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Germany invades Poland (European TOW)
Location: Poland
Nations involved: Germany, Poland
Outline: Hitler had a non-aggression pact with Poland, but Hitler did this so that Poland would not attack them before Germany had the opportunity to remilitarise. On September 1, 1939, roughly 2000 German tanks and 1000 planes broke through Polish defences on the border. They encircled Warsaw and, after defending from bombs and shells, Warsaw surrendered.
Outcome/significance: This is said to have caused Britain and France to declare war. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany (European TOW)
Location: Britain and France
Nations involved: Britain, France, Germany
Outline: Britain and France had vowed to protect Poland's border, so when Germany invaded Poland, they kept their word and declared war two days later.
Outcome/significance: Different nations joined the war at different times, so 'when the war started' can be answered differently depending on the perspective. However, this is the time when the second world war was set in motion and truly took storm on a global scale. -
Operation Sea Lion (European TOW)
Location: Britain
Nations involved: Germany, Britain
Outline: Operation Sealion was Germany's code name for Hitler's planned invasion of Britain. In order for it to work, Germany needed complete naval and air control over the English Channel. However, this was never achieved during the war, so Hitler, doubting its likelihood of success, postponed it, and it never took place.
Outcome/significance: If Germany had of implimented operation Sealion, the war could have been changed drastically. -
Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain (European TOW)
Location: Britain
Nations involved: Britain
Outline: Neville Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill took the position of Great Britain's Prime Minister. He was known for his military leadership abilities. He created an all-party coalition, meaning that all the parties in Britain's government became one for the period of the war. Churchill vowed that Britain would never surrender.
Outcome/significance: Unifying the parties allowed Britain to make quick decisions during the war. -
Period: to
Evacuation of Dunkirk (European TOW)
Location: Dunkirk, France
Nations involved: Germany, Britan, France
Outline: The Germans used the Blitzkrieg tactics to storm through central Europe. This meant that British and French soldiers were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Churchill ordered for all available boats to rescue the soldiers. A makeshift fleet of mostly fishing and recreational boats saved more than 340,000 soldiers.
Outcome/significance: The Axis would most probably have won the war if the Dunkirk soldiers were not saved. -
Italy enters the war on the Axis' side (European TOW)
Location: Italy
Nations involved: Italy, Germany, Japan
Outline: Italy was governed by Mussolini and sided with the Axis as they had common interests in territorial expansion and the neutralising the Soviet Union. Germany and Italy had previous relations, signing multiple pacts and treaties including the Pact of Steel.
Outcome/significance: This showed that Italy was a part of the fight, adding more fuel for the war. A nation joining the war is a major action which can influence decisions. -
France signs an armistice with Germany (European TOW)
Location: Compiegne, France
Nations involved: France, Germany
Outline: France had lost to Germany in the Battle of France, so they agree to sign an armistice on the 22nd of June, 1940. An armistice is an agreement or truce between two nations to stop fighting for a period of time.
Outcome/significance: Hitler's choice of Compiegne was significant as it was where WW1's armistice ending the war was signed. It was revenge on France for the Germans. The armistice was essentially France's surrender. -
Period: to
The Battle of Britain (European TOW)
Location: Britain
Nations involved: Germany, Britain
Outline: The greatest sustained bombing in history was the Battle of Britain. It was fought in the air, but when Germany's Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the RAF, the battle in Europe came to a stalemate.
Outcome/significance: Taking Britain was an essential for Germany's Operation Sea Lion to be a success, but it couldnt be completed.Operation Sealion was scrapped on the 17th of September, and Germany didn't invade the ground. -
Tripartite Pact signed (European TOW)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Nations involved: Germany, Italy, Japan
Outline: Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite acts, making them allies and promising to provide mutual assistance. Making the alliance official also purposed to scare the US to not join the Allies. It also stated that Germany and Italy would create a new order in Europe and Japan would have power over Greater East Asia.
Outcome/significance: This was the forming of the Axis powers, one side of the second world war. -
Period: to
Siege of Tobruk (North African TOW)
Location: Tobruk, Northern Africa
Nations involved: Axis, Allies
Outline: The battle lasted 241 days, and was central to most of the fighting in the Western Desert. A sheltered deep water harbour made it a key naval outpost. Axis forces advanced through Cyrenaica against the Allied. Tobruk faced ground assaults, shelling and bombing.
