Chronology of WW2

940

* Rationing starts in the UK.

* German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland. This provided Hitler naval bases to ensure that Germany couldn’t be hemmed in by the British navy as in WW1.

* Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.

* Hitler invaded France, however instead of going through Belgium, the main part of his army cut through the Ardennes forest. This was meant to be impassable but the German tanks could get through. Hitler tricked the Allies that he was going through Belgium and even managed to get them to advance into Belgium. The Allied forces were surrounded and facing total defeat. However, Hitler, for a number of reasons, seemed to let them evacuate and the BEF escaped from Dunkirk.

* Hitler invades France

* British victory in Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone invasion plans.

941

* Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia. Hitler’s ultimate dream was to smash the USSR and carve out an empire for his master race of Germans. Three million German soldiers in 153 divisions poured across the frontier into the USSR.

* The Blitz continues against Britain's major cities.

* Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and resist German attacks.

* Japan attacks Pearl Harbour, and the US enters the war.

942

* Germany suffers setbacks at Stalingrad and El Alamein. These were two pivotal battles where the USSR overwhelmed the German soldiers with artillery and air support and captured the remaining German soldiers.

* * Singapore falls to the Japanese in February - around 25,000 prisoners taken.

* American naval victory at Battle of Midway, in June, marks turning point in Pacific War.

* Mass murder of Jewish people at Auschwitz begins.

943

* Surrender at Stalingrad marks Germany's first major defeat.

* Allied victory in North Africa enables invasion of Italy to be launched.

* Italy surrenders, but Germany takes over the battle.

* British and Indian forces fight Japanese in Burma.

944

* Allies land at Anzio and bomb monastery at Monte Cassino.

* Soviet offensive gathers pace in Eastern Europe.

* D Day: The Allied invasion of France. Paris is liberated in August.

* Guam liberated by the US Okinawa, and Iwo Jima bombed.

945

* Auschwitz liberated by Soviet troops.

* Russians reach Berlin: Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders on 7 May.

* Truman becomes President of the US on Roosevelt's death, and Attlee replaces Churchill.

* After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders on 14 August.