Significance
| Germany invades Poland
| September 1, 1939
| Polish-German border
| Following non-aggression treaty with Soviet Union, German troops invade Poland. England and France declare war on Germany. Soviets invade Poland from East.
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| Germany's blitzkrieg takes western Europe
| March-June 1940
| Western Europe
| Denmark, Norway, Nethlerlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France crushed by German offensive
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| Battle of Britain
| Fall 1940
| Great Britain
| German bombers ruin British cities in attempt to obtain British surrender before U.S. entry. Britain's breaking of German code ("Ultra") helps overcome air attacks.
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| U.S. enacts draft bill
| September 1940
| Washington D.C.
| Registration of all men between 21 and 35. Limit of 900,000 men in time of peace.
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| Destroyer for Bases deal
| September 1940
| Washington D.C. and London
| U.S. transfers 50 old destroyers to Britain in exchange for use of eight British Atlantic bases.
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| Lend-Lease plan
| November 1940
| Washington D.C.
| U.S. would "lend" military equipment to cash-strapped Britain.
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| Germany invades Russia
| June 1941
| Polish-Russian border
| Germany begins two-front war with invasion of Russia. Germans halt 15 miles from Moscow in December 1941.
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| Atlantic Charter
| August 1941
| North Atlantic
| FDR and Churchill agree to war aims, self-determination, and condemnation of Nazism.
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| Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
| December 7, 1941
| Hawaii
| 361 Japanese warplanes attack American airfields and shipyards, disabling 19 ships, destroying 200 planes, and killing over 2300 men. Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Malaya, Philippines soon fall to Japan.
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| FDR asks for war on Japan
| December 8, 1941
| WashingtonD. C.
| Congress approves entry into war. Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.
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| Battle of Coral Sea
| May 1942
| South Pacific
| Carrier-based U.S. planes halt Japanese advance on Australia.
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| Midway
| June 1942
| Central Pacific
| Threat on Hawaii ended as four Japanese aircraft carriers are sunk.
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| Allies attack Germans in North Africa
| November 1942
| North Africa
| Huge Allied landing forces Germany to retreat to Tunisia, where they are surrounded by British and American forces.
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| Guadalcanal
| February 1943
| Solomon Islands, South Pacific
| Americans take first island in start of island-hopping strategy.
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| Event/Battle
| Date
| Location
| Significance
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| Germans surrender at Stalingrad
| February 1943
| Central Russia
| Germans surrender after fierce hand-to-hand fighting and huge casualties for each side.
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| Germans surrender at Tunisia
| May 1743
| Tunisia, North Africa
| Over 250,000 German and Italian troops are captured and Allies prepare to invade Sicily and Italy.
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| Allies invade Sicily
| July 1943
| Sicily
| In largest amphibious invasion in history, over 250,000 American and British troops land. Germans and Italians escape to mainland of Italy.
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| Italy surrenders
| September 1943
| Italy
| Although Italian troops quit fighting Allies, Germans continue in fierce fighting. Rome finally surrenders on June 4, 1944.
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| D-Day Invasion
| June 6, 1944
| Normandy coast of France
| Allies use 4600 ships to invade German-held France. Suffering heavy casualites, the Allies were able to retake Paris in August.
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| Battle of Leyte Gulf
| October 1944
| Pacific east of Philippines
| 60 Japanese ships in largest naval battle in history.
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| Battle of the Bulge
| December 1944
| French-German-Belgian border
| German counteroffensive almost succeeds in retaking Belgium but is crushed with Allied reinforcements.
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| Tokyo Bombing Raids
| March 1945
| Tokyo, Japan
| American bombers destroy 250,000 buildings and kill 83,000 in massive fire-bombing.
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| Russians take Berlin
| April 1945
| Berlin, Germany
| Russians take German capital after house-to-house fighting. Hitler commits suicide.
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| V-E Day
| May 7, 1945
| Europe
| German government issues unconditional surrender to Allied forces.
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| Okinawa
| April to June 1945
| Southern tip of Japan
| Fighting from caves and bunkers, Japanese inflict 80,000 losses on Americans. Over 30 American ships are sunk by Japanese suicide missions.
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| Gen. MacArthur retakes Philippines
| July 1945
| Philippine Islands
| After Manila's fall to Americans in May, Japanese surrender here after inflicting 60,000 American casualties.
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| Hiroshima
| August 6, 1945
| Japan
| 180,000 killed, wounded, or missing after atomic bomb is dropped. Two days later Soviet Union enters war against Japan.
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| Nagasaki
| August 9, 1945
| Japan
| Second bomb is dropped after Japanese delay surrender. 80,000 killed or missing.
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| V-J Day
| September 2, 1945
| Tokyo Bay
| Japan surrenders with one term: the emperor must retain his throne.
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