After given Sudentenland for a promise of non-aggression, Hitler invades Czechoslovakia to take the rest of the country. Following this, Germany demands the northern part of Poland but Poland refuses. So, Germany signed a Non-Aggression Treaty with the USSR which allowed Germany to invade Poland. Since Poland had alliances with Great Britain and France, they declared war on Hitler on Sep. 3, 1939.

The Allies invaded Nazi-occupied France on the beaches of Normandy through land and water. On the land, paratroopers dropped onto land, and tanks and ground troops arrived by the sea. This battle resulted in the liberation of Paris. This was a turning point in the war because it put the Allies onto a victory path and helped with surrounding Hitler (Germany).

To make Japan surrender, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs three days apart on Japanese cities; Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The thought was that the only way the United States wouldn't have great losses and Japan would have to surrender would be to drop an atomic bomb. Harry Truman, the U.S. president, and few others knew about the top secret project of the atomic bomb called the Manhattan Project.

To impair the United States military, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor of Hawaii. This attack pulled the United States into the war. This was a turning point of the war because without the United States involved, a victory for the Allies would have been tougher and the results of the war could have been the Axis powers winning.

The U.S. Navy stops the Japanese attack on the Midway islands in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. destroyed four attacking Japanese aircraft carriers. This was a turning point in the war because if Japan had won, there could have been a possibility for them to start a full-scale invasion of Hawaii, which would mean that the war would be brought over to the west side of the world.

Hitler breaks the Non-Aggression Pact by invading the Soviet Union. Hitler broke the pact because he thought that Britain's hope would be smashed as well as the fact that he thought the Soviet Union's army could be defeated quickly. This invasion started the long and brutal battle, the Siege of Leningrad, which lasted about 872 days.

Hitler tried to take Stalingrad in Russia but the Soviet Union counterattacked. This resulted in the Germans surrendering and the entire Sixth Army (best troops) was lost.

This was Germany's last attempt at an offensive attack. Their goal was to regain the seaport of Antwerp in Belgium that was in possession of the Allies. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Allies defensive line held.

In an attempt to take over the land of Great Britain, Germany tried to attack Great Britain but failed. Germany's tactic was to bomb London for 57 nights in a row; known as the "Blitz". Despite Germany's attack, the people in London kept their daily lives as normal as possible.

The U.S. Marines captured Japanese islands (Iwo Jima and Okinawa) that had airfields. This gave the Allies a strategic location closer to Japan. The obtention of Iwo Jima had multiple advantages for the Allies such as lessening the Japanese threat and aiding in the invasion of the Japanese mainland.

To add another territory controlled by the Nazis, the Axis Powers attempted to take over Northern Africa. However, the Allies defeated the German and Italian forces in North Africa. The Axis forces had been advancing through North Africa and the Allies stopped their progression.

British troops were trapped between the German troops and the beach. So, Great Britain sent every available ship to transport the troops. 388,000 troops were evacuated by civilian boats, fishing boats, and military vessels.