World War II A Timeline of Events Timeline

World War II A Timeline of Events

Timeline • 1922 – Mussolini becomes dictator in Italy. He is known as “Il Duce”

Timeline • 1924 – Stalin comes to power in the Soviet Union

Timeline • 1929 –The Great Depression begins across Europe and the United States; the American stock market crashes

Timeline • 1931 – Japan conquers Manchuria in northern China

Timeline • 1932 – Hitler becomes Germany’s chancellor “Der Fürher”

Timeline • May 1933 – Massive book burning in Berlin

Timeline • 1935 – Italy invades Ethiopia in Africa. Haili Salasi, Ethiopia’s leader, makes a stand against Italy and begs for international help, but is unsuccessful.

Timeline • September 15, 1935 Nuremberg Laws passed

Timeline • Early 1936 – Hitler moves troops into the Rhineland, an area along the Rhine River bordering France. Britain urges appeasement.

Timeline • Late 1936 – Mussolini and Hitler form the Rome – Berlin Axis. The “Third Reich” – the third incarnation of the Roman Empire begins.

Timeline • 1937 - Japan invades southern China

Timeline • 1938 – Germany annexes Austria

Timeline • November 9, 1938 – Kristelnacht – hundreds of synagogues are burned, windows in Jewish businesses are smashed, 91 Jews are murdered, 30, 000 are arrested and sent to concentration camps

Timeline • November 12, 1938 Jewish children are expelled from schools

Timeline • 1939 – Germany signs a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. Czechoslovakia is partitioned. Neville Chamberlain, PM of Great Britain, proclaims, “Peace in our time. ”

Timeline • September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland. World War II begins.

Timeline • 1940 – Germany invades Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France using a technique called blitzkrieg, or lightning war.

Timeline • 1940 – Japan joins the Axis

Timeline • 1940 Germany bombs Great Britain; The Battle of Britain begins

Timeline • 1941 – Germany invades the Soviet Union

Timeline • 1941 – Tojo becomes Prime Minister of Japan

Timeline • Summer 1941 Hitler’s “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” is begun, ultimately resulting in the deaths of 6 million Jewish people – the Holocaust

Timeline • December 7, 1941 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The United States enters the war.

Timeline • December 1941 – Japanese invades the Philippines

Timeline • March 1942 – Allied forces under the command of Douglas Mac. Arthur withdraw to Australia. Mac. Arthur promises, “I shall return. ”

Timeline • 1942 - Bataan Death March • 60 mile march of 75, 000 American and Filipino POWs by the Japanese • 11, 000 men reportedly die

Timeline • 1942 – Allied forces led by General Eisenhower invade North Africa and stop the German advance, led by General Rommel, at El Alamein, Egypt.

Timeline • June 1942 – Battle of Midway is turning point of the war in the Pacific. Allies begin the process of island hopping to get close to the Japanese homeland.

Timeline • August 1942 – February 1943 The Battle Guadalcanal is the first major land victory in the Pacific. It is made possible by Navajo Code Talkers.

Timeline • 1943 – German troops surrender at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union.

Timeline • 1943 – Allies invade Sicily. Italy surrenders.

Timeline • June 6, 1944 - Allies invade Normandy – D-Day

Timeline • 1944 – Paris is liberated

Timeline • 1944 – Hitler launches the Battle of the Bulge; Stalin gains control of Eastern Europe

Timeline • October 1944 – Allies invade the Philippines, liberating Manila by March. The Japanese increase their use of kamikazes.

Timeline • Late 1944 – the Allies begin bombing Japan

Timeline • February 1945 U. S. Marines invade Iwo Jima.

Timeline • April 1945 – Allied forces invade Okinawa. 18, 000 Americans die; 120, 000 Japanese

Timeline • 1945 – Allied forces advance on Berlin. Germany surrenders on May 7. This is called VE Day.

Timeline • August 6, 1945 the Enola Gay drops an atomic bomb on the industrial city of Hiroshima. 75, 000 people die.

Timeline • August 9, 1945 a second atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40, 000.

Timeline • September 2, 1945 Japan unconditionally surrenders aboard the battleship Missouri, VJ Day. The war is over.