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World War 2 Key Events
A timeline of all the key events of the Second World War. Dates, summaries and additional information is all provided for a great informative read.
Key Events / September 1938 - September 1945
Dates
| Summary
| Information
|
|---|---|---|
Mar 1938
| Germany join Austria
| Hitler unified all german speaking people
|
Sept 1938
| Treaty of Munich
| Hitler Threatened to Invade Czechoslovakia
|
March 1939
| Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
| Despite the assurances of the Treaty of Munich, Hitler still invaded Czechoslovakia and sucessfully occupied the country
|
April 1939
| Britain reassures Poland
| Britain began re-arming whilst a radar system was installed along the east cost of England, and conscription was introduced into poland.
|
Aug 1939
| Russia and Germany sign pact
| Hitler and Stalin signed a non-agression Pact, with secrets about the divisions of Poland
|
Sept 1939
| Hitler Invades Poland
| 1st September is an official guideline for the start of the Second World War
|
Sept 1939
| Britain and France declare war on Germany
| Chamberlain announced the declaration of war on the radio
|
Nov 1939 - March 1940
| The Winter War
| The Finnish Armed Forces were heavily out-numbered by the Soviet offensives however they still managed to repel the offensives for much longer than they expected. The Soviet Union suffered far to many losses trying to invade Finland and as a consequence their international reputation was damaged, but in addition they did capture strategic territory in Finald, such as Lake Lagoda
|
April - May 1940
| Hitler invades Denmark and Norway
| Hitler invaded these countries to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore
|
May 1940
| Hitler launches Blitzkrieg
| Hitler launched Blitzkrieg against Belgium and Holland
|
May 1940
| Dunkirk
| The British commander-in-chief, General Gort, had been forced to retreat to the coast at Dunkirk. The troops waited, under fire, to be taken off the beaches
|
June 1940
| Italy enters war under the Axis power
| Italy's motive for joining the war was for the countries growth
|
June 1940
| France signs Armistice agreement with Germany
| Germany now occupy france
|
July - October 1940
| Battle of Britain
| After the blitz upon London the Royal Air Force sucessfully defended against the German Air force - The Bombings now ceased
|
Sept 1940
| Tripartite Pact
| Germany, Italy and Japan become Allies
|
Dec 1940
| British rout Italians in North Africa
| The Italian troops in North Africa were routed out by British forces
|
Jan - March 1941
| German and Italian forces invade
| Yugoslavia, Greece and the Island of Crete is now under German control
|
June 1941
| Hitler attacks Russia
| Taken by surprise Stalin immediately signs an assistance treaty with Britain, the battle of the Eastern front commences - 20 Million casualties
|
Dec 1941
| Pearl Harbour
| The Japanese attacked American Harbours in Hawaii, Britain and USA declare war on Japan
|
June 1942
| Battle of Midway
| The USA defeated the Japanese navy
|
Oct 1942
| Battle of El Alamein
| Montgomery attacked the German and Italian lead forces in North Africa
|
Nov 1942
| Battle of Stalingrad
| Russia has their first victory over the German invasion
|
May 1943
| Axis forces surrender in North Africa
| British and American forces defeated the german and italian presence in North Africa
|
July - Aug 1943
| Battle of Kursk
| The Germans Challenged the Russians on the Eastern Front and this battle became one of the largest clashes of armour ever. The Russians staged a retaliatory offense of there own ruining Hitler's last stand in the Eastern Front
|
Aug 1943
| Allies take Sicily
| Allied forces have now taken control of Sicily
|
Sept 1943
| Italy Surrenders
| Mussolini has been thrown out of office and the new government accept surrending to the allied forces
|
Nov 1943
| Allies Meet in Tehran
| Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to make plans for a squeeze against Germany
|
June 1944
| Rome Liberated
| Although Italy surrendered, it was not until the allied forces could liberate Rome
|
June 1944
| D-Day
| The allied forces carried out an invasion in occupied france against German forces
|
Aug 1944
| Paris Liberated
| The capital of France was liberated from German forces
|
Aug - September 1944
| Uprising in Warsaw, occupied Poland
| The largest ever Civilian uprising in history commenced in occupied Poland against the Nazi Party
|
Oct 1944
| Battle of Leyte Gulf
| US and Australian combined forces fought the Japanese Imperial Army in an attempt to isolate Japanese occupied terrority in South East Asia. This battle was one of the largest Naval battles ever recorded, with four seperate major naval offensives - This battle was also where the Kamikaze Pilot's were discovered
|
Dec 1944
| Battle of the Bulge
| The German forces were pushed back in there last defence
|
April 1945
| Russians reach Berlin
| The capital of Germany has been reached by Russian forces, shortly after US forces arrive
|
April 1945
| Hitler commits suicide
| Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany has commited suicide
|
May 1945
| German Forces Surrender
| German forces in Italy, Holland and Denmark surrendered
|
May 1945
| Donitz offers unconditional surrender
| The sucessor to hitler: Donitz
|
May 1945
| Victory in Europe
| V.E day was celebrated all throughout Europe
|
Aug 1945
| Soviet invasion of Manchuria
| The Soviet invaded the Japanese state of Manchukuo which was the largest campaign in the Soviet-Japanese war. The Soviets decsively caught Manchukuo alongside other territories such as North Korea and Inner Mongolia. The sucess of the Soviet advances left the Japanese army rapidly in need of reinforcements. Without reinforcements the Soviets effectively forced the Japanese to surrender.
|
Aug 1945
| The atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan
| The Japanese generals refused to surrender, the US dropped the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima
|
Aug 1945
| The atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan
| As the Japanese generals still would not surrender after Hiroshima, the US dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki
|
Aug 1945
| Japanese surrender
| The japanese unconditionally surrendered to the allied forces
|
Sep 1945
| General MacArthur accepts the Japanese Surrender
| World war 2 officially ends 2nd September 1945
|
Thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions for Key Events feel free to comment and I'll get back to you.
Noted People
- Hitler - Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany
- Stalin - Yosef Stalin, Premier of the Soviet Union
- Chamberlain & Churchill - Neville Chamberlain (1940) Prime minister of Britain, succeeded by Winston Churchchill the next prime minister Britain
- Roosevelt - Franklin Roosevelt, 32 President of the United States
- Mussolini - Benito Mussolini, Leader of the National Fascist Party of Italy
- Donitz - Karl Donitz, Great Admiral in the German Forces was appointed successor of Adolf Hitler.
