The Key Dates of World War 2 - History with Henry

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World War 2 officially began in 1939 when the UK and France declared war on Germany after they invaded Poland and ended in 1945 when Japan finally surrendered. It involved over 30 countries and included all the great powers. The conflict was between the Allies and the Axis powers. The primary members of the Allies were the United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, and China. Nazi Germany, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Empire of Japan belonged to the Axis powers.

These world powers used all their intelligence and resources to win the war – at a high cost to humanity. The second world war is responsible for claiming the most lives in a short period. At least 70 million people died due to genocide, starvation, disease, and combat injuries. The Holocaust alone claimed six million lives.

It’s difficult to imagine a cause worth such fatalities. However, World War 2 was not the result of a single cause but rather a snowball of events. Each event fuelled the one to follow. Here are some of the dates of key events that marked World War 2.

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30 January 1933 – Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany:

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Usually, one can trace the cause of such catastrophic conflict back to a single moment. For World War 2, that moment was when Adolf Hitler was elected as the Chancellor of Germany. Within the next few weeks, Hitler began to eliminate his political opponents and turn Germany into a dictatorship. Hitler used his newfound power to construct the first Nazi concentration camp for communists and political rivals. In 1934, Hitler rose to ultimate power when the President of Germany died, and he combined the role of Chancellor and President to take the rank he is infamously known for – Führer, or leader.

1 March 1938 – Hitler Annexes Austria:

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Hitler’s goal was to conquer Europe; to achieve this, Hitler started by forcing Austria to join under German rule. After World War 1, Austria suffered an economic crisis and was not opposed to this union. However, the Chancellor of Austria showed signs of resistance, wanting to still maintain a measure of Austrian power. This was met with threats of invasion from Hitler. Austria already had Nazi party supporters, which meant they welcomed Hitler when his armed forces crossed the border and annexed Austria.

1 October 1938 – Hitler Sends the First Troops to The Sudetenland:

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Sudetenland was a German-inhabited region in Czechoslovakia. About three million ethnic Germans made up the population of Sudetenland, and Hitler wanted them under Nazi rule rather than the Czech government. Shortly after Hitler annexed Austria, he did the same to Sudetenland. This left Czechoslovakia feeling defenceless as Sudetenland occupied most of the Czech borders. Hitler made threats of war if his demands for Sudetenland were not met; to avoid this, the Allies met with Hitler at the end of September 1939 to discuss the matter. The Allies agreed to allow Hitler his demands if he signed the peace treaty known as the Munich Pact.

15 March 1939 – Hitler Invades Czechoslovakia:

A few months after signing the Munich Pact, Hitler showed no intention of maintaining peace. Even though the rest of Czechoslovakia was not inhabited by Germans, Hitler invaded the remaining Czech regions, which lacked the defences they originally had. The next day, Hitler created the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The President of Czechoslovakia, Emil Hácha, surrendered to Germany’s demands and agreed to allow Germany over the Czech people. Hácha still remained the president; though, it was Hitler’s representative who held the ultimate power.

1 September 1939 – Germany Invades Poland:

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The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, was a direct attack on Poland by Germany and the Soviet Union. This was the event that marked the beginning of World War 2. The German supporters from Czechoslovakia joined the Nazi party during the invasion. It is believed that ethnic Germans living in Poland were being mistreated after the First World War, which could be a contributing factor to Germany’s violent invasion. The Polish forces withdrew when they realized that they were no match for Germany’s military; they requested support from France and Germany. Poland was divided between the Soviet Union and Germany after the invasion.

3 September 1939 – France and Great Britain Declare War on Germany:

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After World War 1, the United Kingdom promised to come to Poland’s aid should Germany ever declare war on them – this was known as the Anglo-Polish Agreement. In response to Germany invading Poland in 1939, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany; France declared war on Germany later that day. The British government allowed Germany to withdraw from combat in Poland; yet, no response was received from Germany, and the U.K. proceeded to take action. Unfortunately, the U.K. did not reach Poland in time to stop the invasion. The United Kingdom and France did not declare war on the Soviet Union since the Anglo-Polish Agreement only specified defence against Germany.

