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The Treaty of Versailles is Signed
- Signaled the end of WWI
- Imposed unfair restrictions and reparations on Germany
- Hitler blamed the terms of the treaty for Germany’s struggles
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Mussolini Rules Italy
Italian Fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini ruled Italy from 1922 when he seized power to 1945 when he and his mistress were captured by insurgents, shot, dragged through the streets, hung by their feet, and publicly ridiculed. In addition, to participating in WWII, Mussolini assisted the fascist rebellion is Spain and expanded Italy's territory. -
The Hitler Youth is Established
Indoctrinated German Youth into the Nazi beliefe system and prepared them for eventual war -
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The Great Depression
It's hard to say exactly when the Great Depression started and ended, but it's commonly said that it started with the stock crash in '29 and ended ten years later, in '39. It was an international phenomenon heralded by a halt in international trade, high unemployment rates, and economic troubles. -
Hitler Comes to Power
Hitler loses the presidential election but is chosen as chancellor by the new president. As chancellor, he has legislative power, and begins passing laws that pave the way for his tyranny. -
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The Third Reich
Lasts from when Hitler first took the chancellorship (a powerful lawmaking title; think "Vice President,") in '33 to when he killed himself before the siege in Berlin in '45 -
Oskar Schindler Arrives in Germany
Oskar Schindler, famous for saving Jewish people by employing them in his factory, arrives in Germany with ambitions to make money off the war. -
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Germany Occupies Poland
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Nazi Occupation of Czechoslovakia
The Nazi's officially occupy Czechoslovakia after signing "The Munich Pact," which sacrificed the country in the interest of stopping Germany's imperalism. -
Nazi Invasion of Poland Begins
1.5 million German troops march into Poland on Hitler's orders, for what he calls "self-defense." -
The Allies Declare War on Nazi Germany
The Allied Forces (Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union (USSR)) declare war on Germany after, two days prior, it invades Poland. -
Construction of Auschwitz Concentration Camp Begins
Construction on the infamous concentration/death camp begins in Poland. Overall, around one and a half million people would be killed. -
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Germany Occupies France
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The Battle of Dunkirk Begins
Allied troops flee to a small town on the French coast called Dunkirk after suffering defeat and being pushed back by German Forces -
The Battle of Dunkirk Ends
Thousands of Allied troop evacuate from the small French town via boats owned by helpful locals after being cornered by German forces -
The Battle of Britain Begins
The Battle of Britain begins: a massive battle in which German forces repeatedly bombed Britain, mostly targeting civilian centers. Britain defended by building a massive and effective air-raid warning system -
The Battle of Britain Ends
The three-month battle ends with Britain as victor, putting a stop to the Blitzes and instilling confidence in Allied Forces -
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The Siege of Leningrad
A perfect example of both the Nazi's tactics against Russian cities and Stalin's willingness to sacrifice his own civilians the Seige of Leningrad was a three-year-long siege of a northern Russian city in which German troops blocked all incoming oil and food. As a result, citizens of the city who could not or would not evacuate across the frozen lake next to Leningrad either froze or starved to death. -
The Enigma Machine is Broken
The Enigma Machine, an "unbreakable" coding machine used by the Nazi's is cracked by Alan Turing, a brilliant British mathematician working with British Intelligence forces at Bletchley Park -
The Battle of Moscow Begins
The mission ("Operation Typhoon") to take the capital of Russia was seen by Hitler as his final blow to the Red Army. The odds started out in favor of the Germans; they outnumbered and outgunned the Soviets substantially, and weather conditions were favorable -
The Battle of Moscow Ends
By the time the German Advance reached Moscow, the weather had turned for the worse, (which the Germans were not equipped for, but the Russian were) and the Russians had summoned reinforcements. The first German assault on Moscow ended with a stalemate, and the second ended with German blood. -
The Wannsee Conference
A conference between fifteen of the top SS officials and Nazi politicians takes place, where "The Final Solution" is decided on -
The Battle of Stalingrad Begins
The 6th Army, which was widely regarded as the strongest German Army, attacked Stalingrad with the intent to seize, because it bore the name one of their biggest enemies, instead of starving it out, which might have been more effective. -
The Battle of Stalingrad Ends
Despite wintry conditions, the 6th Army took the city of Stalingrad, only to then be surrounded by Soviet reinforcements, who promptly reclaimed the city after the German general (against the orders of Hitler) surrendered. Of the 90,000 Germans that surrendered, 5,000 survived as PsOW until the end of the war. -
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
After a minor uprising on January 18, 1943 (select groups of Jews had ambushed SS forces after they received word of the death camps,) SS forces were sent to liquidate the ghetto in former capital of Poland; resistance members fought of the superiorly armed Germans for a month before bombings and sheer manpower overwhelmed them. The uprising ended on May 16, when Himmler bombed the Great Warsaw Synogauge. -
The Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk, which, to date, is the largest tank battle ever fought, is widely regarded as a German "Hail Mary," after their losses at Stalingrad and Moscow and the rapid Soviet reclamation of territory. -
The Battle of Bulge
The last German major offensive on the Western Line, Nazi troops attempted to break through Allied Lines to take crucial passes in the Ardennes, however, they were unsuccesful. -
D-Day
D-Day, which is the common nickname for the Allied invasion of German-occupied Normandy was the turning point for the Western Front. The battle took place on six different beaches, with Allied soldiers departing from boats and attempting to reclaim the beaches. -
The Plot to Kill Hitler Fails
The July Plot and Operation Valkyrie (which are almost always talked about in tandem) were operations to (respectively) assassinate Hitler and take over Germany. The perpetrators of the plot believed that Hitler was leading Germany towards ruin, and only a series of unlikely coincedences saved Hitler's life. -
Auschwitz is Liberated
The concentration camp infamous for its astonishingly high death count is liberated by Allied Forces -
Battle of Berlin Begins
Officially known as "The Battle of Berlin," or "The Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation," was the Soviet offensive that took the city of Berlin, the Capital of Germany. -
Hitler Kills Himself
Shortly before the Red Army would have taken Berlin, Hitler, who was hiding in a refurbished bunker, shot himself, effectively ending WWII. We don't know quite why, but historians suggest anywhere from loyalty to Germany to not wanting to end up like Mussolini, the dictator of Italy, who was shot, then hung by his feet in the square and spit on. -
Berlin Falls
Berlin surrenders on May 2, 1945, after the Soviets all but demolish the city. -
Germany Surrenders
Germany issues it's official surrender after losing its capital, Berlin five days prior. -
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The Nuremberg Trials Take Place
The series of 13 trials that took place in which Nazi officials were tried for war crimes. 12 were sentenced to death (among them, Goring, who committed suicide, and Bormann who remains missing), 3 were given life sentences, four were given prison sentences, and three were aquitted.