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WWII Begins
On this day Germany invaded Poland with a blitzkrieg tested during the Spanish civil war. The Polish army was easily defeated, most of whom were on horseback against Germany's tanks. Brittain declared war on Germany on September 3. On September 17 the Soviet Union attacked Germany accordig to the non-agression pact signed a month earlier.
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World War Two
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German Occupation
Yugoslavia was attacked by Germany for the protection of germans living there and was divided between the Axis. Yugoslavians had a large resistance force working for it though. At the same time Greece was also being invaded. Britain, Australian, and New Zealand forces all kept the invaders at bay until 43,000 people had evacuated to Crete and Egypt. -
Paris Falls
imageThe first air raids on France began on the above date. Around 2000 tanks entered the city while refugees fled from the city. The government left the city on June 11. The World War One hero, Marshal Henri Petain took control of the city and surrendered to the Germans, they made the French sign an armistice in Compeigne on June 22 in the same car that they made Germany sign the treaty to end WWI in. -
London Blitz
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The blitz on London and other cities in the U.K. began. During the bombing many historical sites in London were destroyed and over 30,000 Londoners died. Mony of the German's planes were destroyed thanks to an early form of radar that was used to detect them. The blitzes were abandoned by the Germans when Hitler decided to invade the Soviet Union. -
First Gassings at Auschwitz
The first gassings at the death camp at Auschwitz begin. This was one of the six death camps in Poland and would become one of the worst of its kind. In the end up to three million people died there. Of the eight hundred or so that attempted escape only 144 were able to escape while 331 remain unaccounted for. -
U.S, begins the Manhattan Project.
imageThe U.S. began a project to develope nuclear weaponery codenamed the Manhattan Project. It was the largest developement project in American history to that date, costing over two billion dollars and using over 100,000 people. Scientists were called in from Britain and Canada to work on the project. -
Pearl Harbor
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On the above date, the Japanese and Americans were going over some negotiations when they bombed the navel base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Over 2000 americans were killed in the conflict and the Pacific Fleet was significantly crippled. This day became "a date which will live in infamy." On that day America declared war on Japan who was part of the Axis powers, so we declared war on them too. -
Germany Stops Nuclear Testing
Germany stopped working on their atomic bomb production sometime this year. Hitler's reasoning for this was that "physics is a Jewish science." This was due to the amount of German Jews in exile working for the Allies. The Allies were unaware that Hitler had ended the program. -
Anzio, Italy
The Allies landed in the Italian Peninsula in September. They fought their way up the boot as winter drew closer. The U.S. landed its forces south of Rome in January 1944 to help the forces retake Italy where they were trapped under heavy fire until May when air support set them free to attack Rome. -
Atlantic War
During 1942 German U-Boats were sent to patroll the waters of the Atlantic to stop U.S. supplies from reaching Brittain. Groups of 10 boats called wolf packs were spread out along the Atlantic as well as unrestricted submarine warfare. This became easier for Allies when the British invented a primitive type of sonar. -
Attack in Egypt
The Brittish face off against the "Desert Fox" Erwin Rommel who wanted his troops to reach the Suez Canal. The British General Bernard Montgomery used trickery to make it seem as if he was coming from one direction while he came from another. This along with an Axis fuel shortage left Egypt near defeated. -
Unconditional Surrender Policy
President Roosevelt announces that America will only accept a total and unconditional surrender from Japan and Germany. The announcement was made at the Cassablanca Conference and Churchil and Stalin disagreed with this statement. The announcement helped Germany to resist Allied attacks through German Propaganda. -
D-Day
imageMonths of preperation led to what is the largest military assault ever. Over 200,000 troops landed in Normandy, France on five beaches named Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and Omaha. Paratrooper support came from behind enemy lines. Within two months the French capitol was taken back. -
Atom Bomb Allowed
Roosevelt and Churchill agree to drop the A-Bomb on Japan. They do not tell Stalin of their decision. About eleven months later the bomb was dropped over Hiroshima. -
Roosevelt Dies
On this day President Franklin Delanore Roosevelt died. For many years he had had poor heart health and the physical strain of overcoming polio; this and his high levels of stress, eventually led to a massive stroke which left him dead by 3:35 a.m. the next day. Harry Truman was sworn in later that day, not knowing anything about the Atomic Bomb. -
VE Day
Germany surrenders. This was the day that the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, thus ending the war in Europe. This was also the end of the Third Reich, well actually it was when Hitler committed suicide eight days earlier. It was his succesor that surrendered. -
The Final Warning
The Postdam Declaration is released to Japan from the Allies warning Japan of the threat. The declaration demanded their unconditional surrender or the "utter devastation of the Japanese homeland." Some asked that Truman assure that the emperor would still keep his power but Truman stuck to Roosevelt's origional plans. -
Little Boy
The atomic bomb "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima. This is the first time the weapon was used in war by anyone. It killed over 140,000 people and the effects could still be seen for many years after. -
Fat Man
The sky is cloudy, you fly to the drop zone. No dice, It seems the entire island is overcast. There, a hole in the clouds. You drop the bomb known to you as "Fat Man". The explosion shakes the cockpit as you fly away.
Nagasaki was not on the list of cities set to be bombed, it was the only clear shot that the pilot could find in the skies that day. It was the second, and last atomic bomb that the world would ever use. -
The War is Over
The japanese surrender on the battleship, U.S.S. Missouri. The time of peace would last for another two years until the Cold War began with the U.S. seeking supremacy over the U.S.S.R. as the dominant superpower.
