World War II was a truly global war, lasting from 1939-1945.

The major events were:

Date	Event	Details
Sep 1939	Germany invaded Poland	The start of World War II. The Nazis' tactic of Blitzkrieg (lightning war) enabled them to conquer Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and France in the first 9 months of the war,
May-June 1940	Retreat from Dunkirk	With the French and British defeated on mainland Europe, Operation Dynamo successfully rescued about 338,000 British and French soldiers.
Jul-Oct 1940	Battle of Britain	Hitler attempted to defeat the British Royal Air Force in preparation for a planned invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The RAF held off the German Luftwaffe so the invasion could not happen.
Sep 1940-May 1941	The Blitz	Hitler tried to bomb Britain into submission by attacking British cities, especially London. About 43,000 civilians were killed and two million homes damaged or destroyed. The government and the press promoted a view of the Blitz Spirit, typified by the phrase 'Keep Calm and Carry On'.
Jun 1941	German invasion of USSR	Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa to try to capture oil reserves and expand its territory. Despite early successes, the invasion turned into a hugely bloody conflict and lost Germany the war.
Dec 1941	Pearl Harbor	Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbor. This led to the USA declaring war on both Japan and Nazi Germany, greatly strengthening the allied forces.
1942	Battle of El Alamein	The British commander Montgomery defeated Germany's Rommel in Egypt, North Africa, leading to success in the Desert War and removing the threat to the Suez Canal, a vital route for trade and supplies.
Jun 1944	D-Day Landings	A huge allied force landed in Normandy against strong resistance. This was the start of the liberation of France and other Western European countries. The allies had also started to recapture Italy from Sep 1943. Meanwhile the USSR was advancing West, taking Warsaw (Poland) in Jan 1945.
May 1945	VE Day	By the end of April 1945, Soviet forces captured Berlin, the capital of Germany and Hitler shot himself. The German army surrended on 8th May, marking Victory in Europe.
Aug 1945	Dropping of atomic bombs	The war in the Pacific continued. In August, the USA dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and then on Nagasaki. Around 200,000 people died. This is the only time that atomic bombs have been used in conflict. Six days later, the Japanese government surrended, ending WWII.

Year 9 Challenges and Change

Key Events of World War II