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Adolf Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany
On this day in 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler, leader or fÜhrer of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany. -
Germany's Adolf Hitler signs the order for an assault on Poland.
Germany's Adolf Hitler signs the order for an assault on Poland. After the Germans stage a phony raid on a Gleiwitz radio station, they blame the Polish for the "unprovoked attack." -
Without declaring war, Germany invades Poland
Without declaring war, Germany invades Poland. The coordinated air-and-land attack is conducted with such brutal efficiency that "blitzkrieg" becomes a feared offensive tactic. -
France and Great Britain enter the war against Germany.
Honoring their treaty with Poland, France and Great Britain enter the war against Germany. -
Japan entered the WWII
Japan, engaged in war with China, declares its neutrality in the European War. -
Poland is partitioned by Germany and Russia.
Warsaw, Poland, surrenders to German forces. Poland is partitioned by Germany and Russia. -
The British drop the first bombs on German
The British drop the first bombs on German soil as the RAF hits the seaplane base at Hornum. -
Italy joins the war as an ally of Germany.
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Italy declares war against the Allies.
Italy declares war against the Allies. Great Britain, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India and South Africa declare war on Italy. General Hering, the military governor of Paris, declares the French capital an open city to prevent its destruction. -
Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact.
Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. It recognizes their right to establish a new order in Europe and Asia. -
Japan and Russia sign a neutrality pact.
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Germany invades the Soviet Union without declaring war
Unleashing its "Barbarossa" plan, Germany invades the Soviet Union without declaring war. Despite massing troops at the border, the Germans encounter little opposition. Hitler is now fighting a two-front war. -
With Luftwaffe raids, Germany hits Moscow for the first time.
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The U.S. extends aid to the Soviet Union.
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Japan attacked USA
Hundreds of Japanese warplanes, launched from aircraft carriers far out at sea, attack the American Pacific fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii,Eight battleships, including the U.S.S. Arizona, three light cruisers, three destroyers and four other naval vessels are either sunk or damaged. One hundred-sixty-four American aircraft,are destroyed. And 2,403 Americans are killed. On the day that President Roosevelt would call "a date which will live in infamy," -
The U.S. declares war on Japan.
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Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S.
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A strategic defense of the entire Pacific Ocean is given.
U.S. War and Navy Departments announce that commanders of the forces in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack will be court-martialed for dereliction of duty. -
Germany and her Axis partners launch a new offensive in the Soviet Union
Germany and her Axis partners launch a new offensive in the Soviet Union. German troops fight their way into Stalingrad (Volgograd) on the Volga River by mid-September and penetrate deep into the Caucasus after securing the Crimean Peninsula. -
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union.
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. The Soviets blunt the attack within a week and begin an offensive initiative of their own. -
Italian government surrenders unconditionally to the Allies.
The Badoglio government surrenders unconditionally to the Allies. The Germans immediately seize control of Rome and northern Italy, establishing a puppet Fascist regime under Mussolini, who is freed from imprisonment by German commandos on September 12. -
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France,
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans. -
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge,
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. By January 1, 1945, the Germans are in retreat. -
The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin.
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European theatre of World War II. -
Hitler commits suicide.
Germany surrenders to the western Allies and the Soviets. -
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
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Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.
