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Explore the events of WWII in chronological order and see which parts of the world were under Allied control, Axis control, or were neutral zones throughout the war. Short passages and videos are provided for each event.

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Redesigned and refactored by

Brigadier General John S. Brown, USA (Ret.)

Chief Historian/Writer

Produced and directed by

Original design by

United States President Woodrow Wilson and others spoke of World War I as "the war to end all wars" or "to make the world safe for democracy." In the twenty years that followed, these high ideals ran afoul of a flawed and retributive peace treaty, the unwillingness of the United States and other non-European powers to assume responsibilities for maintaining peace, newly established dictatorships, national ambitions, and world economic collapse. As horrific as World War I was, it proved the prelude and groundwork for an even more appalling conflict, a world wide struggle that would take the lives of over 60 million people ... World War II.

Early in World War II the Allies committed to the principles of the Atlantic Charter as a definition of their war aims. These principles included national self determination, territorial changes only with the consent of those affected, freedom from want and fear, freedom of the seas, the reduction of trade barriers, global economic and social cooperation, and disarmament. Victory in World War II was a pre-condition to achieve these lofty goals, but much work remained to be done.

Developments through the forty years following World War II, in particular the general advance of democratic governance, greatly justified the sacrifices made by American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians during World War II.

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World War II Timeline Experience - American Battle Monuments Commission

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An interactive World War II timeline of events with descriptions, videos, and photos

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Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? | Dogfights | History

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This video goes in depth about the United States' involvement in WWII from pre-war isolationism to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This video works well as an introduction to the WWII unit.

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World War II Part 1: Crash Course US History #35

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The "Some Were Neighbors" digital exhibit of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum allows you to gain insight into who was impacted by the events of the Holocaust and the role they played in history. Perspectives to explore include neighbors, teenagers, workers, police, friends, and teachers.

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Some Were Neighbors - Some Were Neighbors: Choice, Human Behavior, and the Holocaust - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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The Holocaust was only possible with the help of millions of ordinary people across Europe.

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This video from PBS tells the stories of 3 women and the different roles they played in supporting war efforts.

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The Women of World War II | Georgia Stories | PBS LearningMedia

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During World War II, women were called on to take the jobs typically held by men as hundreds of thousands of American men went to battle. Today, women go to war and fight alongside men. While this was not the case during World War II, women played an equally important part in U.S.

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Explore the battles, events, and leaders of the war and test your knowledge with fun quizzes, crossword puzzles, or word searches.

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Kids learn about World War II in history. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including WWII battles, leaders, generals, countries, Allied vs. Axis powers, Europe, Germany, Hitler, Holocaust, atomic bomb, daily life, weapons, and causes.

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This site from The National WWII Museum New Orleans goes in depth about Japanese Americans' roles in WWII, from Japanese Internment Camps to fighting in battles.

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From Barbed Wire to Battlefields

During WWII, individuals of Japanese ancestry in the United States, predominantly American citizens, had their lives turned upside down. They were seen by many as the enemy, their loyalty to the nation was questioned and their basic rights were stripped as nearly 120,000 men, women and even children were confined in camps for years, without benefit of trial. Despite this treatment, 33,000 Japanese Americans served their country in Europe and the Pacific, earning numerous honors. The effects of these wartime experiences serve as a lasting reminder to the nation and the entire world of the often-fragile nature of a country's principles in the face of war.

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Home : Barbed Wire to Battlefields | The National WWII Museum

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During WWII, individuals of Japanese ancestry in the United States, predominantly American citizens, had their lives turned upside down. They were seen by many as the enemy, their loyalty to the nation was questioned and their basic rights were stripped as nearly 120,000 men, women and even children were confined in camps for years, without benefit of trial.

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This article gives insight into why President Truman decided to approve dropping the atomic bomb as well as the aftermath of this act.

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Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, and Josef Stalin meet at the Potsdam Conference. They discussed the post-war order and peace treaty issues.

America had the bomb. Now what?

When Harry Truman learned of the success of the Manhattan Project, he knew he was faced with a decision of unprecedented gravity. The capacity to end the war with Japan was in his hands, but it would involve unleashing the most terrible weapon ever known.

American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, yet the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and were intensely fire bombing Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against invasion.

A "mushroom" cloud rises over the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, following the detonation of "Fat Man." The second atomic weapon used against Japan, this single bomb resulted in the deaths of 80,000 Japanese citizens.

For Truman, the choice whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life.

First, an Allied demand for an immediate unconditional surrender was made to the leadership in Japan. Although the demand stated that refusal would result in total destruction, no mention of any new weapons of mass destruction was made. The Japanese military command rejected the request for unconditional surrender, but there were indications that a conditional surrender was possible.

