| Jun 9 |
Norway surrenders to the Germans. |
| Jun 22 |
France signs an armistice (cease fire) with Germany in an effort to save Paris from destruction. |
| Jun 26 |
The United States puts in place its first war trade embargo against the Empire of Japan. |
| Aug 15 |
'Eagle Day' - The Battle of Britain begins. |
| Aug 27 |
The United States activates the Authorization of Federalization of the US National Guard for 12 months. |
| Sep 3 |
The United States and Britain ink destroyer deal. |
| Sep 7 |
Germany now eyes Britain and begins the 'London Blitz' - a bombing campaign targeting both military and civilian targets alike. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill comes into his own as the leader of Britain. |
| Sep 13 |
Italian Army advances on Egypt. |
| Sep 16 |
US President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Selective Service Act. |
| Sep 22 |
Germany, Italy and Japan all sign the Axis Pact, effectively becoming allies in their territory-expanding campaigns. |
| Sep 22 |
Japan invades Indochina. |
| Sep 23 |
Discharge granted to 51,501 enlisted men whose status is as 'sole supporter' of their respective households. |
| Sep 27 |
Japan signs the Tripartite Pact. |
| Nov 5 |
Franklin D Roosevelt wins his third term in office as US President. |
| Dec 9 |
British forces attack Italian military in the Western Desert. |
| |
|
| 1941 |
| Jan 22 |
British forces capture Tobruk. |
| Feb 5 |
British forces find victory at Beda Fomm. |
| Feb 12 |
German General Erwin Rommel of the famed Afrika Corps arrives in Tripoli to begin several North African campaigns. |
| Mar 11 |
Though still neutral, American President Franklin Roosevelt sees a need to assist his friend, Winston Churchill, and offers up the Lend-Lease Act (approved by Congress). This would allow the United States to supply Britain with machines and supplies of war while still maintaining America's neutrality. |
| Mar 24 |
Under General Rommel, German forces take El Aghelia. |
| Apr 6 |
Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece (Balkans). |
| Apr 9 |
Axis forces capture Bardia. |
| Apr 10 |
The Axis lay siege to Allied-held Tobruk. |
| Apr 22 |
British forces begin withdrawal of Greece. |
| Apr 23 |
Greece forces officially surrender to Axis (Germans). |
| Apr 27 |
Axis forces take Halfaya Pass. |
| May 2 |
Last of British forces officially leave Greece. |
| May 20 |
Germany invades the Mediterranean island of Crete. |
| May 22 |
British forces begin evacuation of Crete. |
| May 27 |
The German battleship Bismarck is sunk by Allied forces. |
| Jun 1 |
British forces officially leave the island of Crete in a forced retreat. |
| Jun 15 |
British campaign planners begin a new offensive in the Western Desert known as Operation Battleaxe. |
| Jun 22 |
Germany officially invades the Soviet Union (USSR) in the operation known as Operation Barbarossa, thus terminating the previously signed non-aggression pact between the two countries. German high generals make the grave assumption that the Soviet Union can be conquered in a mere 4-6 weeks of fighting. |
| Jul 5 |
US forces take up a strategic military position on the Arctic island-nation of Iceland. |
| Aug 5 |
Germany completes the take over of Soviet-held Smolensk pocket. |
| Aug 9-12 |
Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt meet at the Atlantic Conference to put into action the Atlantic Charter, allowing for merchant vessels in the Atlantic Ocean to be armed for self-defense. |
| Aug 17 |
The Soviet city of Kiev officially falls to the advancing German forces. |
| Sep 1 |
German forces take the Soviet city of Leningrad. |
| Oct 31 |
US Destroyer, the USS Reuben James, is sunk by a German U-Boat submarine. |
| Nov 18 |
British campaign planners begin new desert offensive codename Crusader. |
| Nov 30 |
British Eighth Army meets up with the besieged garrison at Tobruk. |
| Dec 7 |
Japan, in an effort to destroy the US 7th Fleet in the Pacific, launch a daylight bombing campaign on the island chain of Hawaii, more specifically Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. The 7th Fleet escapes destruction as it is now in port that day. The notable battleship USS Arizona is partially sunk with over 1,000 crew still inside. This surprise attack spurns the United States Congress to formally declare war on the Empire of Japan. Japan invades the island nations of Malaysia, the Philippines, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Wake Island. |
| Dec 8 |
Japan attacks US and British military bases in the Philippines and Malaya respectively. The United States of America formally declares war on the Empire of Japan in response to her surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. |
| Dec 10 |
Japanese forces strike and sink the British vessels HMS Prince of Wales and the Repulse off of the coast of Malay Peninsula. Japanese forces take Guam and invade the island-chain nation of the Philippines (Philippine Islands) by landing at Luzon. |
| Dec 11 |
The Axis siege of Tobruk is lifted. Germany and Italy both declare war on the United States of America. In return, the United States of America declares war on the nations of Germany and Italy. |
| Dec 16 |
