WWII Events

Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany

Jan 30, 1933

Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany.

Germany, Italy, Japan form a pact known as Axis Powers

Oct 7, 1936

Germany, Italy, and Japan form an alliance known as the Axis Powers

Germany annexes Austria

Mar 13, 1938

German troops march into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich.

Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich Agreement

Sep 29, 1938

Settlement reached by Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy that permitted German annexation of the Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia.

Germany breaks the Munich Agreement and occupies the rest of the Czech lands

Mar 14, 1939

For Hitler, the Munich Agreement was nothing but a worthless piece of paper. He was already starting a plan of breaking the agreement and taking over Czechoslovakia just three weeks after signing the agreement.

Germany and the soviet union sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact, dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence

Aug 23, 1939

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union surprised the world by signing the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, that meant that they both agreed not to attack each other for 10 years.

Germany invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

German forces bombard Poland on land and air, Hitler wanted to regain lost territory.

Honoring their support of Poland, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

Sep 3, 1939

Britain and France, both allies of the overrun nation declare war on Germany.

Phony War

Sep 3, 1939

The name given to the period of the time in World War II after the Blitzkrieg attack on Poland. It was given this name because for eight months nothing seemed to happen.

Kristallnacht

Nov 9, 1939

Referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, it was unplanned by the Germans but they decided to do it because a Jewish teenager killed a German official in Paris.

Fall of France

Jun 22, 1940

The German invasion of France and the Low Countries during WWII.

Operation Sea Lion

Jul 10, 1940

It was Germany's code name for a provisionally proposed invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain.

Battle of Britain Begins

Jul 20, 1940

When the Royal Air Force defended the United Kingdom against the German Air Force attacks.

Operation Sea Lion called off/End of Battle of Britain

Sep 17, 1940

The operation was cancelled in September because of a large part waning strength of the Luftwaffe.

Wannsee Conference - When the "Final Solution" was decided

Jan 20, 1942

The "Final Solution" was the killing of many Jews.