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Germany Invades Poland
Germany and the USSR invade Poland. This marks the official start of the war. France and England declare war on Germany. -
Germany Invades France
Germany invades France. Germany decides to go through Belgium instead of the border. The French had a concrete wall on the border called the Maginot Line. -
France Surrenders
France surrenders to the German invasion 6 weeks after the initial invasion. France is kept as a puppet state under German supervision. The French Resistance keeps fighting throughout the war. -
Start of Battle of Britain
Massive air battles with Germany attempting to gain air superiority over Britain. Officially ended on October 31st of the same year. Great Britain's usage of superior planes and radar installation allowed them to outlast Germany's attacks. -
Operation Barbarossa
Germany broke the Non-aggression Pact and launched a surprise attack on the USSR. The USSR was caught off-guard and was forced back to Stalingrad in the following months. The biggest invasion in that point in time. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan launches a surprise attack on the United States harbor in Hawaii. The attack cripples and sinks some battleships but leaves the aircraft carriers untouched. The US declares war on Japan and is dragged into WW2. -
Battle of Midway
The US intercepts a Japanese attack on the Island of Midway. Through better communication and the Japanese over-confidence, the US is able to sink four Japanese aircraft carriers. Is a major turning point in the Pacific theater. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Major Battle in the city of Stalingrad in the heart of the USSR. The Soviet Union manages to hold their ground in fierce winter conditions and start a counter-attack on the Germans. Soviets start their advance on Germany. -
Strategic Napalm Attacks on Japan
Napalm bombs were used against the wooden-cities in Japan. The US bombers flew higher than Japanese defenses and bombed mainly factories and civilian towns resulting in the killing of 240,000 to 900,000 people. Robert McNamara would later say that if the US had lost the war, they would be tried for war crimes. -
D-Day Landings
Mass landings carried out by Britain, US, and Canada on German-occupied France. Usage of ships, planes, and tanks were combined to take the beaches of Normandy. Started the western front by the US towards Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
Major Battle between US and Germany. Germany's final offensive was stopped by the US and led to a major pushback towards Berlin. Germany's blitzkrieg tactic was defeated for the second time since the Battle of Stalingrad. -
Victory in Europe
The big 3 achieved victory in Europe. Germany was forced into an unconditional surrender. Japan was still fighting so the war wasn't over. -
Atomic Bombings of Japan
The US utilizes its atomic bombs developed through the Manhattan Project. Pamphlets were dropped in the cities beforehand but a weapon of this magnitude had never been used before. The bombs were estimated to have killed 150,000 people on the low end of the estimates. -
Victory in Japan
Japanese forces surrendered to the US after the atomic bombs. The surrender was rushed by the US to ensure the Soviets couldn't help. This marks the official end of WW2.