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Treaty of Versailles Signed
The signing of this treaty marked the end of WWI, but placed economic restrictions and territorial issues on Germany. These terms would be received as harsh, especially Germany being named the central cause thus having to pay for the war representations, and would eventually also lead to them having a restricted military. All of this combined would lead to German resentment, and would eventually also contribute to why Hitler was able to gain so much power. -
Hitler Became Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was appointed to be Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg, making a crucial turning point in Germany. Hitler was able to gain power quickly because of propaganda, intimidation, and legal maneuvering. Within months he was able to completely change Germany's democratic institutions and establish a totalitarian regimes. He implemented extreme nationalism, anti-Semitic policies, and militaristic ambitions that would move Germany towards the start of a world war. -
Germany Re-Militerlizes the Rhineland
The Treaty of Versailles stated that the German troops could not enter the Rhineland, which the German troops directly violated. However, to go against this; Britain and France did not retaliate and did not fight against this, which would lead to Hitler continuing his "expansionist policies." -
Germany Annexes Austria
Germany annexed Austria during a move called the Anschluss, which United the two German-speaking nations under on Reich. This was a violation, technically, of national law, however, Britain and France did nothing to stop this and were instead met with support from Austria. The successful integration of Austria would help to fuel Hitlers ambitions for expanding Germany even more, and with the lack of international response would also help to enforce his belief that he could do whatever he wanted. -
Munich Agreement
Britain and France allowed for Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, which was a region of Czechoslovakia with a large German speaking population. This agreement was determined without Czech agreeing, which showed the weakness of smaller nations against the larger. Prime Minister; Neville Chamberlain returned home claiming to have "peace for our time." However, this would only encourage Hitler who would later invade the rest of Czechoslovakia, proving that his ambitions would not stop. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany takes over Poland using blitzkreig tactics, swift and short hits against the country. This would be the final straw for Britian and France, who would two days later declare war on Germany, marking the official start to World War II. -
The Fall of France
Germany was swiftly able to conquer the Low Countries, which then lead them to try and by pass the heavily fortified Maginot Line and invaded France through the Ardennes Forest. France was quickly taken over; leading to the fall of Paris. In June; France signed an armistice with Germany which lead to the occupation of northern France and the establishment of a new government (puppet Vichy in the south). The Fall of France shocked the world and left Britain alone against Nazi Germany. -
Battle of Britian
This was the first military battle that was fought completely in the air. The German Luftwaffe aimed to destroy the British Royal Air Force and make way to invade Britain. Even though they were outnumbered; the RAF was able to defended themselves based on new radar tech, leadership, and pilots. The failure of this marked Hitler's first defeat and proved that the Nazi expansion would be able to be resisted, shining hope onto the countries. -
Invasion of Barbarossa
This was a German invasion of the Soviet Union, which broke the non-aggression pact that was signed back in 1939. It was the largest military invasion in history, involving millions of troops. At first, German forces were able to expand rapidly, but they were eventually stopped by Soviet resistance and the Russian winter. They failed to get Moscow; which marked a tanning point in the war, where Germany would find itself a long and expensive conflict on the Eastern Front. -
Pearl Harbor / U.S. Entry into the War
Japan attacked the U.S naval base at Pearl Harbor, promoting the U.S. to declare war the next day. Fighting with Japan, Germany and Italy also declared war on the U.S., which brought the U.S. into the European conflict completely. When the U.S. joined, the balance of power in the war shifted, as its industrial and manpower were able to significantly boost the Allied. This would eventually contribute significantly and lead to defeat of the Axis powers. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This was one of deadliest battles and most decisive battles of World War II. German forces sought to gain control of the Soviet city of Stalingrad, but the Soviets fought against them fiercely. This was the most brutal, fighting against one another in hand-to-hand combat; each suffering a massive amount of deaths. In the winter of 1943, the Soviet Red Army launched a successful counter offensive, which lead them to defeat the German 6th Army. This became the start of a powerful Soviet advance. -
D-Day
Allied forces launched the largest land and water invasion in history on the beaches in Normandy, France. This was known as D-Day, the operation involved more then 150,000 troops from the U.S., Britain, Canada, and other Allied nations. The landing were the beginning of a massive campaign to free Western Europe from Nazi control. This invasion would be successful and lead to the liberation of France and open a second front against Germany. -
Freedom of Paris
After two months of fighting in Normandy, Allied forces and the French Resistance were able to liberate Paris from German occupation. The German guards surrendered, and Charled de Caulle led the march down the Champs-Elysses. This liberation would some to symbolize the strategic victory for the Allies and the restored French pride after years of German occupation. It also would signal the collapse of Nazi control in Western Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was Germany's last major offensive on the Western Front. After they launched a surprise attack through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, German forces sought to divide the Allied lines and capture the port of Antwerp. Even though they had initial gains, poor weather, supply issues, and stiff Allied resistance halted the offensive. The battle ended with a heavy loss on German side, depleting the last of their resources leading them to the end of the war. -
Hitler's Suicide and Germany's Surrender
As the Soviets forces closed in on Berlin, Hitler committed suicide to escape the reprecussions of his actions in his underground bunker. His death represents the collapse of the Nazi regime. A week later on May 8th, Germany was forced to surrender to the Allies, which would end the War in Europe. This day would become known as V-E day (Victory in Europe Day) and was celebrated across the Allied nations. Even though the war had ruined Europe, peace was finally being restored.