War II because it marked the first peacetime draft in American history, allowing the United States to rapidly build up its military forces in anticipation of potential involvement in the war. -
Lend-Lease Assistance Act
The Lend-Lease Act was significant to World War II because it allowed the United States to provide crucial military supplies and aid to the Allied powers, particularly Great Britain and the Soviet Union, without officially entering the war. -
The Attack on pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was significant to World War 2 because it effectively forced the United States to enter the war, as the surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor generated immense public outrage and unified the American people behind the war effort, ending any significant isolationist sentiment that previously existed; this essentially marked the turning point where the US became a major participant in the global conflict. -
America Enters World War 2
The event that marked America's entry into World War 2 was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to a declaration of war against Japan by the United States, effectively pulling America into the global conflict. -
Germany and Italy Declare War on the United States
Germany and Italy declaring war on the United States on December 11, 1941, was significant because it officially brought the United States fully into World War II on both the European and Pacific fronts, effectively solidifying the Allied powers against the Axis, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor just a few days earlier and eliminating any remaining domestic opposition to American involvement in the European conflict. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea was significant in World War II because it marked the first time the Japanese advance in the Pacific was checked -
The Battle of Midway Island
The Battle of Midway was a significant event in World War II because it marked a major turning point in the Pacific theater, representing the first major US victory against Japan and effectively halting their offensive expansion, allowing the United States to take the initiative and begin shrinking the Japanese empire through subsequent island-hopping campaigns. -
The Invasion of North Africa
The Invasion of North Africa, also known as Operation Torch, was significant in World War II because it marked the first major American engagement in the European theater, effectively opening a "second front" against the Axis powers, relieving pressure on the Soviet Union fighting on the Eastern Front, and providing a stepping stone for future Allied operations in Europe, including the invasion of Sicily and Italy. -
The Invasion of Sicily & Italy
The Invasion of Sicily and Italy was significant to World War II because it marked a major turning point in the European theater, leading to the overthrow of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, the opening of a new front against Germany in Southern Europe, and ultimately paving the way for the Allies to advance further into mainland Italy, putting pressure on the Axis powers and drawing German forces away from the Eastern Front. -
The D-day Invasion of France
The D-Day Invasion of France, also known as the Normandy landings, was a pivotal moment in World War II because it marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe, effectively turning the tide of the war against Nazi Germany by establishing a foothold on the continent, allowing them to liberate France and eventually advance towards Germany's defeat. -
Nazi concentration camp discovered
Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies established more than 44,000 camps and other incarceration sites (including ghettos). The perpetrators used these locations for a range of purposes, including forced labor, detention of people deemed to be "enemies of the state," and mass murder. Millions of people suffered and died or were killed. Among these sites was Majdanek, which had multiple purposes -
The Battle of the bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was significant in World War II because it marked the last major German offensive on the Western Front. -
The Yalta conference
it marked a key moment where the Allied leaders (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) planned the final defeat of Nazi Germany, dividing the country into occupation zones, and laid the groundwork for the post-war world order, including the establishment of the United Nations, while also setting the stage for the Cold War by solidifying Soviet influence in Eastern Europe through agreements that were later seen as problematic regarding the freedom of those nations. -
V-E(Victory in Europe) day
V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) is significant to World War 2 because it marked the official end of fighting in Europe, signifying the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces, effectively concluding the European theatre of the war and bringing a major turning point in the conflict. -
The atomic bomb on Hiroshima
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima marked a significant turning point in World War II because it was the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare, instantly killing thousands of civilians and effectively forcing Japan's surrender, thus bringing the war to a rapid end. -
The atomic bomb on nagasaki
The atomic bombing of Hiroshima marked a significant turning point in World War II because it was the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare, effectively ending the war by forcing Japan's surrender and ushering in a new era of global concern about the destructive power of nuclear weapons -
V-J(victory in Japan)day
V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) is significant to World War 2 because it marked the official end of the war, signifying Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allied forces, effectively concluding the global conflict of World War II following the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.