Leading up to the War

January 30th, 1933 Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. His Nazi Party, or Third
Reich, takes power and Hitler is essentially the dictator of Germany
October 25th, 1936 Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy form the Rome-Berlin Axis treaty
November 25th,
Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact. This
1936
was a pact against communism and Russia
July 7th, 1937
Japan invades China
December 13th,
Nanking Massacre
1937
March 12th, 1938
Hitler annexes the country of Austria into Germany.
August 23rd, 1939
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union surprised the world by signing the
German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, in which the two countries agreed
to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years
World War II
September 1st,
1939
September 3rd,
1939
April 9th-June 9th,
1940
May 10thJune 22nd, 1940
May 10th, 1940
June 10th, 1940
July 10th, 1940
September 22nd,
1940
June 22nd, 1941
September 15th,
1941
December 7th,
1941
March 1942
April 18th, 1942
June 4th, 1942
August 23rd, 1942
September 3rd,
1943
June 6th, 1944
August 25th, 1944
December 16th,
1944
February 19th,
1945
April 12th, 1945
April 28th, 1945

Germany invades Poland. World War II begins

France and Great Britain declare war on Germany
Germany invades and takes control of Denmark and Norway
Germany uses quick strikes called blitzkrieg, meaning lightning war,
to take over much of western Europe including the Netherlands,
Belgium, and northern France
Winston Churchill becomes leader of the British government
Italy enters the war as a member of the Axis Powers
Germany launches an air attack on Great Britain. These attacks last
until the end of October and are known as the Battle of Britain
Germany, Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact creating the AXIS
ALLIANCE
Operation Barbarossa- Germany and the Axis Powers attack Russia with
a huge force of over four million troops
Siege of Leningrad- a prolonged military blockage by the German Army
of the Soviet city
The Japanese attack the US Navy in Pearl Harbor. The next day the US
enters World War II on the side of the Allies
Nazis begin to exterminate Jews, criminals, homosexuals, gypsies and
any other "undesirable" people in concentration camps
Doolittle's Raid- US bombs Tokyo
The US Navy defeats the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway
Nazi Germany fought for control of the city of Stalingrad in the Battle of
Stalingrad and suffers its biggest loss yet in the war
Italy surrenders to the Allies, however Germany helps Mussolini to
escape and set up a government in Northern Italy
D-Day- Allied forces invade France and push back the Germans, forcing
them to fight on two fronts
Paris, France is liberated from German control
The Germans launch a large attack in the Battle of the Bulge. They lose
to the Allies- sealing the fate of the German army
US Marines invade the island of Iwo Jima, Japan. After a fierce battle
they capture the island
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. He is succeeded by President
Harry S. Truman
Benito Mussolini is publicly executed in the streets of Italy

April 30th, 1945

May 7th, 1945
August 6th, 1945
August 9th, 1945
September 2nd,
1945

Adolf Hitler commits suicide as he knows Germany has lost the war
Germany surrenders to the Allies (VE Day)
The United States drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The city
is devastated
The United States drops another atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
Japan surrenders to US General Douglass MacArthur and the Allies (VJ
Day)