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Italy joins the war on the side of the axis powers.
The axis power was one of two major alliances that formed during WW2. The alliance included Germany, Italy and Japan, These countries shared 2 major similar interests; territorial expansion and empires based on military conquest, as well as the destruction of Soviet Communism. Italy and Germany originally formed the axis powers after they both saw eye-to-eye on the derailment of Europe. Their ultimate goal was to conquer Europe and win the war against the Allied powers. TOF- Europe -
Germany invades Poland
Germany's invasion of Poland essentially outlined the mark of the beginning of the second world war. Extensive bombing was carried out to demolish Poland's communication lines, railroads etc. Poland was well under prepared for Hitler's fury and therefore buckled under, resulting in a successful invasion. This event marked the beginning of Hitler's rein and the susses of Hitler as a leader, which was his ultimate goal. Europe was the theatre of war for this event. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain and France declared war over Germany after the invasion of Poland(their allies). Britain and France individually both presented an ultimatum to Germany to withdraw their troops at the risk of war. Germany did not withdraw within the given time frame which resulted in war between all the nations. Britain and France both aimed to protect Poland as part of their alliance, thus their declaration of war over Germany. Europe was the theatre of was for this event. -
Churchill becomes Prime Minister
Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlin as Prime Minster after Chamberlin's resignation. During Chamberlin's rein, he promised to bring peace back to Britain, however this changed when Germany invaded Poland and Britain rushed to aid Poland in war. Churchill was brought into power when Chamberlin lost during his confidence vote. Churchill became prime minister and vowed to his people that Britain will never surrender. Britain was now in a more secure position in the war. Europe - tof. -
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Evacuation Dunkrik (Operation Dynamo)
Evacuation Dunkirk involved the evacuation of British, French, Belgium and Canadian troops from Dunkirk in France. The evacuation followed after the troops in Dunkirk had been surrounded by German forces. The evacuation involved the removal of over 300,000 soldiers by boat. Sime soldiers were made to wait for hours in shoulder deep water, for their boats to arrive. The evacuation was able to happen because Germans were stalled by a Halt Order from the German high command. TOW- Europe -
France signs armistice with Germany
Following the replacement of the French prime minister Paul Reynaud, newly elected minister Marshal Henri Petain announced to sign an armistice with the Nazi's. This plan was cancelled after the French General, Charles de Gaulle, made a broadcast for countrymen to continue fighting Germany. Soon after, The appointed vice premier of France Petain, arranged an armistice with the Nazis. The armistice was signed by the French and went into effect 3 days after. -
France signs armistice with Germany
Signing the armistice allowed Germany to conquer France completely. The theatre of war is Europe -
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Battle of Britain
Following the French surrendering the Germany, Britain stood alone against German forces. Britain was is a favourable position against Germany due to the fact that Germany had low grade intelligence and have no information on Britain's weaknesses. Britain successfully defended itself from the German air raids. This meant that Germany was not able to invade Britain. The battle against Germany was eventually won by the Royal Air force. Britain won in their goal to defeat Germany and their rein. -
Operation Sea lion
Operation Sea lion was the name given to the invasion of Britain that was planned by Hitler. This plan however did not work due to the fact that the Germans lost the Battle of Britain. Operation Sea lion was basic in theory. Britain had lost many in military numbers and Germany had modern warfare and lots of experience, therefore the battle would have been a short one. However the backfire mean that Operation Sea lion could not be performed. This event occurring meant that Germany was subdued. -
The Tripartite pact is signed
The Tripartite Pact was a pact out together by the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). The signing of the pact stated that mutual assistance should be offered should any of the signatories suffer attacks by any nation not already involved in the war. The pact also recognized the influence over each others nations. The signing of the pact was to further solidify the alliance as well as to warn America before venturing on the side of the allies. This event took place in Europe. -
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Seige of Tobruk
The Siege of Tobruk marked the event where many Australian soldiers were ordered to hold Tobruk to delay Germans advancing on the Suez Canal and the Persian Gulf oilfields. This followed after the Defeat of the Italians in Libya meant German forces had to be sent in. Defenders of Tobruk went through tough conditions like disease, heat, fleas, flies etc. Many became casualties to the German air raids and ground attacks. TOW- Africa -