Outcome/significance: It allowed the Allies to keep control of the Suez Canal, a crucial trade route, forcing the Axis to take longer routes to supply their armies. -
Period: to
Operation Barbarossa (European TOW)
Location: Russia
Nations involved: Russia, Germany
Outline: Germany attempted to invade Russia, despite having a signed peace agreement with them. Hitler believed that controlling Russia was the key to world power, and as a result ordered the invasion. Despite early success, Germany’s invasion was halted by the harsh winter, causing a huge loss of manpower and resources. The Russians also had the benefit of the home ground.
Outcome/significance: It began the end of the war for Nazi Germany. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor (Asian Pacific TOW)
Location: Pearl Harbour, Honolulu, Hawaii
Nations involved: America, Japan, Hawaii
Outline: The US had a naval base at Pearl Harbour, but they hadn't entered the war yet. There was little protection, as America thought Japan wouldn't attack Hawaii as it was 4000 miles away.However, the Japanese flew their planes and bombed nearly 20 naval vessels and over 300 planes. 2400 Americans died including citizens, and 1000 were wounded.
Outcome/significance: This drove America to declare war. -
Britain and the US declare war on Japan (All TOW)
Location: Britain, America
Nations involved: Britain, America, Japan
Outline: The day after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, The US and Britain declare war on Japan. Japan declared war on them on the same day also. Churchill sent a letter to the Japanese Ambassador declaring that their countries were at war. Roosevelt spoke at the House of Representatives which was met with great support, and thus, signed a declaration.
Outcome/significance: Japan was now at war with Britain and America. -
Japan takes Singapore (Asian Pacific TOW)
Location: Singapore
Nations involved: Japan, Singapore, Britain, Australia, India
Outline: A combination of British, Australian, Indian and Malayan soldiers fought Japan at the Battle of Singapore, but the British colony fell. It was likely Britain's greatest defeat in WW2, as they thought Singapore was impenetrable. The Japanese used speed, ferocity and surprise. Their brutality against Allied soldiers was horrific.
Outcome/significance: Japan's victory showed that they were a dangerous enemy. -
Period: to
Battle of Midway (Asian Pacific TOW)
Location: Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean
Nations involved: Japan, America
Outline: Midway Atoll is in the North Pacific Ocean north-west of Hawaii, which is where the Battle of Midway took place. It began on June 4th,1942 and lasted for 3 days. The battle was won by the Americans. Japan lost a great deal of planes and ships.
Outcome/significance: The victory gave the Allies the upper hand in the battle for the Pacific. Japan was also unable to recover from their naval and air forces losses. -
Period: to
First Battle of El Alamein (North African TOW)
Location: El Alamein, Egypt
Nations involved: Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Italy
Outline: The Allies occupied El Alamein, but the Axis were attempting to push the Allies out of Africa and gain control over crucial trade routes, oil supplies in the Middle East, and ports, including the Suez canal. However, despite the fact that the Allies were undermanned, they managed to hold off the Axis.
Outcome/significance: This prevented total European and African control from the Axis. -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad (European TOW)
Location: Stalingrad, Russia
Nations involved: Germany, Russia
Outline: Germany, wanting to control the city and Russia’s oil, bombed the city of Stalingrad, turning the city into rubble, but this provided cover for the Russians. This caused an 8-month siege, with little progress. The Germans were defeated and their invasion of Russia was over.
Outcome/significance: Both sides had 700,000+ soldiers captured, wounded or killed, making Stalingrad the battle with the most casualties in history. -
Period: to
Second Battle of El Alamein (North African TOW)
Location: El Alamein, Egypt
Nations involved: Germany, Italy, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, America
Outline: The second battle of El Alamein was much like the first, but this time the Axis were able to push the Allies back towards Libya. The battle was divided into five phases: the break-in, the crumbling, the counter, Operation Supercharge, and the break-out. When the battle was at a standstill, no name is given
Outcome/significance: The Allies won, but the Axis had not given up yet. -
D-Day landings (European TOW)
Location: Normandy, France
Nations involved: Britain, America, Canada, France, Germany
Outline: France was occupied by Germany, and so D-Day refers to the day when the Allies landed and the Battle of Normandy begun to retrieve France. The Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy and started to drive out the Nazis from western Europe. The Americans gave the beaches code names from America such as 'Utah' and 'Omaha'.