9 April 1940 – Germany Invades Denmark and Norway:

The attack on Denmark and Norway is known as Operation Weserübung. The United Kingdom and France planned to occupy Norway to protect them from Germany; however, Germany occupied Denmark and invaded Norway as a response to this plan. Germany reasoned that their occupation of Denmark was a protection against the French and British governments. Considering that Denmark was on the border of Germany and that it was a small country, the German invasion was inevitable. Denmark and Norway are also along the coast of the Baltic Sea, giving them a favourable position for naval and shipping purposes for Germany.

10 May 1940 – Germany Invades Netherlands, Belgium, and France:

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Germany’s next targets were the countries in the low lands along the coast. The Netherlands was the first to be invaded and ended a week later with Germany’s success of occupying the country. The Dutch quickly surrendered when Germany made threats to bomb other major Dutch cities. While some Nazi forces were invading the Netherlands, others were attacking Belgium. French, British and Belgian forces met Germany in Belgium to halt their attack but had to retreat to the sea; Belgium surrendered 18 days after the initial attack.

26 May 1940 – The British Army Begins to Be Evacuated from Dunkirk:

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After being surrounded by German forces, the Allies retreated to the French seaport of Dunkirk. British naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats evacuated almost 400,000 Allied troops to England in eight days. This was also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk since so many lives were saved.

30 May 1940 – Winston Churchill Becomes Prime Minister:

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Winston Churchill is seen as one of the most iconic figures of the 20th Century for his successful leadership during World War 2 against the Axis powers. Members of the British government spoke of peace talks to end the war, but Churchill resolved to fight on. He replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister during the evacuation of Dunkirk as many supported his offensive strategy to end the war.

10 June 1940 – Italy Enter the War on Germany’s Side:

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During the German invasion of the low-land countries, Italy joined the war by invading France and declaring war on the Allied powers. France and Britain tried to convince the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, to join the Allies. However, due to Germany’s rapid success in occupying Europe, Italy decided to join them instead.

30 June 1940 – Occupation of Channel Islands:

The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two island countries off the coast of Normandy. After the defeat of Allied powers in France, the British government declared the Channel Islands an open town to avoid destruction; as expected, Germany occupied the Islands. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Empire Germany had occupied during the war.

10 July 1940 – The Battle of Britain Begins:

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The Battle of Britain was the first military campaign fought by air forces only. During the battle, the Royal Air Force and Fleet Army defended England against Nazi air attacks; it lasted nearly four months. First, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) focused its attacks on ports and ships; it then shifted to bombing airfields and aircraft factories. Lastly, Germany began terror-bombing civilians. This battle was Germany’s first defeat and a turning point in the war.

7 September 1940 – The Blitz Begins:

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The Luftwaffe was unable to attack during daylight, so they continued their night raids on Britain, and it became known as the Blitz. The term ‘Blitz‘ originated from the German word ‘Blitzkrieg’, meaning Lightning War. Germany deployed bombs on cities and industrial regions in London on a massive scale. London was bombed every day for the next 56 days. Germany used these raids to force Britain to surrender; however, Britain was able to recover quickly after each bombing incident. British war efforts increased despite these continuous attacks, and eventually, Britain won their first battle against Germany.

27 May 1941 – The German Battleship, the Bismarck, is Sunk:

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Bismarck was a German battleship that was being pursued by British Naval Forces. The battleship was damaged from a recent attack by the Royal Navy and was on its way back to Norway for repairs. The British forces lost sight of Bismarck until she broke radio silence while sending a coded message to Germany, enabling Britain to relocate the ship. Bismarck suffered more attacks from the RAF, which damaged it further, preventing an escape. The following day, Bismarck was sunk by a combination of sea and air attacks.

22 June 1941 – Germany Attacks Russia:

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Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany. The aim of the attack was to conquer the western Soviet Union and repopulate it with the Germans. Germany planned to access the Russian oil reserves and use the conquered Russian population as forced labour for their war efforts. During the invasion, almost four million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along a 2,900-kilometer front. This was the largest invasion force in the history of warfare. This operation included some of the fiercest battles and highest casualty rates; the invasion rapidly escalated the intensity of World War 2. As part of the Holocaust, over a million Soviet Jews were killed. However, the Soviet Union fought back and eventually forced Nazi forces to retreat.

9 July 1941 – German Code Enigma Broken:

Enigma was Germany’s most advanced coding machine, used to secretly transmit information. It was considered unbreakable. However, British cryptologists already broke the code at the beginning of the war and intercepted all the secret messages. Shortly after the Russian invasion, British cryptologists decoded the messages transmitted by the Germans; these messages included war plans and troop movements through Russia.

