World War II: Today marks the 80th anniversary of the onset of the most devastating wars to have taken place in the history of mankind. The Second World War, which erupted this day 80 years ago in eastern Europe, would spread through mainland Europe and claim millions of lives of civilians and military personnel and see countries from nearly all continents being drawn in.
The British Army in Italy in 1944. Wikimedia Commons.
Let us examine the timeline of the major events:
March 1939
Adolf Hitler backtracks on the Treaty of Munich and goes on to occupy the nation of Czechoslovakia, breaking the terms of the treaty signed between Germany, Italy, England and France.
1 September, 1939
Under the orders from Hitler, the German military initiates a full-fledged assault and invasion of the sovereign nation of Poland. England and France, which had, over the previous months, repeatedly provided assurances to Poland of swift retaliation against a German attack, are forced into declaring war against Germany and its allies on 3 September.
13 May, 1940
Under immense pressure from the Labor Party, Neville Chamberlain resigns from office and makes way for a new prime minister: Winston Churchill. By now, Germany has occupied Norway, Denmark, Holland as well as Belgium.
22 June, 1940
France, completely devastated by the German war machine, signs a peace armistice with Germany.
10 July to 31 October
The Battle of Britain is fought mainly against the airforce of Germany over the skies of industrial centres like London. Hitler hopes to break the morale of the British public with around the block bombings.
December 1940
Under the leadership of General Archibald Wavell, British forces succeed in routing the Italians in Africa.
22 June, 1941
Hitler initiates the ill-fated operation Barbarossa. The German military might descends upon Belorussia and Russia in an attempt to capture eastern oil fields of the Soviet Union. The Eastern Front would claim more than 20 million lives.
7 December, 1941
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, leading to the US and Britain declaring war on Imperial Japan.
November 1942
The Soviets gain a hard earned victory in the Battle of Stalingrad.
12 May, 1943
The Allies declared complete victory over the Axis in North Africa and route them on the continent.
6 June, 1944
The Allies carry out a bold invasion against German forces in western France.
25 August, 1954
The Allies liberate Paris from the Germans.
December 1944
The German military, in a last ditch attempt, fights the Battle of the Bulge through the Ardennes forests of Belgium to slow down the Allies and buy time. However, they are defeated.
28 April, 1945
Mussolini is captured by Italian partisans and executed.
30 April, 1945
Hitler commits suicide in his bunker along with his mistress Eva Braun.
7 May, 1945
The German military surrenders unconditionally to the western Allied military. 8 May is celebrated as Victory Day in Europe.
6 August, 1945
The Americans drop the Atomic Bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima after multiple refusals by Japanese generals to surrender. The Americans followed this up with another Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki on 9 August.
2 September, 1945
Japan officially surrenders to the US, thus bringing the Second World War to an end.
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