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German Anschluss with Austria
Hitler annexed Austria to carry out his plans to unify all German-speaking people. -
Treaty of Munich
Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier and Mussolini met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. -
Britain rearms and reassures Poland
Britain began re-arming, conscription was introduced, and assurances were given to Poland, who was being threatened by the Fuhrer. -
Russia and Germany Sign Pact
Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact which included secret clauses for the division of Poland. -
'Phoney War'
The months following Britain's declaration of war, as Britain saw no military action. (through May 1940) -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Hitler ignored the assurances he gave in the Treaty of Munich and invaded the country. -
Hitler Invades Poland
Adolf Hitler invaded Poland. -
Britain and France Declare War on Germany
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British Rout Italians in N. Africa
Italian forces in North Africa were routed by the British led by General Wavell. -
Hitler Invades Denmark and Norway
Hitler invaded/occupied Denmark and Norway to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore and also to establish a Norwegian base from which to break the British naval blockade on Germany. -
Blitzkrieg
Hitler launched his 'lightning war' against Holland and Belgium, and Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. -
Chamberlain Resigns
Neville Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill became the new head of the wartime coalition government. -
Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo)
The British commander-in-chief, General Gort, had been forced to retreat to the coast at Dunkirk. The troops waited under merciless fire to be taken off the beaches, and more than 338,000 men were rescued. -
Italy Entered War on Side of Axis Powers
Italy entered the war on the side of the Axis Powers with hope of gaining spoils from war. -
France Signs Armistice with Germany
The French signed an armistice with Germany taking France, which had been devastated, out of the war and into Germany occupation. -
Battle of Britain
(through October 31st 1940) The Battle of Britain was comprised of heavy Germany bombing and air raids. The RAF defended the skies and the raids had ceased by October 31st. -
Tripartite Pact
A pact of mutual alliance signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan. -
Italy and Germany Attack Yugoslavia
German and Italian troops attacked Yugoslavia, Greece, and the island of Crete. -
Hitler Attacks Russia- Operation Barbarossa
Hitler attacked Russia and took them by surprise as they had signed a treaty with Germany in 1939. Stalin immediately signed a mutual assistance treaty with Britain and launched an Eastern front battle. The USA also offered aid to the USSR. -
Pearl Harbor
The Japanese attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as a preliminary to taking British, French and Dutch colonies in South East Asia. -
Britain and U.S. Declare War on Japan
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Japanese Take Singapore
The Japanese captured Singapore from the British, taking some 60,000 prisoners. -
Battle of Midway
The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway, and was then able to push the Japanese back. -
Allies in N. Africa
Churchill ordered General Alexander to destroy the German-Italian army commanded by Field-Marshall Rommell together with all its supplies and establishments in Egypt and Libya. -
Battle of Stalingrad
First Russian victory against Germany -
Allies Push Into N. Africa
British and American forces under the command of General Dwight Eisenhower landed in the NW of Africa and assumed control of French Morocco and Algeria, and gradually closed in on the Germans. -
Battle of El Alamein
Montgomery attacked the German-Italian army in North Africa, and then chased the enemy about 1,500 miles across the desert. -
Axis Surrender North Africa
The British and American forces managed to defeat the Axis forces in North Africa. -
Allies Invade Sicily
British and U.S. forces invaded Sicily. -
Allies Take Sicily
Allied troops won island of Sicily. -
Italy Surrenders
Mussolini had been thrown out of office and the new government of Italy surrendered to the British and the U.S.A., and then agreed to join the Allies. The Germans took control of the Italian army, freed Mussolini from imprisonment and set him up as head of a puppet government in Northern Italy. -
Allies Meet at Tehran
Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met to co-ordinate plans for a simultaneous squeeze on Germany, and also discussed post war settlements. -
Leningrad Relieved
The siege of Leningrad was lifted by the Soviet army. -
Rome Liberated
Allies liberated Rome from the Germans. -
D-Day
The Allies launched an attack on Germany's forces in Normandy, Western France, as it was essential for the Allies to first capture a port. -
Japanese Evicted from Burma
British forces evicted the Japanese from Burma. -
Paris Liberated
The French capital of Paris was liberated from the Germans. -
V2 Flying Bombs
The first V2 flying bombs killed 3 people in London. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launched its final defensive through the Ardennes region of Belgium, but were beaten back by the Allies. -
Allies Cross the Rhine
The Allies crossed the Rhine while Soviet forces were approaching Berlin from the East. -
Russians Reach Berlin
The Russians reached Berlin shortly before the U.S. forces. -
Death of Roosevelt
President Roosevelt died, and was succeeded by President Truman. -
Mussolini Captured and Executed
Italian partisans captured Mussolini and executed him. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Adolf Hitler committed suicide with his last minute wife, Eva Braun, in his bombproof shelter. -
German Forces Surrender
German forces in Italy surrendered to the Allies. -
German Forces Surrender
German forces in northwest Germany, Holland, and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery on Luneburg Heath. -
Donitz Offers Unconditional Surrender
Hitler's successor, Admiral Donitz, offered an unconditional surrender to the Allies. -
V.E. Day
Victory in Europe was celebrated. -
Churchill Loses Election
Winston Churchill lost the election to Clement Atlee's Labour Party, which promised sweeping social reforms including nationalization of the coal and railway industries and the creation of a welfare state. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
The Japanese generals refused to surrender, and the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Hiroshima. -
Russia Declares War on Japan
Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Japanese-ruled Manchuria. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the island of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered following Hiroshima. -
Japanese Surrender
The Japanese unconditionally surrendered to the Allies ending the second World War. -
MacArthur Accepts Japan's Surrender
U.S. General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's surrender, thus formally ending WWII.