Japanese forces invade Borneo. |
| Dec 19 |
German leader Adolph Hitler takes personal control over the German Army. |
| Dec 23 |
The Wake Island chain falls to Japanese forces. |
| Dec 24 |
The Christmas Eve Arcadia Conference in Washington, D.C. begins and would run through January 14th, 1942. British forces take back Benghazi. |
| |
|
| 1942 |
| Jan 20 |
The 'Final Solution' is finalized and put into play. This involves the systematic extermination of all non-Aryan persons including Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and the mentally disabled. |
| May 6 |
American forces suffer defeat in the Philippines and are forced to surrender. General Douglas MacArthur evades capture and arrives safely in Australia declaring 'I shall return!' |
| May 4-8 |
The Battle of the Coral Sea ensues, it is the first of six major battles between opposing aircraft carriers. The Japanese claim victory based on 'points' but the battle is nonetheless an operational and strategic defeat for them. The goal was to capture Port Moseby on New Zealand, offering up an Japanese airbase within striking distance of Australia. |
| June 4-6 |
The Battle of Midway occurs, stopping the unfettered advance of Japan in the Pacific. |
| Sep 12-14 |
Battle of Bloody Ridge at Guadalcanal. |
| Nov 1-4 |
Battle of El Alamein takes place in Northern Egypt. |
| Nov 8 |
Operation Torch landings occur in North Africa. |
| |
|
| 1943 |
| Jan 2 |
Buna, New Guinea is captured by Allied Forces in the Pacific. |
| Jan 14-24 |
The Casablanca Conference takes place in Morocco between US President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Leader Josef Stalin. The conference ends in the agreement that the Axis powers must sign to an unconditional surrender. |
| Feb 2 |
The German Sixth Army is surrounded on the outskirts of Stalingrad and finally surrenders to the Soviet Union. |
| Mar 1-31 |
The Battle of the Atlantic between the German U-Boat submarines traveling in 'Wolfpacks' and the merchant vessels and navies of Britain and America. |
| May 13 |
The Axis military forces surrender in Tunisia, signaling yet another formal defeat. |
| Jul 9 |
The Allies land on the island of Sicily. |
| Sep 8 |
Italy signs an 'unconditional surrender' agreement with the Allies, signaling the end of the war for the Italian Axis power. |
| Nov 20 |
The battle for Tarawa begins in the Pacific. |
| |
|
| 1944 |
| Jun 4 |
The Allied armies in Italy officially enter Rome. |
| Jun 6 |
Operation Overlord, the Invasion of France, begins with the D-Day landings at Normandy. |
| Jun 14 |
Allied B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers in the Pacific Theater begin the first bombing raids on the island nation of Japan. |
| Jun 22 |
Soviet Union military forces move against German forces in Operation Bagration. |
| Jul 20 |
Several German officers arrange for Hitler's assassination by way of an explosive suitcase under the conference table. Hitler survives the attempt, but suffers burns and a concussion and becomes evermore paranoid of his officer staff. The perpetrators are hunted down and executed, even famed Afrika Corps General Erwin Rommel, who had nothing to do with the plot. |
| Aug 15 |
Operation Dragoon commences in the south of France, opening up yet another front for Germany to contend with. |
| Oct 23-25 |
The Battle for Leyte Gulf is underway. |
| Dec 16 |
The Battle of the Bulge begins. It would be the last major 'push' by the German army, who are already short on morale, supplies and manpower. The Allies will put up strong resistance and eventually send the bulge back to its starting point. |
| |
|
| 1945 |
| |
|
| Jan 9 |
Americans land in Luzon, making their return to the Philippine main island. |
| Feb 3 |
The Battle for Manila in the Philippines begins. |
| Feb 19 |
United States Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima. |
| Apr 1 |
The US begins the invasion of Okinawa. |
| Apr 12 |
United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt collapses and dies. Vice President Harry S Truman is sworn in and updated on the war situation. |
| Apr 25 |
United States troops and Soviet troops meet at the Elbe River in victory. It will be the last time that the two sides look trustfully on each other till the end of the Cold War. |
| Apr 28 |
Benito Mussolini and his mistress are captured and killed by Italian partisans. |
| Apr 30 |
Adolph Hitler commits suicide in his bunker in Berlin as Soviet forces approach. |
| May 2 |
Soviet forces officially capture Berlin, effectively ending the European chapter of the war. |
| May 3 |
Rangoon is captured by British troops in the Pacific Theater. |
| May 8 |
VE Day (Victory over Europe) is formally announced and celebrated. |
| June 26 |
The United Nations is started. |
| Jul 16 - Aug 2 |
The Potsdam Conference takes place. |
| Aug 6 |
The first atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. |
| Aug 9 |
The Soviet Union invades Manchuria. The second atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. |
| Aug 15 |
VJ Day (Victory over Japan) is formally announced and celebrated. |
| Sep 2 |
Japanese officially surrenders to American forces on the deck of the USS Missouri battleship. |
| |
|