Regardless, on August 6, 1945, a plane called the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Instantly, 70,000 Japanese citizens were vaporized. In the months and years that followed, an additional 100,000 perished from burns and radiation sickness.

This map shows the range of the destruction caused by the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Exploding directly over a city of 320,000, the bomb vaporized over 70,000 people instantly and caused fires over two miles away.

Two days later, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. On August 9, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where 80,000 Japanese people perished.

On August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered.

Critics have charged that Truman's decision was a barbaric act that brought negative long-term consequences to the United States. A new age of nuclear terror led to a dangerous arms race.

Some military analysts insist that Japan was on its knees and the bombings were simply unnecessary. The American government was accused of racism on the grounds that such a device would never have been used against white civilians.

On August 6, the city of Hiroshima, Japan remembers those who lost their lives when the atomic bomb fell. Thousands attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony annually.

Other critics argued that American diplomats had ulterior motives. The Soviet Union had entered the war against Japan, and the atomic bomb could be read as a strong message for the Soviets to tread lightly. In this respect, Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have been the first shots of the Cold War as well as the final shots of World War II. Regardless, the United States remains the only nation in the world to have used a nuclear weapon on another nation.

Truman stated that his decision to drop the bomb was purely military. A Normandy-type amphibious landing would have cost an estimated million casualties. Truman believed that the bombs saved Japanese lives as well. Prolonging the war was not an option for the President. Over 3,500 Japanese kamikaze raids had already wrought great destruction and loss of American lives.

The President rejected a demonstration of the atomic bomb to the Japanese leadership. He knew there was no guarantee the Japanese would surrender if the test succeeded, and he felt that a failed demonstration would be worse than none at all. Even the scientific community failed to foresee the awful effects of radiation sickness. Truman saw little difference between atomic bombing Hiroshima and fire bombing Dresden or Tokyo.

The ethical debate over the decision to drop the atomic bomb will never be resolved. The bombs did, however, bring an end to the most destructive war in history. The Manhattan Project that produced it demonstrated the possibility of how a nation's resources could be mobilized.

Pandora's box was now open. The question that came flying out was, "How will the world use its nuclear capability?" It is a question still being addressed on a daily basis.

Conversation on the Existence of the Bomb
On July 24 I casually mentioned to Stalin that we had a new weapon of unusual destructive force. The Russian Premier showed no special interest. All he said was that he was glad to hear it and hoped we would make 'good use of it against the Japanese.' -President Harry Truman, Year of Decisions.

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The Decision to Drop the Bomb [ushistory.org]

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Debate concerning Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, 1945, continues to this date.

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This website allows you to learn more about how ration books were used on the Homefront to ration supplies while soldiers were fighting. What do you imagine would be the most difficult part of relying on ration books? The easiest?

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State of Oregon: World War II - “How to Shop with War Ration Book Two”

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The official website of the Oregon Secretary of State

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This video explains how rationing was used on the Homefront during WWII to save limited supplies.

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Rationing During World War II | World War II Stories

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Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Before and After the Bombs

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Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Before and After the Bombs

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View before and after images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This will give further insight into the damage done by the atomic bombings. Which set of images stood out the most to you?

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In early August 1945, warfare changed forever when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, devastating the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and killing more than 100,000 people. America's immediate goal was to hasten Japan's surrender, end World War II and avoid further Allied casualties. But it also wanted to showcase to the world-the Soviet Union in particular-the hugely destructive power of its new technology. The images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki below illustrate that power: what Japan's Emperor Hirohito called in his statement of surrender "a new and most cruel bomb."

Hiroshima: Before and After

On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the crew of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the first wartime atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, a bustling regional hub that served as an important military communications center, storage depot and troop gathering area. The bomb, code-named "Little Boy," detonated with an estimated 15,000 tons of TNT, destroying five square miles of the city and directly killing some 70,000 people. Final casualty numbers remain unknown; by the end of 1945, injuries and radiation sickness had raised the death toll to more than 100,000. In subsequent years, cancer and other long-term radiation effects steadily drove the number higher.

Nagasaki: Before and After

Three days after the destruction of Hiroshima, another American bomber dropped its payload over Nagasaki, some 185 miles southwest of Hiroshima, at 11:02 a.m. Not the original intended blast site, Nagasaki only became the target after the crew found that city, Kokura, obscured by clouds. The Nagasaki explosive, a plutonium bomb code-named "Fat Man," weighed nearly 10,000 pounds and was built to produce a 22-kiloton blast. Its destructive force wiped out about 30 percent of the city. Some 60,000 to 80,000 people died in Nagasaki, both from direct exposure and long-term side effects of radiation.

VIEW MORE: Photos of the Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki

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Photos: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Before and After the Bombs | HISTORY

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Before the 1945 atomic blasts, they were thriving cities. In a flash, they became desolate wastelands.