World War II Timeline
1939
Hitler invades Poland on September 1 and Great Britain & France
declare war on Germany two days later.
1940
Rationalizing starts in the (UK) United Kingdom.
German 'Blitzkrieg' stuns Belgium, Holland and France.
Churchill becomes the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
British victory in the Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone the invasion plans.
1941
Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia.
The Blitzkrieg continues against Britain's major cities.
The Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and evade German attacks.
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the US enters the war.
1942
Germany suffers setbacks at Stalingrad and El Alamein.
Singapore falls to the Japanese in February - an estimation of 25,000 prisoners taken.
American naval victory at the Battle of Midway in June, this marks a turning point in the Pacific War.
The mass extermination of the Jews at Auschwitz begins.
1943
The surrender at Stalingrad sets Germany's first major defeat.
Allied victory in North Africa enables invasion of Italy to be launched.
Italy surrenders, but Germany takes over the battle.
British and Indian forces fight the Japanese in Burma.
1945
Auschwitz is liberated by Soviet troops.
Russia reach Berlin & Germany surrenders on May 7.
Truman becomes the president of the U.S after the death of Roosevelt & Attlee replaces Churchill.
After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan surrender on August 14