World War II Timeline

Sept. 1, 1939—Germans invade Poland. WWII begins.

1939

• Britain and France declare war on Germany.
• Australia, New Zealand, British India and South Africa declares war on Germany.
• Canada declares war on Germany.
• Soviets invade Poland.
• Russians invade Finland.
• The League of Nations expels Soviet Union.

1940

• Germans invade Norway and Denmark.
• Germans invade Holland, Belgium, and Luxemburg.
• Chamberlain resigns, Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
• Belgium's army surrenders.
• Battle of France begins.
• Norwegian army surrenders.
• Italy declares war on Britain and France.
• Canada declares war on Italy.
• Australia, New Zealand and South Africa declare war on Italy.
• France surrenders to and is occupied by Germany.
• France surrenders to Italy.
• Battle of Britain begins.
• Italy invades Egypt.
• Japan, Germany, and Italy sign the Tripartite pact, which installs a 10-year military, political, and economic alliance.
• Italy invades Greece.
• Hitler orders preparation for the invasion of Russia.

1941

• Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece.
• Russia and Japan sign 5-year non-aggression pact.
• Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
• Britain and Free France invade Syria and Lebanon.
• Germany invades Russia, Italy and Rumania declare war on the USSR.
• Finland declares war on Russia.
• Hungary declares war on USSR.
• England and Russia sign a mutual assistance agreement.
• Polish-Soviet military agreement.
• Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. Japan declares war on U.S.A. and Britain.
• Japanese land in the Philippines.
• Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.A..
• Hong Kong falls to Japan.
• Japanese bomb Manila.

1942

• United Nations Declaration signed. Japanese invade Burma.
• U.S.A. declares war on Thailand.
• Singapore falls to Japan.
• Capitulation of American/Filipino army in Bataan Peninsula
• Battle of the Coral Sea
• Fall of Corregidor and U.S. forts in Manila.
• Battle of Midway.
• U.S. Marines land on Guadalcanal.
• Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.

1943

• First Allied Bombs dropped on Berlin
• Battle of Stalingrad ends, Germans surrender, first major loss.
• Battle of Warsaw Ghetto, 350,000 Jews sent to camps or killed
• Mussolini resigns and is arrested.
• Southern Italy surrenders to the Allies.
• Germans seize all strategic points in Northern Italy.
• Italy declares war on Germany.
• Russians capture Kiev.
• Allied Conference at Tehran, Soviets agree to join fight against Japan after Germany is defeated

1944

• Germans occupy Hungary. Sequence of Allied victories in Italy, Anzio,Velletre, Valmontone
• Allies enter Rome
• June 6th - D-Day
• Allies land on Normandy.
• Last air raid on London; "Little Blitz"
• First B-29 Raid on Japan
• Battle of Phillipine Sea
• Hitler survives assassination attempt, executes conspirators.
• Americans land on Guam
• Dumbarton Oaks Conference - Allies discuss post war security and establishment of United Nations
• Paris liberated ten weeks after D-Day, DeGaulle leads French troops into city.
• Russia troops advance to Bucharest, Bulgaria, Praga, Warsaw Battle of Leyte Gulf, US victory over Japanese fleet.
• Liberation of Belgium, then Greece
• Roosevelt re-elected for unprecedented 4th term.
• Battle of the Bulge, Germans launch last ditch offensive through Forest of Ardennes
• Russians besiege Budapest

1945

• Russian Gen. Zhukov takes Warsaw
• Germans evacuate remaining military and civilian personnel from Prussia, nearly 2,000,000 people.
• Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin
• Russia gains control of E. Europe,as plans are made to divide Germany.
• Strained US/USSR relations signal beginning of Cold War.
• Allies reach the Rhine
• Allied bombing of Dresden, city virtually leveled.
• Corregidor re-taken by US, invasion of Iwo Jima begun.
• B-29 bombing of Tokyo with napalm and oil, 26sq. km burned.
• British forces cross the Rhine and enter Germany.
• US victory over Japan on Iwo Jima, followed by landing on Okinawa
• Death of Pres. Roosevelt, Truman becomes President on April 12.
• Russians launch attack on German capital of Berlin.
• Americans join Russins in assault on Berlin.
• Mussolini executed by Italian Resistance, body dismembered by rioters in Milan.
• German troops in Austria and Italy surrender.
• Adolf Hitler commits suicide after marrying his mistress, Eva Braun
• Russians take Berlin
• V-E Day, May 8, 1945. Victory in Europe, celebrations throughout Europe.
• UN World Security Charter signed by 50 nations.
• First atomic bomb test detonated at Trinity Site, New Mexico
• Potsdam Conference, new Pres. Truman meets with Churchill and Stalin, meets unsuccessfully to diffuse "Cold War" with Russia.
• Churchill resigns after his party loses national election.
• Attlee new Prime Minister.
• Hiroshima destroyed by A-bomb, Aug.6
• Russia declares war on Japan, Aug. 8, one month later than agreed to at Yalta.
• Nagasaki destroyed by A-bomb. Aug. 9,
• Russia invades Japanese held Manchuria
• Japan signals willingness to surrender, Aug.9
• V-J Day, Aug. 15, 1945. Surrender documents signed on Sept. 2.
• Japanese forces in China, Formosa and N.Vietnam surrender Sept. 9.
• Japan and Germany become occupied and demilitarized.

Axis Powers

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