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Oparation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code mane of the German planned invasion of the Soviet Union. German forces were large in numbers for the invasion that covered a distance of 2 thousand miles. However, Germans had many deficiencies in terms of intelligence and logistics, and approached the Soviet Union barbarically. The Germans, succeeded at first, however soon their weaknesses began to show. Many Soviet counterattacks delayed the invasion as well. -
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Operation Barbarossa
During the invasion of Moscow, Heavy rain caused a delay and after the weather had cleared up, Germans had no winter clothing or winter supply, despite this they continued on, and when they approached the Gates of Moscow, Soviet counterattacks drew them to a halt. Hitler was forced to retreat which brought the operation to a halt. The failure of the operation meant a major setback it Hitler’s plans for European domination, and weakened him during ww2. TOW-Euro -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Three days following Japanese allies declared war on the United States. This event marked the beginning of WW2 and marked the beginning of Americas involvement in WW2. TOW- Pacific -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The bombing of pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Japanese Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack consisted of hundreds of Japanese fighter planes. The attack lasted only 2 hours, however the aftermath was disastrous. Following the assault President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. -
The United States declares war on Japan
Following the events at Pearl Harbor, The United States President, Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan. This event also marked Americas official involvement in WW2. Roosevelt made a 10-minute-long speech to his people, on how America must enter the war, was greeted with applause and stamping feet. The FDR signed the declaration of war at 4.10 pm. This event marked the beginning of WW2 and the beginning of the loss of many lives. The Theatre of war was Atlantic. -
Japan takes Singapore
When the Japanese decided they wanted to occupy Singapore, taking it away from the British, they attacked Pearl harbor with 24,000 troops. The battle between Britain and Japan on the Malay peninsula continued for a long time, however on February 8th Japanese troops landed in Singapore island. The British were outranked in every way. Singapore's defensive structures were also destroyed by the Japanese. British defence was very poor, and British General Percival made many poor miscalculations. -
Japan takes Singapore
These miscalculations deteriorated British defence strategies. Soon after Singapore surrenders to the Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita on air. Following the surrender of Singapore, British forces lost their foothold on the Eastern side. The effect of this surrender meant British forces and the allied powers were losing the war against the Axis powers. This event was a major hold back in the end of WW2. Theatre of war - Pacific -
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Battle of Midway
The effect of the battle of Midway ended the threat of further Japanese invasion in the Pacific. TOW- Pacific -
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Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway involved Japan and the US. The battle took plane after Japan attempted to seize Midway island. The US and Japan had been attempting to disable each others armies through various bombs and air attacks. Finally US naval pilots were able to seize 4 Japanese heavy carriers thus ending the Japanese strength to fight and beginning their general retirement. Japan did not end up landing on Midway island. -
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First Battle of El Alamein
The first Battle of El Alamein involved the fight between Erwin Rommel and the Allied powers for control over North Africa. Rommel's crops that were placed in Egypt, in El Alamein, were joined by the beaten Italian forces. the Allied forces, were however reinforced by American supplies and the forces of Britain, India, South Africa and New Zealand who battled Rommel to a standstill in Egypt. The battle stood as a turning point in the war in North Africa. TOW- Atlantic -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the battle where Soviets successfully stopped Germans from progressing into the city of Stalingrad. The battle is thought of to be the point where the war turned in favour of the Allied powers. The Battle is also seen as the one with the most casualties, with a combined military and civilian death count of nearly 2 million people. The battle is marked as an important one as it was the beginning of the Axis powers failing and then end to the war. TOW-Europe -
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Second Battle of El Alamein
The second battle of El Alamein followed soon after the first, which prevented the Axis powers from advancing into Egypt. Again between the Allied powers and the Axis powers, the Second battle saw the win of the British and the end to the threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal and the Middle eastern and Persian oil fields. The second battle of El Alamein marked the first major victory for the Allied powers. TOW-Pacific -
D-Day landings
Seeing that the Axis powers were slowly retreating, the Allied powers decided to invade western Europe. The largest invasion fleet of all time set sail from English to Normandy, where they planned on settling the invasion force. The landings took place over 5 beaches. Despite losses on some beaches, the troops from Britain, Canada and the US drove the Germans back. It began a foothold in Europe for the Allied powers and pulled closer, the surrender of the Germans. TOW-Europe and the Pacific -
