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Japan occupies Manchuria
The invasion followed a series of tensions between Japan and China over Japan's growing influence in the region. The pretext used by Japan to justify the invasion was an alleged attack on a Japanese-controlled railway. -
Japan creates the State of Manchukuo
In 1932, Japan, claiming to defend its interests, and after the Chinese troops had been expelled, created the Republic of Manchukuo. -
Germany and Japan left de SDN
The aggressions of the fascist and militarist powers proved ineffective. Germany and Japan left the League. -
Germany regained the Saar
On 17 January 1935 a referendum on territorial status was held in the Saarland basin territory. More than 90% of voters opted for reunification with Germany, 9% voted for the status quo as a League of Nations mandated territory and less than 0.5% opted for unification with Fran -
Hitler Breaks the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler anunciaba el incumplimiento del Tratado de Versalles al crear la Wehrmacht, las fuerzas armadas alemanas -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
Ethiopia had valuable exports and at the time they were also forming a modern army with the help of several European powers, but was purchased with their own money. -
Italy occupies Abyssinia
Without a declaration of war, the Italian army entered Abyssinia, with the opposition of the United Kingdom, the lukewarmness of France and the full support of Germany. -
Germany remilitarises the Rhineland
On the morning of 7 March 1936, German troops occupied the Rhineland. This is a part of Germany that lies on the border with France. Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany could not have an army. -
The Rome-Berlin Axis
Germany and Italy formed a treaty of friendship in which they pledged to pursue a common foreign policy. Due to a speech given by Mussolini a week later, this alliance became known as the Rome-Berlin Axis -
Anti-Komintern Pact
Alemania y Japón firmaron el llamado Pacto Antikomintern con el objetivo de sellar una alianza para defenderse de la amenaza que representaba para ellos la Unión Soviética. -
Japan invades China
The second Sino-Japanese war, which lasted until the end of World War II in September 1945. Japan's imperialist policy had begun its expansionist plan with control of Manchuria and continued with the invasion of Chinese territories in the north and east of the country. -
Italy leaves the League of Nations
Italy voluntarily left the organisation in 1937 after the League imposed economic sanctions against the country in response to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935. -
Germany occupies Austria
Nazi Germany annexed neighbouring Austria (Österreich). This is known as the Anschluss, "Anschluss" is a German word meaning "connection" or "union". By annexing Austria, the Nazis violated both the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain. -
Munich Agreement
An agreement signed at the Munich conference in September 1938 ceded the German-speaking Sudetenland to Germany. The agreement was concluded between Germany, Italy, Britain and France. Czechoslovakia was not allowed to attend the conference. -
Annexation of the Sudetenland
The German Army crossed the border into Czechoslovakia and annexed the Sudetenland. -
Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact
The German-Soviet Pact was signed in August 1939 and allowed the invasion and occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in September of that year.
The diplomatic agreement included a 10-year non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union, as well as clauses on economic cooperation and territorial expansion. -
Germany occupies all of Czechoslovakia
Nazi Germany invaded and occupied the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia in what remained of the Czecho-Slovak state, in flagrant contravention of the Munich Pact. -
Italy invades Albania
was a brief military campaign launched by the Kingdom of Italy against the Kingdom of Albania in 1939. The conflict was the result of the imperialist policies of the Italian dictator Mussolini. -
Pact of Steel Germany and Italy
Germany and Italy expanded their political alliance into a military one by signing the Pact of Friendship and Alliance. Dubbed the Pact of Steel by Mussolini, it provided for military cooperation and mutual defensive support between Germany and Italy. -
Germany invades Poland and World War II begins in Europe
Nazi Germany had overwhelming military superiority over Poland. The attack on Poland demonstrated Germany's ability to combine air and armoured power in a new type of mobile warfare. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, which decided its fate. The last Polish operational unit surrendered on 6 October. After Poland's defeat in early October 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divided its territory between them. -
U.S. Proclaims Neutrality
On this day, the United States proclaimed its neutrality in the war in Europe. Many americans, including the president, didn't want to be mixed up in European affairs. Eventually, America does indeed get sucked into the whirlpool of war. -
