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World War ll begins
After signing the non aggression pact stating in which Germany and the Soviet Union would not attack each other, Germany began the invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939. In response to the invasion of Poland by Germany, Britain and France declared war on Germany September 3rd 1939. -
Soviet Union invades Poland from the East
Due to the Ribbentrop-molotov pact (German-Soviet pact) the Soviet Union invades Poland. The Ribbentrop-molotov pact was signed between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union on August 23. The pact between Germany and the Soviet Union allowed Germany to attack Poland without being afraid of Soviet interference. -
Germany attacks Western Europe
Germany attacks Western Europe, France and neutral countries. Germany military moves in and takes over Luxembourg. On May 14th the Netherlands surrender and May 28th Belgium surrenders as well. France signs an armistice agreement on June 28th. The agreement states that Germany would occupy the Northern half of France along with the entire Atlantic coastline. Southern France established a collaborationist regime with its capital Vichy. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
December 7th 1941 was a "date which will live in infamy" said FDR. That day Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor's naval base in Hawaii. More than 2,300 people were killed. The ship with the most damage were the U.S.S Arizona. A total of 12 ships sank, 9 damaged and 160 aircrafts were destroyed. Most people knew that the attack meant the U.S would declare war on Japan. Within a short amount of time, Japan's axis powers(Italy and Germany) declared war on the United States. The US is now in WWll. -
The British Bomb Köln
In the span of the next 3 years, Anglo- America brings Germany to rubble. The first ever 1,000 bomber raid on Köln was conducted by Great Britain. Almost 1,500 tons of bombs came down with in the span of 90 minutes. Air marshall Harris, planned operation Millennium. His goal was to prevent loses of RAF bombers by overtaking and out numbering the enemy and delivering forceful blows. By the end of the night 600 acres were ruined, 45,000 German were left homeless and 469 were killed. -
British and U.S navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway
Japanese army planned to bomb the U.S Pacific Fleet. The battle of Midway had tables turned, US sunk 4 Japanese aircraft carriers. 65 years ago, the most decisive naval battle of WWll was fought between the Imperial Japanese navy and the U.S Pacific Fleet near tiny Midway Atoll. The win or loss depended on the dive bombers, torpedo planes and fighters that attacked the enemy forces. The Japanese war machine had been unstoppable during the first months of the war. -
U.S and British Troops
They land at several points on the beaches of Algeria and Morocco in French North Africa. The failure to defend against the invasion by the Vichy French troops enables allies to move easily to the Western border of Tunisia, and set off the German occupation of Southern France. -
Takeover of Sicily
After defeating Germany and Italy in the North African campaign the leading allied powers look ahead to the final defeat of Nazi Germany and the invasion of occupied Europe. Next the allies decide to move against Italy. They were hoping that an allied invasion would get rid of the fascist regime from the war, secure the central mediterranean and redirect German divisions from the Northwest coast of France where the allies planned to attack in the near future. Mid Aug. the allies control Sicily. -
The Badoglio Government Surrenders to the Allies
Germans seize control of Rome and Northern Italy right away. Under Mussolini a fascist regime is established, he is freed from imprisonment by German commanders on September 12th. -
U.S drops bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
An American B-29 bomber called "little boy" dropped an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima on August 6th. It knocked out 90% of the city and killed 80,000 people right away. Thousands of people would die not too soon after because of radiation exposure. Three days later on August 9th the U.S dropped another bomb called "fat man" was dropped on Nagasaki killing about 40,000 people. On August 15th a radio address was sent out by the Emperor of Japan saying his country surrenders. -
World War ll ends
On this day 11 men that represented Japan arrived aboard the Missouri battleship to surrender their country.