7 December 1941 – Japan Bombs Pearl Harbour:

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Since the 1930s, Japan has been at war with China. The United States assisted China after Japan launched various attacks and ceased all war material shipments to Japan on this account. Eventually, the U.S. halted oil exports to Japan due to their refusal to withdraw from China; this provoked Japan and was considered an unfriendly act. Despite numerous meetings and peace talks, Japan refused to withdraw from China. To prevent the U.S. from hindering further military plans, Japan made a surprise military strike on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The U.S. had been neutral during World War 2 until this attack by Japan, which officially incorporated the United States into the Allied forces.

22 December 1941 – Japan Invades Burma:

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Burma was under British rule and hoped to gain independence; Burmese nationalists saw World War 2 to obtain this independence and seek out Japan’s assistance. However, once Japan invaded Burma, the Burmese people began to see that Japan had no intention of allowing Burma to be an independent country. In fact, the Burmese requested the assistance of the United Kingdom to go against Japan. Sadly, about 250,000 civilians died while under Japanese occupation.

15 February 1942 – The Fall of Singapore:

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Singapore was the largest British military base in South-East Asia; when Japan invaded Singapore, it led to the biggest British surrender in history. Thousands of soldiers from Britain, India and Australia became prisoners or died from neglect and abuse after ignoring Japan’s demand for surrender. Winston Churchill claimed that this was Britain’s worst defeat; it undermined the British forces.

30 May 1942 – The First Thousand-Bomber Raids Take Place Against Cologne:

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As a demonstration of Britain’s power, the RAF launched a three-night bombing raid on Germany’s cities. The first thousand-bomber raid was used in 1942 against Cologne, Germany. The goal of this attack was to overwhelm Germany’s defences, making them unable to issue further attacks. The raid was also used as propaganda to boost confidence in the Allies. About 20,000 people died as a result of these raids.

4 June 1942 – The US Navy Defeats the Japanese at The Battle of Midway:

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Six months after the devastating attack of Pearl Harbour, the U.S. Navy defeated a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy that was attacking them. The U.S attacked Tokyo with an air raid some months earlier, and the Battle of Midway was a response to that attack. Japan intended to lure U.S. aircraft ships into a trap, but the date and location of the ambush were decoded by American cryptologists, allowing the U.S. Navy to arrange its own attack. It was difficult for Japan to recover from the loss of war materials and soldiers.

11 November 1942 – The British Win the Second Battle of El Alamein:

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This battle took place near the Egyptian railway station of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein had prevented the Axis powers from invading Egypt. Italy declared war on and invaded Egypt, but the British responded by defeating many Italian soldiers. The victory ended the Italian threat to invade and occupy Egypt. This battle’s success revived the Allies’ morale after their recent defeats.

15 May 1943 – The Dam Busters Raid:

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Operation Chastise was an attack on German dams by the Dam Busters (RAF Bomber Command). The RAF used special bombs that would damage dams and cause significant flooding. Hydroelectric power stations, factories, and mines were also impacted during the raid. Over a thousand people were killed by the floods caused by these bombs. This attack slowed Germany’s production.

10 July 1943 – the Allies Invade Sicily:

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The Allies devised several deception operations intending to disperse Axis forces to other areas, leaving the Island of Sicily open and poorly defended. The British used their naval and airborne units for the invasion. This attack led to the fall of Benito Mussolini, as Italy made a vote of no confidence in his rulership. This caused Hitler to cancel an attack on the Soviet Union in order to send more troops to Italy, reducing German force on the Eastern Fronts.

3 September 1943 – Italy Surrenders:

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After the invasion of Sicily and the fall of Mussolini, Italy and the Allies signed an armistice, and Italy agreed to join the Allies. Germany responded by attacking Italian forces in Italy because of their betrayal. Most of Italy was occupied by Germany. Meanwhile, members of the Italian government and navy took refuge in Allied territory.

6 June 1944 – D-Day:

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D-Day, also known as the Normandy Landings, was the Allied invasion of Normandy, which began the liberation of France and led to the victory on the Western Front toward the end of the war. This operation was the largest seaborne invasion in history and included airborne attacks. The Allied forces deceived the Germans with the place and time that the attack would take place. The operation relied on weather conditions, ocean tides, and time of day, making it tricky to achieve. Over twenty thousand airborne troops from America, Britain, and Canada landed on the coast of Normandy. The troops had to endure various traps and dangerous obstacles on the beach; however, the Allied forces managed to disarm most of them and were able to gradually expand their invasion.