Outcome/significance: D-Day was a successful counter-offensive for the Allies -
Period: to
Battle of Bulge (European TOW)
Location: The Ardennes, Belgium, Luxembourg
Nations involved: Germany, Allies
Outline: The Battle of the Bulge got its name from the way the Allied offensive line bulged under the German attacks. It was a surprise attack that caught the Allies off guard. Nazis attacked a weaker part of the Allied line but were bogged down in the forests of Europe. Many German soldiers were killed.
Outcome/significance: The last reserves of the German army were gone, and their ability to lose the war was lost. -
Mussolini is Executed (European TOW)
Location: Guilino, Italy
Nations involved: Italy,
Outline: With the war coming to an end and the Allies closing in, Mussolini attempted to flee from Italy with his wife. He did not disguise well enough. Partisans found Mussolini, hid him and his wife in a farmhouse overnight (as they feared the Nazis would liberate him), then killed them by execution of machine gun fire.
Outcome/significance: When a movement is strongly built on their leader and the leader is killed, it is very significant. -
Hitler commits suicide (European TOW)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Nations involved: Germany, Russia
Outline: The Russians were only a few days away, so Hitler consumed a cyanide capsule and then shot himself. He married his girlfriend two days earlier, who also committed suicide with him. Their bodies were cremated.
Outcome/significance: Hitler was a very charismatic leader, and the Furher, so when he committed suicide, followers would have lost their belief in him. It would have been seen as Hitler's loss of hope of winning the war. -
German forces surrender (All TOW)
Location: Reims, France
Nations involved: Germany, Britain, France, Russia
Outline: A little over a week of Hitler's suicide, the second world war was over in Europe. Germany had been invaded by the Allies from the west and the Russians from the east. In an attempt to limit damages and casualties, Germany surrendered and signed a treaty.
Outcome/significance: The surrender of Germany ended the war in Europe, however, WW2 was not completely over, as Japan had not yet surrendered. -
V.E day (European TOW)
Location: Europe
Nations involved: Britain, Germany, France, The Allies' colonies
Outline: V.E day stands for the day that there was victory in Europe. WW2 was not finished just yet, as Japan was still fighting, but the war in Europe had officially ended. It was only one day after the surrender of German forces and was met by celebration by the Allies' nations and colonies.
Outcome/significance: This is a very significant day that is still celebrated annually. It was the end of the war in Europe -
Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima (Asian Pacific TOW)
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Nations involved: Japan, America
Outline: The first ever atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the US. It had devastating consequences, killing 80,000 instantly, injuring 35,000 and a further 60,000 from the fallout. It's aimed to make Japan surrender without many American deaths.
Outcome/significance: It is still mourned today and has proposed the terrifying concept of nuclear warfare. It forced the Japanese into surrender as the casualties were so large. -
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan (All TOW but predominately Asian Pacific)
Location: Russia, Japan, Japanese colonies
Nations involved: Russia, Japan
Outline: The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on the 9th of August 1945. They wanted to take control of Korea and Manchukuo, as well other Japanese colonies. The following invasion of Manchuria by the Soviets was a complete surprise for the Japanese, as they did not think that Russia would not attack them.
Outcome/significance: This, along with the atomic bombs forced Japan into defeat and surrender. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki (Asian Pacific TOW)
Location: Nagasaki, Japan
Nations involved: Japan, America
Outline: 3 days after the bombing of Hiroshima, the US bombed Nagasaki, as Japan had not yet surrendered. This had instant casualties of 45,000-70,000 and 60,000 injuries. The death toll from Nagasaki by the end of 1945 is likely to have reached 80,000 with more people dying from fall out.
Outcome/significance: Japan finally surrendered, as the effects of the bombs were so horrible and they did not want to endure any more atomic bombing. -
Japanese surrender- End of WWII (All TOW, but predominantly Asian Pacific)
Location: Aboard the USS Missouri, Tokyo Bay
Nations involved: Japan, the Allies
Outline: The surrender of the Japanese on the 15th of August was finalised on the 2nd of September officially ending the second world war. The Japanese had realised that they had lost the war when they lacked the military and economic power to win.
Outcome/significance: This meant that the second world war was officially over. WW2 was the largest war the world had ever seen, and millions were happy to say goodbye. -
The United Nations is born (All TOW)
Location: Lake Success, New York, America
Nations involved: All 51 nations
Outline: Similarly to the founding of the League of Nations at the end of WW1 the United Nations was formed with the purpose of preventing another world war. 51 nations create the UN, but the US was the most prominent in its founding. It is used to negotiate amongst countries peacefully
Outcome/significance: It has been successful so far, as it is still functioning and a third world war has not ensued for almost a century
