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Germany takes Czechoslovakia
Hitler talked to the Czech President Emil Hacha and threatened to bomb the Czech Republic if he did not get complete cooperation, so he received complete cooperation and invaded the country. By evenening Hitler entered into Prague. -
The German-Soviet Pact
An economic agreement, signed on August 19, 1939, said that Germany would exchange manufactured goods for Soviet raw materials. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union also signed a ten-year nonaggression pact on August 23, 1939, in which each signatory promised not to attack the other, and this allowed Germany to attack Poland on September 1, 1939, without fear of the Soviets intervening. -
Germany invades western Poland
Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and although Poland had 700,000 troops it was not ready for the German's blitzkrieg attacks. Many consider this to be the act that started World War II. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announces on BBC Radio that the country is at war with Germany, and France declares war the same day. Australia, India, and New Zealand also declare war on Germany within hours of Britain's declaration. This day was also the beginning of the "Battle of the Atlantic." -
Germany begins invasion of France
Hitler declared that it was time to invade France after France had decided to go to war against Germany. Almost a month later, on June 14, the Germans take Paris. -
Evacuation of troops from Dunkirk begins
This is the beginning of the "miracle at Dunkirk". Thousands of Allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches and harbors of Dunkirk. On the first day, only 7,011 men were evacuated, but by the ninth day, a total of 338,226 soldiers had been rescued by the hastily assembled fleet of 933 boats. -
Germany, Italy and Japan sign Tripartite Pact
These three countries signed this pact in Berlin, Germany, and they came up with the name "Axis". These countries agreed that they would "stand by and co-operate with one another in... their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things... to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned" for the next 10 years. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan bombs the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. This was a complete surpise attack and none of the Americans were ready resulting in 2,403 people dying. This is also the same day that Britain declares war on Finland, Hungary and Rumania. -
USA and Britain declare war on Japan
After the attack of Pearl Harbor America realized that they had to join this war and fight for what they knew was right. FDR made a speech this morning and announced that we were officially at war with Germany. -
Germany and Italy declare war on USA
After the United States had declared war on Germany, Germany decided they must declare war back, so on this day they officially declared war which would become World War II. -
Battle of Stalingrad begins
This battle was so important because it was a major tunrning point in the war. It was one of the largest battles in human history. At first the it looked like the Germans were winning, but the Americans came around and pulled a victory which helped them gain confidence to win the war. -
February German army surrenders at Stalingrad
After 199 days of fighting and thousands of lives lost, Germany finally surrendered to the Americans which showed that Germany was not as powerful as they had made themselves to be. This was a turning point in the war and made people realize that the Americans could win! -
D-Day
D-Day began with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France. The allied soldiers quickly broke through the Atlantic Wall and pushed inland. This was the largest water battle in history. -
Yalta Conference
This meeting was a reunion of Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill and they met to discuss Europe's post-war reorganization. This conference lasted from the 4-11th. -
Hitler's commits suicide
Hitler decided he could not take it any more and he committed suicide. The world was relieved and in shock that a man with so much power now ceased to exist. -
Germany signs unconditional surrender
Germany officially surrendered World War II and the world now focused on rebuilding Europe after the surrender. -
V-E Day
When the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
This was the first bomb the Americans dropped on Japan in hopes of surrender from the Japanese. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
America decided to drop a second atomic bomb on Japan just 2 days after Hirshima and they knew that dropping this bomb would force the Japanese to surrender the war. -
Japan surrenders
Six days after the bombing on Nagasaki, Japan finally surrenders with it's country destroyed and over 200,000 people dead from the bombs. -
Official End of World War II
Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender saying that they surrendered which officially ended the second World War.