The+Second+Great+War

__Inter-war years diplomacy Major Events of World War II__ [|BBC Summary of Key Events] __Some Important Topics (Linked to other pages)__ The Blitz The Fall of France Miracle at Dunkirk Total War Blitzkrieg The Battle of Britain The V- Weapons
 * Year || Events ||
 * 1939 || * Hitler invades Poland on 1 September. Britain and France declare war on Germany two days later. ||
 * 1940 || * Rationing starts in the UK.
 * German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland and France.
 * Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
 * British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
 * British victory in Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone invasion plans. ||
 * 1941 || * Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia.
 * The Blitz continues against Britain's major cities.
 * Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and resist 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 - around 25,000 prisoners taken.
 * American naval victory at Battle of Midway, in June, marks turning point in Pacific War.
 * Mass murder of Jewish people at Auschwitz begins. ||
 * 1943 || * Surrender at Stalingrad marks 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 Japanese in Burma. ||
 * 1944 || * Allies land at Anzio and bomb monastery at Monte Cassino.
 * Soviet offensive gathers pace in Eastern Europe.
 * D Day: The Allied invasion of France. Paris is liberated in August.
 * Guam liberated by the US Okinawa, and Iwo Jima bombed ||
 * 1945 || * Auschwitz liberated by Soviet troops.
 * Russians reach Berlin: Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders on 7 May.
 * Truman becomes President of the US on Roosevelt's death, and Attlee replaces Churchill.
 * After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders on 14 August. ||