USSR expelled from the League of Nations
The Winter War broke out when the Soviet Union attacked Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II. As a result, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations on 14 December 1939, accused of waging a war of aggression. -
Germany Enters Norway and Denmark
German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities. -
Winston Churchill declared Prime Minister
Winston Churchill takes control of Great Britain. He replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister in May of 1940 -
Hitler Invades France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phony War. -
Italy Declares War on Britain & France
Italy had been withholding a formal allegiance to either side of the war. But, eventually they decided that they wanted to share in the Allies victories and declared war on Britain and France. -
Period: to
Soviet Union occupies the Baltic Republics
(Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) from 14-18 June. From 14-15 July he orchestrates communist coups in each of these countries, and from 3-6 August he annexes them as Soviet republics. -
France Surrenders to Germany
Conflict was avoided in Dunkirk, but France was still doomed. Allied forces could not save France, therefore France was required to surrender to Germany. Germany then occupied much of France. -
Soviet Union forces Romania to cede provinces to it
The Soviet Union forces Romania to cede the eastern province of Bessarabia and the northern half of Bukovina to Soviet Ukraine. -
Battle of Britain Start
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force, especially Fighter Command. -
London Blitz
German planes bombed ports and cities; (London). Was known as London Blitz. The assault was in Hitler's goal to terrorize British public and the will to fight -
Second Vienna arbitration
Germany and Italy arbitrate a decision on the division of the province of Transylvania, which is disputed between Romania and Hungary. The loss of northern Transylvania forces King Carol of Romania to abdicate in favour of his son Michael and brings to power a dictatorship under General Ion Antonescu. -
Italian-Libya forces attack British-Egypt
On September 13, 1940, Mussolini’s forces finally cross the Libyan border into Egypt, achieving what the Duce calls the “glory” Italy had sought for three centuries. -
Sea Lion Operation
Operation Sea Lion was the code name used by Nazi Germany to plan the invasion of Britain during the Battle of Britain in 1940, at the start of World War II. -
Japan Invades French Indochina
Japan moved forces in for reason of supplying they would need for military needs was here. Indochina was rich in oil, rubber, and other natural resourc -
Rome - Berlin - Tokyo axis
Germany, Italy and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact -
Italy invades Greece
Italy invades Greece from Albania. -
Battle of Britain End
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force, especially Fighter Command. Three month airbattle between Germany and Great Britain fought over Great Britain during World War II, Britain's victory stalled a German Invasion. -
Germans send Afrika Korps to North Africa
The Germans send the Afrika Korps to North Africa to reinforce the flagging Italians. -
Hungary, Romania and Slovakia join the Axis.
Hungary (20 November), Romania (23 November) and Slovakia (24 November) join the Axis. -
Bulgaria joins the Axis.
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Period: to
Germany, Italy and Hungary invade Yugoslavia
Germany, Italy and Hungary invade Yugoslavia and, together with Bulgaria, dismember it. -
Croatia formally joins the Axis powers
The leaders of the Ustaša terrorist movement proclaim the so-called Independent State of Croatia. The new state, immediately recognised by Germany and Italy, includes the province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Adolf Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. Beginning in June 1941, this blitzkrieg attack on Russia and its leader Joseph Stalin would ultimately decide the Second World War. Non aggression pact was broken -
Siege of Leningrad
On September 8, 1941, German forces closed in around the Soviet city of Leningrad, initiating a siege that would last nearly 900 days and claim the lives of 800,000 civilians. -
British Forces pushed out of Libya
"Afrika Korps" - group of German and Italian forces in Africa. Rommel skillfully pushed British out of Libya and back into Egypt. Korps had issues supplying forces, and between the British and Afrika Korps traded blows. -
Expulsion of Germans from the outskirts of Moscow
A Soviet counteroffensive drives the Germans from the outskirts of Moscow in a chaotic retreat. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
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US declares war on Japan and enters World War II
The day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered this "Day of Infamy Speech." Immediately afterward, Congress declared war, and the United States entered World War II. -
Nazi Germany and its Axis allies declare war to the United States.
