World War II Major Events Cheat Sheet
This acronym is NB: "PG-BOMB-DASH-VAN" [See end of document]
1939
• Sept 1: Germany invades Poland – Starts WWII as Britain & France declare
war.
• Sept 17: Soviet Union invades Poland – Poland is split between Nazi Germany
& USSR.
1940
• May 10: Germany invades France & the Low Countries – Leads to French
surrender (June 22).
• July–Oct: Battle of Britain – First major air battle; Britain resists German
invasion.
1941
• June 22: Operation Barbarossa – Germany invades USSR, opening the Eastern
Front.
• Dec 7: Attack on Pearl Harbor – Brings the U.S. into WWII against Axis powers.
1942
• June 4-7: Battle of Midway – Turning point in the Pacific; Japan suffers heavy
losses.
• Aug 23–Feb 2 (1943): Battle of Stalingrad – Turning point on the Eastern Front;
Germany retreats.
1943
• July 10: Allies invade Sicily – Leads to Mussolini’s fall & Italy switching sides.
1944
• June 6: D-Day (Normandy Invasion) – Major Allied push into Western Europe.
• Dec 16–Jan 25 (1945): Battle of the Bulge – Germany’s last major offensive
fails.
1945
• April 30: Hitler commits suicide – Signals Nazi Germany’s imminent collapse.
• May 8: VE Day (Victory in Europe) – Germany surrenders; war in Europe ends.
• Aug 6 & 9: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki – Forces Japan’s
surrender.
• Sept 2: VJ Day (Victory over Japan) – WWII officially ends.
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This acronym is NB: "PG-BOMB-DASH-VAN" [See end of document]
1939
• Sept 1: Germany invades Poland – Starts WWII as Britain & France declare
war.
• Sept 17: Soviet Union invades Poland – Poland is split between Nazi Germany
& USSR.
1940
• May 10: Germany invades France & the Low Countries – Leads to French
surrender (June 22).
• July–Oct: Battle of Britain – First major air battle; Britain resists German
invasion.
1941
• June 22: Operation Barbarossa – Germany invades USSR, opening the Eastern
Front.
• Dec 7: Attack on Pearl Harbor – Brings the U.S. into WWII against Axis powers.
1942
• June 4-7: Battle of Midway – Turning point in the Pacific; Japan suffers heavy
losses.
• Aug 23–Feb 2 (1943): Battle of Stalingrad – Turning point on the Eastern Front;
Germany retreats.
1943
• July 10: Allies invade Sicily – Leads to Mussolini’s fall & Italy switching sides.
1944
• June 6: D-Day (Normandy Invasion) – Major Allied push into Western Europe.
• Dec 16–Jan 25 (1945): Battle of the Bulge – Germany’s last major offensive
fails.
1945
• April 30: Hitler commits suicide – Signals Nazi Germany’s imminent collapse.
• May 8: VE Day (Victory in Europe) – Germany surrenders; war in Europe ends.
• Aug 6 & 9: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima & Nagasaki – Forces Japan’s
surrender.
• Sept 2: VJ Day (Victory over Japan) – WWII officially ends.
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