-
Poland invasion
On September 1st, 1939, German forces launched a surprise attack on Polish fortifications at the port of Danzig. Hitler first invaded Poland because he deemed it a place fit for Germans to live; he also considered the Polish people inferior and were only fit to be a workforce, making them an ideal first target. Germans in the months following the invasion killed 65000 polish people. -
britain and france declare war on germany
France and Britain declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland, this happened on September 3rd, 1939, 2 days after the invasion of Poland. Although they declared war very little occurred often leading it to be called the 'Phoney War' -
Hitler invades france
Also known as the battle of France, Germany laid assault on north-west Europe, resulting in the subjugation of 4 countries: France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Hitler chose to lead an assault to prevent Allied air power from threatening the industrial area of "the Ruhr"; it also helped provide a basis for a long-term air and naval campaign against Britain. -
Miracle of Dunkirk
The Miracle of Dunkirk was a rescue operation where 338,000 British and French soldiers were rescued from the Dunkirk Port, also known as the Dunkirk evacuation. This evacuation provided a significant boost to British morale; this was initially known as Operation Dynamo, but it was later known as the Miracle of Dunkirk because it was deemed a 'miracle' and was the most extensive underwater evacuation ever. -
Battle of britain
The Battle of Britain was the defence of Britain against air raids from the German air force following the fall of France. This left Britain on their home "island," leading to a long battle which Britain eventually won. Britain was also one of the first battles fought almost solely in the air. -
US join the war
following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, America declared war on Japan and following which Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The uncle sam poster which was famous in WW1 was also used in WW2 after being slightly modified. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan had launched a surprise raid against the us base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack was led by about 350 Japanese aircraft, leading to the damage of 18 Naval vessels, 8 of which were Battleships, destroyed 300 aircraft and killed 2000 people. This was the precursor to America joining the war and was an attempt at preventing the US from interfering in its planned military actions in Southeast Asia. -
Battle of midway
This battle was between Japan and the United States, also almost exclusively fought in the air. America destroyed Japan's first-line carrier strength and the strength of most of its best naval pilots. Midway was a location where Transpacific flights took place, leading to it being an important area for the Allies and something that was a threat to the Axis. -
The Dieppe Raid
This battle took place at four different points on a 16 km-long front, attacking the town of Dieppe. Following the raid on the Town of Dieppe, improvements in technique, fire support, and tactics helped reduce D-Day casualties to a minimum. The Dieppe raid had heavy casualties, but in the long run it provided hope to the French people that had lost hope in the fact that they were not forgotten. -
Battle of stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a battle in which Germany and its allies attempted to fight for control of the city of Stalingrad in southern Russia. This battle stopped the German expansion into the Soviet Union, and following this, the war took a turn in the Allies' favour. Stalingrad was a important industrial city that produced armaments and tractors, two of the most important things in the world at the time, weapons and food. -
D-day
This battle brought together all of the Allied forces, including the land, air, and sea forces, leading to the largest amphibious invasion in military history onto the beaches of Normandy, France. The battle's codename was Operation Overland. Approximately 4400 Allied forces died in the invasion of Normandy, and the Germans lost 4000-9000 people. This battle allowed the Allies to gain a foothold in Europe which lead to the campaigns that lead to the german downfall. -
WW2 ends in europe
This day marked Germany's unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, although it still continued in other parts of the world. -
A.Bomb Hiroshima
An American B-29 dropped the world's first atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima, leading to the deaths of over an estimated 40,000 people. A fun fact is that Japan didn't surrender after the bombing because they had no idea it happened. After all, communications were cut off. -
A.Bomb Nagasaki
This took place 3 days after the first bombing, this was to convince the Japanese that surrender was the best option as 2 quick bombings would indicate that they had more to spare, and more could come fast. -
ww2 Ends
Japan had announced surrender, and the official documents were signed onboard the USS Missouri, the day was designated as V-J day, or victory over japan day