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US navy halts Japanese naval advance
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Period: to
The British bombard the city of Cologne
Marking the beginning of a bombing campaign that brought war to Germany. For the next three years Anglo-American bombing raids reduce German cities to rubble. -
Allied forces go on the offensive against the Japanese
For the first time, Allied forces go on the offensive against the Japanese, landing and taking Tulagi, Florida and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. -
British troops defeat Germans and Italians in Egypt
British troops defeat the Germans and Italians at El Alamein (Egypt) and push Axis troops into a chaotic retreat through Libya towards the eastern border of Tunisia. -
US and British troops land in French North Africa
US and British troops land at various points along the Algerian and Moroccan coasts of French North Africa. The failure of French Vichy troops to defend against the invasion allows the Allies to move quickly to the western border of Tunisia. -
Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies
The campaign in North Africa ends. -
Germans launch massive offensive
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. The Soviets weaken the attack within a week and begin their own offensive. -
US and British troops land in Sicily
By mid-August, the Allies control Sicily. -
Fascist Grand Council deposes Benito Mussolini
Which allows Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio to form a new government. -
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
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Badoglio government surrenders to the Allies
The Germans immediately take control of Rome and northern Italy, establish a puppet Fascist regime under Mussolini, who is released from prison by German commandos on 12 September. -
Allied troops land on the coast of Salerno
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Soviet troops liberate Kiev.
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Allied troops successfully land near south of Rome.
Allied troops successfully land near Anzio, just south of Rome. -
Germans occupy Hungary
Fearing that Hungary will leave the Axis alliance, the Germans occupy Hungary and force its regent, Admiral Miklos Horthy, to appoint a pro-German prime minister. -
Allied troops liberate Rome
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Normandy Landings
British, American and Canadian troops successfully land on the Normandy coast of France and open a "second front" against the Germans. -
Period: to
The Home Army rises up against the Germans
The Home Army (the non-communist Polish resistance) rises against the Germans in an effort to liberate Warsaw before the arrival of Soviet troops. The Soviet advance is halted on the east bank of the Vistula. On 5 October, the Germans accept the surrender of what remains of the Home Army forces fighting in Warsaw. -
Allied forces land in southern France
Allied forces land in southern France near Nice and move rapidly northeast towards the Rhine River. -
The Soviets launch a offensive in eastern Belarus
destroy the German Army Group Centre and advance west towards the Vistula River opposite Warsaw in central Poland on 1 August. -
Appearance of Soviet troops on the Prut River
The appearance of Soviet troops on the Prut River prompts the Romanian opposition to overthrow the Antonescu regime. The new government concludes an armistice and immediately switches sides in the war. The Romanian change of position forces Bulgaria to surrender on 8 September and the Germans evacuate Greece, Albania and southern Yugoslavia in October. -
Finland sign the armistice with the Soviet Union
Finland agrees to sign the armistice with the Soviet Union and expel the German forces. -
Hungarian fascist movement stages a coup
The Hungarian fascist Arrow Cross movement carries out a German-backed coup d'état to prevent the Hungarian government from entering into negotiations to surrender to the Soviets. -
US troops land in the Philippines.
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Battle of the Ardenas
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to recapture Belgium and divide the Allied forces stationed along the German border. By 1 January 1945, the Germans are in retreat. -
The Ustacha regime falls
Partisan units under the command of Yugoslav communist leader Josip Tito take Zagreb and bring down the Ustacha regime. The main Ustacha leaders flee to Italy and Austria. -
Allied troops conquer Okinawa
The last island before reaching the main Japanese islands. -
Soviets liberate Cracovia and Varsovia
The Soviets launch a new offensive, liberating Warsaw and Krakow in January. -
US troops cross the Rhine River at Remagen.
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Slovakia surrenders
The capture of Bratislava forces Slovakia to surrender. -
Soviet forces capture Vienna.
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The Soviets launch their final offensive and surround Berlin.
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Hitler commits suicide
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Germany signs unconditional surrender
Germany signs the unconditional surrender in Reims on 7 May at the headquarters of US General Dwight D. Eisenhower, commander of the Allied forces in northwest Europe. The surrender takes effect at 11:01 p.m. on 8 May. -
Germany signs surrender document in Berlin
Germany signs in Berlin a surrender document very similar to the first one. It also enters into force on 8 May at 11:01 p.m. CET. In Moscow, this was already after midnight, in the early hours of 9 May. -
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
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The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
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Japan formally surrenders and World War II ends
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on 14 August 1945, Japan formally surrenders and World War II ends.