Timeline of WWII
-September 18, 1931
Japan invades Manchuria.
-October 2, 1935–May 1936
Fascist Italy invades, conquers, and annexes Ethiopia.
-October 25–November 1, 1936
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sign a treaty of cooperation on October 25
-July 7, 1937
Japan invades China, initiating World War II in the Pacific.
-September 29, 1938
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement which forces the Czechoslovak Republic to cede the
Sudetenland, including the key Czechoslovak military defense positions, to Nazi Germany.
-March 31, 1939
France and Great Britain guarantee the integrity of the borders of the Polish state.
-April 7–15, 1939
Fascist Italy invades and annexes Albania.
-August 23, 1939
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression agreement and a secret codicil dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
-September 1, 1939
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.
-September 3, 1939
Honoring their guarantee of Poland’s borders, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
-September 17, 1939
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
-September 27–29, 1939
Warsaw surrenders on September 27. The Polish government flees into exile via Romania. Germany and the Soviet Union divide
Poland between them.
-April 9, 1940–June 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9.
-May 10, 1940–June 22, 1940
Germany attacks western Europe—France and the neutral Low Countries. On June 22, France signs an armistice agreement by which the Germans occupy the northern half of the country and the entire Atlantic coastline.
-June 10, 1940
Italy enters the war. Italy invades southern France on June 21.
-September 27, 1940
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact.
-October 1940
Italy invades Greece from Albania on October 28.
-November 1940
Slovakia (November 23), Hungary (November 20), and Romania (November 22) join the Axis.
-June 22, 1941–November 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners (except Bulgaria) invade the Soviet Union.
-December 7, 1941
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
-December 8, 1941
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II.
-December 11–13, 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States.
-June 1942
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway.
-August–November 1942
US troops halt the Japanese island-hopping advance towards Australia at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
-May 13, 1943
Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies, ending the North African campaign.
-July 25, 1943
The Fascist Grand Council deposes Benito Mussolini, enabling Italian Marshall Pietro Badoglio to form a new government.
-September 9, 1943
Allied troops land on the beaches of Salerno near Naples.
-January 22, 1944
Allied troops land successfully near Anzio, just south of Rome.
-June 4, 1944
Allied troops liberate Rome. Within six weeks, Anglo-American bombers could hit targets in eastern Germany for the first time.
-June 6, 1944
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans.
-August 15, 1944
Allied forces land in southern France near Nice and advance rapidly towards the Rhine River to the northeast.
-August 20–25, 1944
Allied troops reach Paris. On August 25,Free French forces, supported by Allied troops, enter the French capital. By September, the Allies reach the German border.
-October 20, 1944
US troops land in the Philippines.
-December 16, 1944
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border.
-March 7, 1945
US troops cross the Rhine River at Remagen.
-April 16, 1945
The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin.
-April 30, 1945
Hitler commits suicide.
-May 7, 1945
Germany surrenders to the western Allies.
-May 9, 1945
Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
-May 1945
Allied troops conquer Okinawa, the last island stop before the Japanese islands.
-August 6, 1945
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
-August 8, 1945
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
-September 2, 1945
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.
Japan invades Manchuria.
-October 2, 1935–May 1936
Fascist Italy invades, conquers, and annexes Ethiopia.
-October 25–November 1, 1936
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sign a treaty of cooperation on October 25
-July 7, 1937
Japan invades China, initiating World War II in the Pacific.
-September 29, 1938
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement which forces the Czechoslovak Republic to cede the
Sudetenland, including the key Czechoslovak military defense positions, to Nazi Germany.
-March 31, 1939
France and Great Britain guarantee the integrity of the borders of the Polish state.
-April 7–15, 1939
Fascist Italy invades and annexes Albania.
-August 23, 1939
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression agreement and a secret codicil dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
-September 1, 1939
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.
-September 3, 1939
Honoring their guarantee of Poland’s borders, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
-September 17, 1939
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
-September 27–29, 1939
Warsaw surrenders on September 27. The Polish government flees into exile via Romania. Germany and the Soviet Union divide
Poland between them.
-April 9, 1940–June 9, 1940
Germany invades Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9.
-May 10, 1940–June 22, 1940
Germany attacks western Europe—France and the neutral Low Countries. On June 22, France signs an armistice agreement by which the Germans occupy the northern half of the country and the entire Atlantic coastline.
-June 10, 1940
Italy enters the war. Italy invades southern France on June 21.
-September 27, 1940
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact.
-October 1940
Italy invades Greece from Albania on October 28.
-November 1940
Slovakia (November 23), Hungary (November 20), and Romania (November 22) join the Axis.
-June 22, 1941–November 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners (except Bulgaria) invade the Soviet Union.
-December 7, 1941
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
-December 8, 1941
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II.
-December 11–13, 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States.
-June 1942
British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway.
-August–November 1942
US troops halt the Japanese island-hopping advance towards Australia at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
-May 13, 1943
Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies, ending the North African campaign.
-July 25, 1943
The Fascist Grand Council deposes Benito Mussolini, enabling Italian Marshall Pietro Badoglio to form a new government.
-September 9, 1943
Allied troops land on the beaches of Salerno near Naples.
-January 22, 1944
Allied troops land successfully near Anzio, just south of Rome.
-June 4, 1944
Allied troops liberate Rome. Within six weeks, Anglo-American bombers could hit targets in eastern Germany for the first time.
-June 6, 1944
British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans.
-August 15, 1944
Allied forces land in southern France near Nice and advance rapidly towards the Rhine River to the northeast.
-August 20–25, 1944
Allied troops reach Paris. On August 25,Free French forces, supported by Allied troops, enter the French capital. By September, the Allies reach the German border.
-October 20, 1944
US troops land in the Philippines.
-December 16, 1944
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border.
-March 7, 1945
US troops cross the Rhine River at Remagen.
-April 16, 1945
The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin.
-April 30, 1945
Hitler commits suicide.
-May 7, 1945
Germany surrenders to the western Allies.
-May 9, 1945
Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
-May 1945
Allied troops conquer Okinawa, the last island stop before the Japanese islands.
-August 6, 1945
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
-August 8, 1945
The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
-September 2, 1945
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.