-
Hitler Broke Treaty of Versailles
Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by moving troops into the Rhineland demilitarized zone. Hitler had always violated his word, which worked at first. He violated treaties and countries caved in. -
Rome-Berlin Axis
Germany and Italy sign a treaty of cooperation on October 25, and on November 1, the Rome-Berlin Axis is announced -
Japan invades China
Japan invades China, beginning World War II in the Pacific -
Germany invades Poland
Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II in Europe -
War is Declared on Germany
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany -
German Aircraft
German aircraft had achieved air superiority over France quite rapidly. -
Italy Enters War
Italy enters the war -
Armistice Agreement
France signs an armistice agreement, which involves the Germans occupying the northern half of the country, as well as the entire Atlantic coastline -
Battle of Britain
The Nazi Germany are defeated in the air war known as the Battle of Britain: British won this battle as they were able to fight Germany off through the advantage of having radar, as they were fighting over their own territory. They had time to get their own planes and get in the air to help defend. -
Luftwaffe's Bombing Campaign
Luftwaffe unleashed a bombing campaign against London and Britain’s major cities. During this time, they were skilled at developing rocketry; The V-1 (known as the buzz bomb, and is known today as a “cruise missile”) and the V-2 (the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile, developed by Germany for use as a “vengeance weapon”). They used these advances against the lives of civilians in London most especially. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, which later became known as the Axis alliance; The Axis Alliance formed through common interests between the three- territorial expansions, foundation of empires based on the overthrow of post-WWI, and the destruction/neutralization of the Soviet Communion. Acts of expansionism via the three countries was a big cause of the start of the world war. -
Soviet Union Invasion
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners invaded the Soviet Union. After attacking Russia, Germany created a 2-front war for itself. Hitler had tried to manage his own battles, which ended poorly, as he had failed Russia. The decisions he made were decisions that should have been made by generals. Hitler had used terror to dominate, and in turn, he never won over the populace of places he overtook. -
Germany/Axis Partners vs Soviet Union
Germany/Axis Partners launched a new offensive in the Soviet Union. German troops fought their way into Stalingrad. Germans were excellent fighters. They were a very strong army. They had also developed sophisticated weaponry, better than what the allies had. The German army was a good army on land, with superb tactics. -
Pearl Harbor Bombing
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor -
United States Joins Allied Powers
United States joins Allied powers; Lead by Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. As the United States had hoped to remain neutral during the period of World War II, the US was attacked by surprise at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This attack led the country against the Axis Powers. The leaders of the Allied Powers were Winston Churchill (Great Britain), Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States), Joseph Stalin (Russia), and Charles de Gaulle (France). -
Germany Declares War on United States
Nazi Germany declares war on the United States -
Operation Overlord
First day of Operation Overlord, which was the turning point of WWII. The Allies combined their army/supplies to attack German and France. Allies surprised Hitler with the attack. He thought the Allies would strike Pas de Calais, as it was the closest place to England. The Allies had led him onto think this by building fake armies and transmitting electronic signals between ships to give the impression of a large army heading in that direction. -
Hitler Dies
Hitler commits suicide. -
Germany Surrenders to Western Allies
Germany surrenders to western Allies -
VE Day
VE Day (Victory in Europe); celebrated to mark the formal acceptance of the surrender of Nazi Germany’s armed forces -
Germany Surrenders to Soviets
Germany surrenders to the Soviets -
End of WWII
Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II