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WWII Major Events

  • WWII Begins

    WWII Begins
    The Second World War began mainly due to the cause of Hitler's invasion of Poland, which caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
  • Warsaw is Captured

    Warsaw is Captured
    Warsaw, Poland is captured after surrendering to the German troops but holds out for another 9 days before capitulating.
  • Great Britain Wins the Wars First Sea Battle

    Great Britain Wins the Wars First Sea Battle
    After the Battle of River Plate, Great Britain wins the first Sea Battle in the war after taking down a German pocket battleship.
  • Norway is Invaded

    Norway is Invaded
    Germany invaded Norway ending a six-month period of limited land operations called the Phony War.
  • Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister

    Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister
    Winston Churchill becomes prime minister replacing Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister.
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    The Miracle of Dunkirk

    The trapped British Army evacuates to England from Dunkirk, Frane, surviving to fight another day.
  • Paris Falls to the Nazis

    Paris Falls to the Nazis
    France falls to German forces and capitualates 11 days later.
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    Britain Fights for it's Life

    The Battle of Britain pits German bombers against British fighters in a thwarted German prelude to invasion.
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    The Blitz

    German bombers target major cities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, killing over 40,000 civilians, and leveling over 1 million homes.
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    Operation Compass

    Armies of Great Britain and its empire defeated Italian forces for control of Egypt and eastern Libya.
  • The Desert Fox Arrives

    The Desert Fox Arrives
    German General Erwin Rommel takes command of the Afrika Korps, seeking to drive British out of North Africa.
  • Hitler Launches Operation Barbarossa

    Hitler Launches Operation Barbarossa
    Opening what will become the bloodiest front of World War II, massive German armies invaded the Soviet Union.
  • U.S. Plunged Into War

    U.S. Plunged Into War
    Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, starting a war with the US. Sensing weakness, Hitler declared war on America 4 days later.
  • Wannsee Conference

    Wannsee Conference
    High-ranking Nazi officials approve a systematic plan for the mass extermination of Jews across Europe—the “Final Solution.”
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    Battle of Midway

    Japanese expansion in the Pacific is thwarted near Midway Island, as US dive bombers sink four Japanese aircraft carriers.
  • America Joins the War in North Africa

    America Joins the War in North Africa
    US troops landed in French North Africa as part of Operation Torch, designed to support British forces in the region.