World War II Timeline

  • The Invasion of Poland

    The Invasion of Poland

    Germany invaded Poland in a joint effort with the USSR to gain more land and more power against the Treaty of Versailles. This led to the formation of the Allies and Axis, and the official start of WW2
  • The Battle of Britain

    The Battle of Britain

    The German invasion of Britain’s home soil, primarily by air forces and bombings. Germany was unable to achieve air superiority and could not successfully invade Britain, however, and they lost the battle.
  • The Bombing of Pearl Harbor

    The Bombing of Pearl Harbor

    A Japanese surprise attack on one of America’s biggest naval stations that brought the U.S. into the Second World War.
  • The Battle of Midway

    The Battle of Midway

    A battle between American and Japanese navies, the Japanese intended to lure and destroy the U.S. aircraft carriers after they were unscathed at Pearl Harbor.
  • The Battle of Stalingrad

    The Battle of Stalingrad

    Stalingrad was a Russian city, and when Germany and the Soviets engaged each other there, it became the turning point of the war, as Germany was struggling and taking heavy losses, weakening the rest of their forces.
  • Operation Torch

    Operation Torch

    An Allied invasion of North Africa to counter Italy’s attacks in the area and get America started into the war against the Axis.
  • Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program

    Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program

    A volunteer organization created by the Allies to save cultural and valuable art and monumental objects from the affects of the war, and returning them to where they belong, whether they were stolen by Nazis or hidden.
  • The Battle of Kursk

    The Battle of Kursk

    The single largest battle in the history of warfare, fought between Germany and the USSR, resulting in a Soviet victory and being one of the costliest battles of the Second World War.
  • D-Day (June 6th, 1944)

    D-Day (June 6th, 1944)

    Allied seaborne invasion of Normandy beaches, which led to the reclamation of France and Western Europe as a whole.
  • The Battle of the Bulge

    The Battle of the Bulge

    The last major offensive by the Axis powers, Germany launched a surprise attack on Allied powers, including America, and partially succeeded due to favorable conditions. Later in the battle, Germany would be forced to retreat due to the Allies gaining the advantage. It was the bloodiest battle the U.S. participated in during the war and put the Axis on the back foot.
  • The Battle of Iwo Jima

    The Battle of Iwo Jima

    An American attack on a fortified Japanese island, the Americans intended to capture the island and it’s two airfields, and they succeeded.
  • The Death of FDR

    The Death of FDR

    FDR died of a severe stroke near the end times of the war, shocking the U.S. and bringing more grief to the whole world.
  • The Death of Adolf Hitler

    The Death of Adolf Hitler

    Hitler committed suicide along with his wife in the Führerbunker when the Battle of Berlin had started the end of WW2.
  • The Battle of Okinawa

    The Battle of Okinawa

    An 82 day major battle in the Pacific Theatre which resulted in an American victory against the Japanese, even sinking the Yamato battleship.
  • Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

    Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

    The ultimate weapon designed to end all wars, an atomic bomb, was dropped on the civilian occupied Hiroshima by the United States in order to save their soldiers from dying trying to invade the Japanese homeland. Japan did not surrender after seeing the catastrophe, and the plan failed.
  • Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki

    Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki

    A second atomic bomb was to be dropped in order to try a second chance to get Japan to surrender, and it succeeded on August 15th when World War II came to a close.