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Battle of the Bulge
the allied powers. It was a major setback in the war for the Germans. TOW-Atlantic -
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Battle of the Bulge
The battle of the Bulge, describes the battle that took place between Nazi Germans and American forces. The Battle begun because of Hitler's plans to spilt up Allied armies in northwest Europe. One of the Allied armies collectives was seen at Ardennes. There, the Germans attacked the Americans, a line at the front of the Allied front took shape in the form of a bulge, thus the name of the battle. Soon the Germans ran out of fuel and had to retreat. It was an opportunity for Hitler to gain on... -
German Surrender
The German surrender occurred after the British forces were successful in defending from German forces. The German High Command, General Alfred Johl signed the surrender of all German forces, not restricting it to the Allied countries, as Germany had hoped. If the complete surrender was not meant, General Dwight Eisenhower threatened to close the Western front, inhibiting any Germans from fleeing. The surrender meant that Germany was free from the rein of Hitler and the terror he caused.TOW-Euro -
Mussolini is executed
Mussolini, the dictator of Italy was captured by Italian partisans at the Swiss border. Mussolini considered the idea of escape when the Allied powers were most definitely going to invade Italy and defeat the Axis powers. Mussolini fled to Switzerland to avoid landing in the hands of the British or Americans. Mussolini and his wife had made it to the Swiss border and had tried to pass dressed as guards, however they were caught, shot and hung in public. His death released Italy from terror. Euro -
Adolf Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler, dictator over Germany, killed himself by consuming a cyanide capsule and then shooting himself with a pistol. The Fuhrer killed himself after the realisation that his Reich was collapsing above him. He was warned a few days before of Russian invasion of the chancellery and was given the opportunity to escape, however he chose death instead. His wife of two days, also committed suicide as well. The death of Hitler marked the end of a long period of depression in the world.TOW-Europe -
V.E Day
V.E day (Victory in Europe day) marks the day when the German unconditional surrender took effect. It was the coming conclusion to the war. V.E day was celebrated loudly through many countries not only in Europe but through the world. It marked the end of a long period of grief and trauma. TOW-Europe -
Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Hiroshima, a city in Japan, was bombed on the 6th of August, 1945, killing over 100,000 people. The bomb was dropped on Japan by America and the Allied powers after the Japanese refusal to meet the ultimatum of surrender. The bomb was also the first of its kind. The aftermath of the bomb left devastating effects. Many were killed and many were seriously injured. The bombing sent a message loud and clear to the Japanese, that they were at the mercy of the allies. TOW-Pacific -
Soviets declare war on Japan
The Soviet Union declared war on Japan following the bombing of Hiroshima. Following the first bombing of Japan, Japanese were not too worried about the Soviet Union at the time as they were more concerned about other powers. However the Soviet Union made a surprise invasion into Manchuria. The reason for the invasion was due to the deal Stalin made that said The Soviets would end the war with Japan 3 months after the German surrender.After the many casualties, surrender was reconsidered.TOW-Pac -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Following the bombing of Hiroshima, another atomic bomb was dropped an the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Following the first bombing, Japanese powers had still not agreed to the surrender, despite the devastating effects left after. The effects of the bomb on Nagasaki were not as devastating however many casualties suffered from the event. It was the push japan needed to finally surrender from the war, thus giving the win to the Allied powers. TOW- Pacific -
Japanese surrender
The Japanese surrender was long predicted before it actually occurred. The Allies had blocked Japan from all angles, after bombing of Japanese cities as well as intense naval bocking of Japan. This pressure left japan in a devastated state. The Japanese surrender followed after a planned invasion of Japan by the Americans. U.S. General Douglas MacArthur was put in charge of the invasion, which at the time was given the name 'Operation Olympic' -
Japanese surrender
Before the invasion, Japan was given an ultimatum, demanding the "unconditional surrender of all the Japanese armed forces" and than failure to comply would mean "inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitable the utter devastation of Japanese homeland". Japan ignored the deal and Japan was bombed. Soon after Japan surrendered (folloing many other events). This event formally brought an end to WW2. TOW- Pacific -
United nations is born
The United nations was formed on the 24th of October in 1945 as a way to bring peace to nations after a surge of war. The United nations aimed at resting international conflict and negotiating peace. The principles of the charter for the Uniter Nations was first put together at the San Francisco Conference. The conference was attended by over 50 nations. Post war the UN was responsible for all maintenance of peace between nations. The U.N was the beginning of new hope after the war. TOW-Pacific