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Japan Invades Manchuria
Within a few days of their attack, Japan took hold of several strategic points in South Manchuria. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler and his Nazi Party take ultimate power in Germany. -
Japan invades China
Japan's invasion was part of the Second Sino-Japanese War between Japan and China for control of mainland China. It eventually led to the beginning of WWII. -
Anschluss
Hitler annexes Austria in the so called Anschluss. -
The Munich Agreement
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich Agreement. This allows Germany to annex Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia). -
Initiation of WWII
Germany invades Poland from the west using their blitzkrieg strategy. This marks the start of WWII. -
War Declaration
Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
Soviet Union invades Poland
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the East 16 days after Germany's invasion from the West. -
Operation Weserübung
Germany invades Norway and Denmark, which gives them strategic control of nearby seas and points for future operations. The operation lasts two months, ending on June 6, 1940. -
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan's aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor caused the US to become involved in WWII. -
Allied invasion of Italy
Allied troops land on the beaches of Salerno near Naples. -
D-Day
About 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces land on five beaches at Normandy, France. This operation eventually leads to an Allied victory and the liberation of Paris from Germany two months later. -
US troops land in the Philippines
Unites States troops land on the island of Leyte under the command of General MacArthur in effort to liberate the Philippines from the Japanese. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launches a final offensive in the west to try to reconquer Belgium and divide the Allies' attack toward Germany. However, their attempt in the Ardennes region fails and eventually results in the Allies' victory. The attack ended on January 25, 1945. -
Liberation of Auschwitz
Soviet troops enter Auschwitz and free the survivors of Germany's concentration camps in Poland. -
The Battle of Okinawa
Lasting from April 1, 1945 to June 22, 1945, this was the last major battle of WWII. This battle was devastating and many lives were lost (12,520 American deaths, 110,000 Japanese deaths and 40,000-150,000 Okinawa citizen deaths). It resulted in an Allied victory over the Japanese and gave the US access to the Okinawa island very close to Japan. -
Hitler's Death
Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his underground bunker at his headquarters in Berlin. Germany then surrenders to the Allied forces soon after his death. -
Germany surrenders to the Allies
In Reims, France, Alfred Jodl signs the unconditional surrender of all German forces to the Allies. The war comes to an end in Europe. -
Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day)
The Allied victory of WWII is celebrated in Great Britain, Western Europe, and the United States. Meanwhile, the war is still continuing on the Soviet-German front, with 600 Soviet lives lost. -
Victory Day
Germany officially surrenders to the Soviets in Soviet-occupied Berlin under the authorization of Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Union celebrates their own Victory Day on the 9th instead of the 8th. -
United States drops a bomb on Hiroshima
The US becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry in a war. In Japan, the bomb kills 80,000 people and injures 35,000. -
Soviet Union declares war on Japan
One million Soviet soldiers invade Manchuria, China (occupied by Japan) in response to Japan's Supreme War Direction Council refusing to surrender to the Allies after the US bombing of Hiroshima. -
United States drops bomb on Nagasaki
The US drops a second atomic bomb on Japan at Nagasaki, which results in a final, unconditional Japanese surrender (including the Japanese Supreme War Direction Council). -
Japan surrenders (end of WWII)
Japan's surrender marks the official end of WWII. Japanese representatives sign the Instrument of Surrender, a document created by the U.S. War Department and approved by President Truman, on the U.S.S. Missouri.
