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Start of the War
WWII started when Germany launched an unprovoked attack on Poland, September 1, 1939. The next day Britain and France joined the war after Hitler wouldn't abort the invasion. Britain, France and Poland then formed the Allies. -
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World War Two
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Battle of France
The Battle of France was a German offensive resulting in many gains for Germany. The Nazis had made a lot of progress on their Western front including capturing Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and forcing the fall of France by June 25, 1940. -
Dieppe
Also known as Operation Jubilee, Dieppe had the highest amount of casualties for the Canadian armed forces out of the entire second world war. Nearly 5,000 Canadian soldiers assaulted the port in Nazi occupied France, and more than half became casualties, with just under 1,000 deaths. Although Dieppe did result in a German victory, the battle helped teach Canadians how they were going to have to fight the war. -
Fall of Mussolini
Benito Mussolini was the Fascist leader of Italy who ruled until July 25, 1943. He started off ruling as prime minister until converting Italy to a dictatorship in 1925. He had ruled for almost 21 years before being killed in the streets of Italy, at the end of the Italian Campaign. -
D-Day
Also known as Operation Overlord, the Allied offensive on the beaches of Normandy gained the Allies a spot on the European front. Involving multiple stages including paratroopers dropping behind enemy lines and meeting the forces assaulting the beach. -
VE Day
On May 8, 1945 Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. Known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day was the end of the fight in Europe. The Nazi reign finally came to an end resulting in the focus being turned to Japan, the only nation opposing the Allies at this point in the war. -
End of the War
After both 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the second world war came to a close. A new era of warfare had become a reality. Nuclear weapons were successfully built and used to end the fight against Japan, with less Allied casualties.
