WW2 Timeline

Battle of the Atlantic

Period: 1939 to 1935

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-the-atlantic

Germany and the Soviet Union (USSR) sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact

Aug 23, 1939

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-soviet-pact#:~:text=The%20German%2DSoviet%20Pact%20was%20an%20agreement%20signed%20by%20Nazi,Minister%20Vyacheslav%20Molotov%20negotiated%20it.

Germany attacks Poland

Sep 1, 1939

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/invasion-poland-september-1939

Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

Sep 3, 1939

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1939-1941/britain-and-france-declare-war#:~:text=Honoring%20their%20guarantee%20of%20Poland's,the%20German%20and%20British%20militaries.

USSR attacks Poland from the east. Poland soon falls and is divided between the Germans and Russians

Sep 17, 1939

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/invasion-of-poland-fall-1939#:~:text=After%20heavy%20shelling%20and%20bombing,was%20along%20the%20Bug%20River.

Winter War between USSR and Finland. War ends when Finland cedes border lands to the USSR.

Period: Nov 30, 1939 to Mar 13, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War#:~:text=Hostilities%20ceased%20in%20March%201940,the%20country's%20international%20reputation%20suffered.

The Japanese gain control over the Philipines, French Indochina, and Singapore

Period: Dec 8, 1939 to Apr 1, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasion_of_French_Indochina

Germany invades and captures Denmark and Norway

Period: Apr 9, 1940 to Jun 9, 1940

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-norway-and-denmark

Germany attacks Western Europe. Luxembourg, Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern France fall.

Period: May 10, 1940 to Jun 22, 1940

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/german-invasion-of-western-europe-may-1940

Italy joins the war

Jun 10, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Italy_during_World_War_II#:~:text=Italy%20enters%20the%20war%3A%20June%201940,-See%20also%3A%20Fall&text=Italy%20and%20its%20colonies%20in,war%20on%20Britain%20and%20France.

USSR gains control over the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

Period: Jun 14, 1940 to Aug 6, 1940

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/europe/1966-04-01/how-baltic-republics-fare-soviet-union#:~:text=The%20Baltic%20States%20of%20Estonia,republics%20of%20the%20Soviet%20Union.

Italy invades Southern France

Jun 27, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_invasion_of_France

Battle of Britain

Period: Jul 10, 1940 to Oct 31, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain

Italy invades British controlled Egypt

Sep 13, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_invasion_of_Egypt

Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact

Sep 27, 1940

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tripartite-Pact#:~:text=Tripartite%20Pact%2C%20agreement%20concluded%20by,States%20from%20entering%20the%20conflict.

Italy invades Greece

Oct 28, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Italian_War

Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania join the Axis Powers

Period: Nov 1, 1940 to Nov 30, 1940

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_powers#:~:text=The%20Tripartite%20Pact%20was%20signed,Bulgaria%20(1%20March%201941).

German Afrika Korps are sent to North Africa to reinforce the Italians

Period: Feb 1, 1941 to Feb 28, 1941

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_campaign#:~:text=The%20Italian%2010th%20Army%20was,and%20prevent%20an%20Axis%20defeat.

Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers

Mar 1, 1941

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/bulgaria#:~:text=In%20early%20March%201941%2C%20Bulgaria,attack%20on%20Yugoslavia%20and%20Greece.

Germany joined by Axis allies and Finland attack the USSR

Jun 22, 1941

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland_in_World_War_II

The Japanese launch a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii

Dec 7, 1941

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

The United States declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy soon declare war on the United States

Dec 8, 1941

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/world-war-ii/#:~:text=After%20the%20Japanese%20bombing%20of,in%20the%20Second%20World%20War.

The Bataan Death March begins at the Imperial Japanese Army forces Filipino and American prisoners of war to march 60 tortured-filled miles

Apr 9, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataan_Death_March

The Battle of Coral Sea

Period: May 4, 1942 to May 8, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea

The Battle of Midway

Period: Jun 3, 1942 to Jun 7, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway

First Battle of El Alamein

Period: Jul 1, 1942 to Jul 27, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_El_Alamein#:~:text=The%20First%20Battle%20of%20El,and%20Commonwealth)%20forces%20of%20the

The Battle of Guadalcanal

Period: Aug 7, 1942 to Feb 9, 1943

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guadalcanal_campaign

Battle of Stalingrad

Period: Aug 23, 1942 to Feb 2, 1943

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad

Second Battle of El Alamein

Period: Oct 23, 1942 to Nov 5, 1942

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein

Italy surrenders unconditionally

Sep 3, 1943

https://www.theguardian.com/century/1940-1949/Story/0,,127606,00.html#:~:text=Thursday%209%20September%201943&text=Italy%20has%20surrendered%20unconditionally%20to,north%20and%20south%20of%20Rome.

Operation Overlord, D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/d-day-and-normandy-campaign

Paris is liberated

Aug 25, 1944

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Paris#:~:text=The%20liberation%20of%20Paris%20(French,capital%20on%2025%20August%201944.

Battle of the Bulge

Period: Dec 16, 1944 to Jan 25, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

Yalta Conference

Period: Feb 4, 1945 to Feb 11, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalta_Conference

Battle of Iwo Jima

Period: Feb 19, 1945 to Mar 26, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Iwo_Jima

Battle of Okinawa

Period: Apr 1, 1945 to Jun 22, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

FDR dies, Harry Truman becomes President

Apr 12, 1945

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/looking-back-at-the-day-fdr-died

Mussolini is executed

Apr 28, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Benito_Mussolini#:~:text=Benito%20Mussolini%2C%20the%20deposed%20Italian,World%20War%20II%20in%20Europe.

Hitler commits suicide

Apr 30, 1945

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1942-1945/hitler-commits-suicide

V-E Day

May 8, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day

Potsdam Conference

Period: Jul 17, 1945 to Aug 2, 1945

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf

U.S drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima

Aug 6, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki#:~:text=On%206%20and%209%20August,weapons%20in%20an%20armed%20conflict.

U.S. drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki

Aug 9, 1945

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki

V-J Day

Aug 15, 1945

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Day