WWII timeline by

September 2, 1945

quincorm — 2024-11-26 14:53:21 UTC

U.S. general, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's formal surrender and agreeance to the Potsdam Declaration, ending the war.

(history.com)

December 7, 1941

quincorm — 2024-11-26 15:03:58 UTC

Japanese aircrafts attacked Pearl Harbor. The United States declared war on Japan the next day, all other axis powers then declared war on the U.S.A., bringing them into WWII.

(nps.gov)

June 6, 1944

quincorm — 2024-11-26 15:29:47 UTC

D-Day: Roughly 160,000 Allied troops stormed the 50-mile long, heavily guarded, beaches of Normandy, France. With over 9,000 casualties and injuries, allies won the Battle, starting their push across war-torn Europe.

(army.mil)

January 30, 1933

quincorm — 2024-11-26 15:31:33 UTC

Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, and appointed himself the "Supreme Leader" the next year.

(annefrank.org)

1938-1939

quincorm — 2024-11-26 15:53:10 UTC

Germany attacked Austria and Czechoslovakia. They were left unmatched due to other countries either focusing on their own political state, or trying to avoid conflict.

(loc.gov)

September 3, 1939

quincorm — 2024-11-26 18:23:14 UTC

France and Great Britain declared war on Germany, a few days after they raided Poland. This officially started WWII.

(encyclopedia.ushmm.org)

May 10, 1940

quincorm — 2024-11-26 18:55:29 UTC

German forces swept through Belgium and the Netherlands in what is known as a Blitzkrieg.

(history.com)

quincorm — 2024-11-26 19:08:07 UTC

May 22, 1939

quincorm — 2024-11-26 20:03:23 UTC

Benito Mussolini joined alliance with Hitler under the pact of steel.

(encyclopedia.ushmm.org)

June 10, 1940

quincorm — 2024-11-26 20:05:41 UTC

Italy officially joined WWII after declaring war on France and Great Britain.

(nationalmuseum.af.mil)

June 16, 1940

quincorm — 2024-11-26 20:21:00 UTC

Marshal Petain offered a truce to Hitler after France was invaded 2 nights before. France ended up divided, half under German ruling, and half ruled under Petain. Hitler then began to focus on Britain.

(history.com)

September 1940-May 1941

quincorm — 2024-11-26 20:52:09 UTC

Hitler launched Operation Sea Lion, which were major attacks on Britain, including massive bombings, and night raids on London. Winston Churchill then began receiving crucial aid from the U.S.

(nationalmuseum.af.mil)

June 22, 1941

quincorm — 2024-12-03 15:03:00 UTC

Operation Barbarossa: an invasion of the Soviet Union. German troops got within 200 miles of Moscow, but further advances were delayed by disputes between Hitler and Nazi commanders, which led to a Soviet counteroffensive.

(history.com)

June 4, 1942

quincorm — 2024-12-03 19:52:00 UTC

The United States won the Battle of Midway after a series of losses against Japan, Allied countries then began to win many battles against Japan.

(nps.gov)

July 25, 1943

quincorm — 2024-12-03 20:39:48 UTC

Mussolini's government fell after an Ally invasion in Italy.

(nationalmuseum.af.mil)

December 1944 - Jan 1945

quincorm — 2025-01-02 15:16:47 UTC

Battle of the Bulge: Hitler sent troops to push allied soldiers out of Germany, this was the last major German offensive battle. Soviet troops moved into Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania during the battle.

(history.com)

April 30, 1945

quincorm — 2025-01-02 15:22:05 UTC

Adolf Hitler took his own life in his Berlin Bunker, granting Admiral Karl Dönitz with power.

(history.com)

March 22, 1945

quincorm — 2025-01-02 15:25:12 UTC

Allied troops invaded Germany by land following major aerial attacks the month before.

(nationalmuseum.af.mil)

May 8, 1945

quincorm — 2025-01-02 15:31:09 UTC

With Allied forces (mostly Soviet) occupying most of the country, Germany formally surrendered.

(loc.gov)

August 6, 1945/August 9, 1945

quincorm — 2025-01-03 15:11:14 UTC

The Little Boy (1st atomic bomb) was dropped in the center of Hiroshima, Japan, the Fat Man (2nd bomb) was dropped 3 days later on Nagasaki.

(nps.gov)

SOURCES

quincorm — 2025-01-03 15:43:00 UTC

quincorm — 2025-01-07 15:32:11 UTC

July 17, 1942-February 2, 1943

quincorm — 2025-01-08 18:16:10 UTC

Battle of Stalingrad: A Soviet counteroffensive against Germany in Stalingrad, Soviet troops encircled over 220,000 Nazis. After one of the bloodiest battles in history, Germany surrendered with roughly 91,000 troops left.

(ushmm.org)

quincorm — 2025-01-24 16:00:22 UTC

quincorm — 2025-01-28 15:55:16 UTC

quincorm — 2025-01-28 16:01:25 UTC

quincorm — 2025-02-17 16:06:54 UTC