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The Invasion (Blitzrieg) of Poland
The assault on Poland demonstrated Germany's ability to combine air power and armor in a new kind of mobile warfare and was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union; which marked the beginning of World War ll. -
Great Britain & France Declare War on Nazi Germany
Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939 in response to the invasion of Poland. The period between Sep. 1939 and April 1940 is often call the "Phony War". -
The Invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands & France (Blitzkrieg)
This envisaged a rapid German attack into the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to prevent the Allied army having a clear route into Germany, especially the vital industrial heartland of the Ruhr. -
The Battle & Great Escape at Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was fought around the French port of Dunkirk during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the American naval base of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941. -
America Enters World War ll
America led the world in arms production, making more than enough to fill its military needs. At the same time, the United States was providing its allies in Great Britain and the Soviet Union with critically needed supplies. Many Americans volunteered to defend the nation from enemy bombing or invasion. -
Germany & Italy Declare War on the United States
On December 11,1941, Italy declared war on the United States in response to the latter's declaration of war upon the Empire of Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor four days earlier. Germany also declared war on the U.S. the same day. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
It was the first time in World War 2 that the Japanese experienced failure in a major operation; and the battle stopped the Japanese sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby. -
The Battle of Midway Island
The Battle of Midway (turning point) was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War ll that took place 4-7 June 1942, six months after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. -
The Invasion of North Africa
Operation Torch was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa. -
The D-Day Invasion of France
It led to the liberation of France, denying Germany any further exploitation of that country's economic and manpower resources. -
The Invasion of Sicily & Italy
The conquest of Sicily took a little more than a month and it led directly to the fall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the surrender of the Italian government to the Allies. -
Nazi Concentration Camps Discovered
In March 1933, the first concentration camp, Dachau, opened outside of Munich, Germany. It was used primarily for political prisoners and was the longest running camp in operation, until its liberation in April 1945. -
The Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, held 4-11 February, was the World War ll meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe -
V-E (Victory in Europe) Day
On Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, including the United States. On May 8, 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day- celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War ll in Europe. -
The Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima
At 8:15 on the morning of 6th August 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was devastated by the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon of war. The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", was dropped from the USAAF B29 bomber "Enola Gay" and exploded some 1,800 feet above the city. -
The Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
A second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's unconditional surrender in WW2 in a radio address on Aug. 15, citing the devastating power of "a new and cruel bomb." -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge marked the last German offense on the Western Front. The catastrophic losses on the German side prevented Germany from resisting the advance of Allied forces following the Normandy Invasion. Less than four months after the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany surrendered to Allied forces.