Special Sub-Topic: Important WWII Dates Click Here To Play: Important WWII Dates

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany:

1933. Adolf Hitler was made Chancellor in 1933. After President Hindenburg died, Hitler declared himself Fuehrer of Germany. Already by June 1933 he had abolished all other political parties other than the Nazi Party.

Munich Conference, Hitler given land as appeasement:

1938. Chamberlain from Britain met with Hitler in Munich, Germany. They agreed to give him the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. This comes after he had taken over Austria, unquestioned. They believe if they give him this land he will stop. He does not stop and takes over the rest of Czechslovakia, and finally in 1939 he invades Poland.

Germany invades Poland:

1 September 1939. Hitler invades Poland, and then a while after this the Soviets invade Poland. When Warsaw surrenders, the Soviets and the Germans divide up Poland.

France and Britain declare war on Germany.

3 September 1939. Britain, France, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa declare war on Germany; 6 days later Canada follows. Hitler's war against Poland had become a major conflict.

British (and French) evacuation from Dunkirk begins:

26 May 1940. In the Dunkirk Evacuation, a total of 338,000 British and French troops managed to escape from France. These soldiers were able to fight another day. In addition, a few thousand refugees were also evacuated.

French and Germans sign armistice:

22 June 1940. After the Germans went around the expensive Maginot line in France, they soon reached Paris. France agreed to an armistice and Germany had control of France.

Battle of Britain starts:

10 July 1940. This was a key battle in World War Two. If Germany had won this battle, they would have controlled almost all of Europe. However, this did not happen. The RAF (Royal Air Force) fought bravely and won the battle.

Pearl Harbor:

7 December 1941. A Japanese surprise raid on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The purpose of the attack was to destroy all of the U.S. naval ships based there so that they could continue to expand. Britain and the United States declared war on Japan the next day.

Germany attacks Russia:

June 1941. Hitler breaks his Non-Agression pact with Stalin and attacks the Soviet Union. Now, Hitler fights on two fronts - in the East and the West.

The First Battle of El Alamein takes place:

July 1942. The Allies fight the Germans in a town near Cairo, Egypt. The Allies win, eventually pushing the Germans out of Africa.

Battle of Stalingrad begins:

23 August 1942. The Battle of Stalingrad begins. The Germans are unable to use the Panzer or tanks unit because their intense bombing of Russia left piles of rubble the tanks could not get around. Hitler would not pull back his troops even though the Germans were losing. It was a devastating defeat for Germany.

Italy surrenders:

8 September 1943. Italy surrendered in 1943. It later declared war on Germany and joined the front in the south.

D-Day, full scale Allied assault on German-occupied Europe:

6 June 1944. Operation Overlord takes place. The Allies flood the beaches of Normandy. Learning from the mistakes of the Dieppe Raid, the Allies are supported with navy, air force and paratroopers. One reason that this was a sucess was that Germany though the attack was going to be further north. They moved most of their Panzer units north. They thought this because a British spy was sent with the wrong information to Germany. He was found and tortured and told the Germans what he thought to be the right information.

Paris is liberated:

25 August 1944. The Allies get to the capital of France and liberate it. Germans continue to retreat.

Auschwitz liberated:

27 January 1945. The Soviets reach the concentration/death camp complex of Auschwitz. This camp had many gas chambers and creamatoriums. Confronted with scenes of unspeakable horror, the officer commanding the Soviet troops reportedly said: 'Never again!'

Mussolini is killed:

28 April 1945. Mussolini, the creator of Fascism is killed. His body is hung in a public place in Milan for all to see.

Hitler commits suicide:

30 April 1945. With Soviet troops closin in on Hitler's Berlin bunker, he shot himself.

V-E Day:

8th May 1945. Victory in Europe Day is celebrated and the war in Europe is over.

Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, then Nagasaki.

6 August, 9 August 1945. The US drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 100,000 people.

Japan unconditionally surrenders.

14th August 1945. The next day is V-J Day, Victory over Japan Day.