Timeline of World War II facts for kids

This is a timeline of World War II, showing important events from 1931 to 1945. World War II was a huge global conflict that involved most of the world's countries. It was fought between two main groups: the Axis powers (like Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (like Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union). This timeline helps us understand how the war started and how it ended.

Before the War: Rising Tensions

This section covers events that happened before the official start of World War II in Europe. These events show how different countries became more aggressive and how peace efforts failed.

1931

• September 18: Japan invades a part of China called Manchuria. This starts the Second Sino-Japanese War.

1933: Hitler Rises to Power

• January 30: Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, becomes the Chancellor of Germany. This is a very important position, like a prime minister.
• February 27: The Reichstag building, which is Germany's parliament, is set on fire.
• March 23: The Reichstag passes a law called the Enabling Act. This law gives Hitler special powers, making him a dictator.
• June 28: The Nazi Party becomes the only political party allowed in Germany.

1934

• August 2: Hitler becomes the official head of state of Germany.

1935: Germany Rebuilds and Italy Expands

• January 7: The League of Nations, an international group trying to keep peace, allows Germany to add the Saar region to its territory.
• March 16: Hitler orders Germany to start building up its military again. This goes against the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.
• April: France, Britain, and Italy form the "Stresa Front". They want to protect Austria and stop Germany from breaking the Treaty of Versailles.
• June 18: Germany and the United Kingdom sign the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. This agreement limits the size of their navies.
• October 2: Italy invades Ethiopia in Africa. This begins the Second Italo–Abyssinian War.

1936: Alliances Form

• May 7: Italy adds Ethiopia to its territory.
• July 18: The Spanish Civil War begins in Spain.
• October 25: Germany and Italy form an alliance called the Rome-Berlin Axis.

1937

• July 7: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident happens, leading to more fighting in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

1938

• September 30: The Munich agreement is signed. This agreement allows Germany to take over parts of Czechoslovakia.

1939: The War Begins

• March 15: Germany invades Czechoslovakia. The country is divided up and added to other countries.
• April 1: The Spanish Civil War ends. Francisco Franco becomes the new leader of Spain.
• May 22: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel, making their alliance stronger.
• August 23: Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. They secretly agree to divide parts of Eastern Europe between them.

Wartime: Major Events

This section covers the main events of World War II, year by year.

1939

• September 1: Germany invades Poland. This is seen as the start of World War II in Europe.
• September 3: Britain and France warn Germany to leave Poland. When Germany does not, Britain and France declare war.
• September 17: The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
• October 5-10: Baltic states sign "assistance pacts" with the Soviet Union. This allows Soviet soldiers to be stationed in these countries.
• October 6: The fighting in Poland ends.
• October 20: A quiet period known as the "Phoney War" begins in Western Europe.
• November 24: Japan announces it has captured Nanjing, which was the capital of China at the time.
• November 30: The Soviet Union invades Finland, starting the Winter War.

1940

• April 9: Denmark surrenders to Germany.
• May 10: Germany invades Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Winston Churchill becomes the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• May 25: Allied soldiers are pushed back to Dunkirk in France. Hitler orders his army to stop attacking them by land.
• May 26: The Allies begin moving their soldiers from Dunkirk to Britain. By June 4, over 300,000 Allied troops are saved.
• June 2: Norway surrenders.
• June 10: Italy declares war on Britain and France.
• June 18: The Soviet Union takes control of the Baltic states.
• June 25: France officially surrenders to Germany.
• July 10: The Battle of Britain begins, with German planes bombing Britain.
• September 9: The Italian army in Libya invades Egypt.
• September 27: The Tripartite Pact is signed in Berlin by Germany, Italy, and Japan. This forms the main Axis alliance.
• October 15: Italy invades Greece.
• December 6-9: The Italians are pushed back in Egypt.

1941

• January 16: British troops begin to fight back against Italian forces in Ethiopia.
• March 24: German troops in Africa, led by Erwin Rommel, win their first battle. Within three weeks, the British are pushed back to Egypt.
• April 6: Germany attacks Yugoslavia and Greece.
• April 27: Greece surrenders.
• May 20: German paratroopers land on the island of Crete. The battle for the island lasts seven days.
• June 22: Germany invades the Soviet Union in a massive attack called Operation Barbarossa. Many other European Axis countries join them. German soldiers are also sent to Finland.
• September 1: The city of Leningrad is put under siege by German forces.
• September 19: The city of Kiev is captured by German forces.
• October 2: The Battle of Moscow begins.
• November 27: The Siege of Tobruk in North Africa is broken.
• December 5: The German attack on Moscow is stopped. The Soviets begin to fight back.
• December 7: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and other places in Southeast Asia. This brings the United States into World War II, starting the Pacific War.

1942

• April 18: The Doolittle Raid is launched. American planes bomb Tokyo, Japan, from aircraft carriers.
• June 4: American forces defeat Japan at Midway Island in a very important naval battle.

1943

• February 2: German forces surrender at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. This is a major turning point on the Eastern Front.
• September 8: Italy surrenders to the Allies.

1944

• June 6: American, British, and Canadian soldiers invade Normandy, France. This is known as D-Day.
• August 25: Paris, the capital of France, is freed from German control.
• December 16: German forces attack American soldiers in Belgium. This begins the Battle of the Bulge.
• The United States army enters Germany.

1945: The War Ends

• April 30: Hitler commits suicide in his bunker in Berlin.
• May 7: Germany surrenders to the Allies. This ends the war in Europe.
• August 6: The first atomic bomb is dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
• August 9: The second atomic bomb is dropped on the city of Nagasaki, Japan.
• September 2: Japan surrenders, officially ending World War II.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Cronología de la Segunda Guerra Mundial para niños