Invasion of Poland
World War II began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. This action prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
1939
1940
Fall of France
In May 1940, Germany launched a blitzkrieg against France and the Low Countries. By June, France had fallen, and an armistice was signed with Germany.
1941
Operation Barbarossa
On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, marking a significant escalation in the war's eastern front.
1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the U.S. entering World War II.
1942
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, fought from June 4-7, 1942, was a pivotal naval battle in the Pacific Theater where the U.S. Navy decisively defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
1943
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad, which ended in February 1943, marked a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front, with the Soviet Union defeating the German army.
1944
D-Day Invasion
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, which was a significant step towards the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
1945
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Throughout 1945, Allied forces liberated numerous Nazi concentration camps, revealing the full extent of the Holocaust to the world.
1945
Fall of Berlin
In April 1945, Soviet forces captured Berlin, leading to the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 7, 1945, and marking the end of World War II in Europe.
1945
Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
1945
End of World War II
World War II officially ended on September 2, 1945, when Japan formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
1945
Formation of the United Nations
In October 1945, the United Nations was established to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts, following the devastation of World War II.
1946
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials began in November 1946, prosecuting prominent leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
1947
Marshall Plan Announced
In 1947, the United States announced the Marshall Plan, an initiative to aid Western Europe's economic recovery after the devastation of World War II.
1949
Formation of NATO
In April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed as a collective defense alliance in response to the growing threat of Soviet expansionism after World War II.