23 August 1944 – Paris is Liberated:

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Since 1940, Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germany; the Liberation of Paris involved a six-day long battle and ended with the German garrison surrendering the French Capital. The liberation began when the U.S. Army arrived, and the French Resistance fought against the German garrison. Following the surrender, the French were once again able to take control of Paris.

17 September 1944 – Operation Market Garden Starts:

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Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation that took place in the Netherlands, intending to surround German territory by seizing bridges with British and American air forces and having land forces travel over the bridges into Northern Germany. This operation managed to liberate various Dutch cities that suffered food shortages due to neglect; the Allied forces could also eliminate V-2 rocket launching sites. The plan ultimately failed; the British intelligence was unable to detect the presence of German tanks, and soon the Allied forces were overrun by Nazi forces. Although the operation was unsuccessful, it is believed that it shortened the war.

16 December 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge Starts:

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This German offensive campaign on the Western Front aimed to stop the Allies from using the Belgian port by splitting them apart and surrounding them until they negotiated a peace treaty. Due to the bad weather and the inability of the Allied forces to form a good defence, Germany launched a surprise attack on them. However, American troops blocked German access to roads they counted on for success; the congestion threw the German advance behind schedule. The battle lasted a month before Germany suffered defeat and retreated. The battle severely depleted Germany’s forces, which they were unable to recover for the rest of the war.

19 February 1945 – The US Invades Iwo Jima:

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Iwo Jima is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands that was captured by the United States. The five-week battle is responsible for some of the fiercest and bloodiest combat of the Pacific War, with the Japanese death count tripling that of the Americans. The Japanese Army positions on the island were heavily fortified while the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps supported the ground forces. The United States had an assured victory as they outnumbered the Japanese troops; the Japanese also suffered food shortages and were unable to retreat or call for reinforcements.

12 April 1945 – U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt Dies:

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President Franklin Roosevelt is widely considered to be one of the greatest presidents of the United States; he worked closely with Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in leading the Allied forces throughout World War 2. Roosevelt resolved to maintain neutrality at the beginning of the war but it was the attack on Pearl Harbour that triggered a declaration of war on Japan as a response. He is the only president in the U.S. to serve more than two terms. In fact, he managed to win four elections. Three months into his fourth term, Roosevelt died due to a decline in his health.

30 April 1945 – Hitler Commits Suicide:

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Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany from 1934 to 1945, committed suicide by gunshot in his air-raid bunker in Berlin. His wife, Eva Braun committed suicide with him by taking cyanide. According to his instructions, their remains were to be carried up the stairs through the bunker’s emergency exit, doused in petrol, and set alight in the Reich Chancellery garden outside the bunker. A few days before his suicide, he heard about the execution of Mussolini and his mistress. This could have been the reason behind his specific request for his and his wife’s bodies.

7 May1945 – VE Day

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VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) marks the day of Germany’s official surrender. Nazi Germany was on the verge of total military collapse in the early stages of 1945. Poland had been occupied by the Soviet Union, and Germany had suffered a great loss during the Battle of Bulge. Germany’s fearless leader Adolf Hitler had committed suicide, ending Germany’s plan to conquer all of Europe. Germany’s surrender was authorised by Hitler’s successor, Karl Dönitz. VE Day is the day that World War 2 ended in Europe.

6 August 1945 – Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, Japan:

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Throughout the war, the Allied powers had their top scientists working on the Atomic Bomb; it was only during the middle of 1945 that they had successfully tested and approved the weapon. After Germany’s surrender, the Allies called for Japan to do the same; Japan ignored them and continued to inflict casualties on Allied forces and civilians. As a result, the U.S. received consent from Britain to use the two atomic bombs against Japan. The United States chose large urban areas with military grounds as targets for the bombs. On 6 August, the first atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, causing over 100,000 deaths of innocent civilians. Despite these death counts, Japan refused to surrender.

2 September 1945 – VJ Day:

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VJ, or Victory over Japan Day, is the day that Japan officially surrendered. After the bombing of Hiroshima, the U.S. dropped another atom bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing 80,000 civilians. The Soviet Union also declared war on Japan shortly after the bombing. It was only after these two threats that Japan finally decided to surrender. This marked the end of World War 2.

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