Nazi Germany invades using Blitzkrieg tactics

Effect: Britain/France declare war; WWII begins

Minimal combat after Poland's fall

Effect: Germany prepares western offensive

USSR invades Finland

Effect: Finland keeps independence but loses land

Germany occupies both nations

Effect: Secures iron ore; Allied embarrassment

France falls in 6 weeks

Effect: Vichy regime established

338,000 Allies evacuated

Effect: Saves British army

German air raids on Britain

Effect: First Nazi defeat; UK survives

Germany invades USSR

Effect: War becomes global

872-day blockade

Effect: 1 million civilians die

Japan attacks US fleet

Effect: US enters WWII

Japanese force-march 60,000 POWs

Effect: 10,000+ die; war crime revealed

US destroys 4 Japanese carriers

Effect: Pacific turning point

Bloodiest battle in history

Effect: Germany's first major defeat

Jews resist deportation

Effect: Symbol of Holocaust resistance

Allies invade; Italy switches sides

Effect: Axis weakens

Allied invasion of Europe

Effect: Liberates Western Europe

Germany's last major offensive

Effect: Nazis exhaust final reserves

Soviets discover death camp

Effect: Holocaust evidence revealed

Allies plan post-war world

Effect: Cold War tensions begin

Fierce island fighting

Effect: US gains airbase near Japan

100,000 die in single night

Effect: Destroys Japanese morale

Nazi leader kills himself

Effect: Germany collapses

Germany surrenders

Effect: War ends in Europe

Allies demand Japan's surrender

Effect: Sets stage for Cold War

First atomic bomb dropped

Effect: 70,000 instantly killed

Second atomic bomb

Effect: Japan surrenders

Formal Japanese surrender

Effect: WWII officially ends