The History of World War II

Picture credits: Steve Banas

1939: Germany invades Poland (Sept 1), Britain & France declare war (Sept 3).
1940: Germany invades France & other countries, Battle of Britain.
1941: Germany attacks the Soviet Union (June), Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Dec 7), U.S. joins the war.
1942: Battle of Midway (June), turning point in the Pacific; Battle of Stalingrad begins.
1943: Allies invade Sicily, Italy surrenders; Soviet victory at Stalingrad.
1944: D-Day invasion of France (June 6), Allies liberate Paris (Aug 25).
1945: Hitler dies (April 30), Germany surrenders (May 7), U.S. drops atomic bombs on Japan (Aug 6 & 9), Japan surrenders (Sept 2).

Aftermath: Creation of the United Nations, start of the Cold War.

The History of WWI

Picture credits: National Museum of Australia

WWI Overview

1914

June 28: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary is assassinated in Sarajevo, sparking tensions.
July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, triggering alliances to come into play. Germany declares war on Russia, France, and Belgium. Britain declares war on Germany.

1915

May 7: The British ship Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine, killing 1,200 people, including 128 Americans.

1916

February 21 - December 18: Battle of Verdun, one of the longest and bloodiest battles.
July 1 - November 18: Battle of the Somme begins, resulting in over one million casualties.

1917

April 6: The United States joins the war, declaring war on Germany.
November 7: The Russian Revolution starts, leading to Russia’s withdrawal from the war.

1918

March 21: Germany launches the Spring Offensive on the Western Front.
July 18: The Allies launch a counteroffensive at the Second Battle of the Marne, pushing Germany back.
November 11: Germany signs an armistice, ending the fighting.

1919

June 28: The Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending the war and imposing harsh penalties on Germany.