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Poland Invasion
Germany invades Poland in a blitzkrieg (lightning war). England and France react by declaring war on Germany. This begins the European War, which will become World War II. -
Soviet Union takes on european countries
The Soviet Union invades Finland, occupies part of Poland, and, by threatening invasion, takes over Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. -
Finland surrenders
Soviet-Finland war ends in Finland’s surrender. -
Invasion of Germany on Denmark and Norway
Germany invades Norway and Denmark and will soon conquer both countries. -
Germany invades and conquers France
Germany invades the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Germany also conquers France -
Germany bombardment on London
Hundreds of German warplanes begin bombing London every night -
Germany conquers two new countries
Germany conquers Greece and Yugoslavia. -
Germany tries to take Soviet Union
More than three million German troops invade the Soviet Union. -
German attacks by submarine
A German submarine torpedoes the U.S. Navy destroyer Reuben James in the North Atlantic. It is the first U.S. warship sunk in the European War. Only 45 of the ship’s 160 crew members survive. -
British defeats Germany in Africa
After months of desert fighting, the British Eighth Army in North Africa puts Germany’s Afrika Corps to flight. -
Germans get near the capital
German troops are near Moscow. But, forced to fight in freezing weather, the troops pull back. -
German troop on the defensive side now
German troops surrender at Stalingrad. Soviet Union starts to become on the offesive side of the war. -
Bombardment in Germany
The Royal Air Force and U.S. Eighth Air Force begin round-the-clock bombing of Germany. -
D-Day
U.S. troops enter Rome. On D-Day, June 6, 155,000 Allied troops land on the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin the liberation of Europe. -
German loses Paris
French and American troops liberate Paris. -
German loses Greek
British and Greek troops liberate Athens. -
Battle of Bulge
German forces launch a surprise attack in the Ardennes region of Belgium -
Hitler kills himself
Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler kills himself. -
Germany Surrenderes
Germany quits the war.
