Every pivotal moment of World War II from the invasion of Poland to V-J Day, on an interactive zoomable timeline.
The deadliest conflict in human history, from the invasion of Poland in 1939 to Japan's surrender in 1945 - Blitzkrieg, Pearl Harbor, Stalingrad, D-Day, and the atomic bombs that ended it. Zoom into 1944-45 to see how quickly the Axis collapsed once the tide turned.
Nazi Germany invaded Poland using blitzkrieg tactics, marking the official beginning of World War II. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. Polish forces resisted but were overwhelmed by German forces from the west and Soviet forces from the east under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
The German Luftwaffe launched a massive air campaign to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force as a prelude to invasion. RAF Fighter Command successfully defended Britain in the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. Hitler indefinitely postponed Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain.
Germany launched the largest invasion in military history against the Soviet Union with over 3 million troops. The surprise attack shattered the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact and opened the Eastern Front. Initial German advances were rapid, but the invasion would ultimately fail and become Germany's greatest strategic mistake.
Japanese forces launched a surprise military strike on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing over 2,400 Americans and sinking or damaging eight battleships. The attack brought the United States into World War II. President Roosevelt called it "a date which will live in infamy" and Congress declared war on Japan the next day.
U.S. naval forces decisively defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy near Midway Atoll in the Pacific. American dive bombers sank four Japanese aircraft carriers, turning the tide of the Pacific War. This battle is considered the most important naval engagement of WWII and marked the end of Japanese expansion.
One of the bloodiest battles in history, Soviet forces defended Stalingrad against a massive German assault in brutal urban warfare. The Soviets encircled and destroyed the German 6th Army, killing or capturing over 800,000 Axis troops. This devastating defeat marked the beginning of Germany's retreat on the Eastern Front and became a major turning point.
Axis forces in North Africa surrendered to the Allies in Tunisia, ending the three-year North African Campaign. Over 275,000 German and Italian troops were captured. The Allied victory secured Mediterranean shipping lanes, provided a launching point for the invasion of Italy, and boosted Allied morale significantly.
Allied forces launched a massive amphibious and airborne invasion of Sicily, the first invasion of Axis home territory. Over 160,000 troops landed on the first day in one of the largest operations of the war. The successful conquest led to Mussolini's overthrow and Italy's eventual surrender.
Italy announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies, though German forces quickly occupied much of the country. The surrender was secretly signed five days earlier but announced after Allied landings at Salerno. Italy would later declare war on Germany, becoming a co-belligerent with the Allies for the remainder of the war.
Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history, landing over 156,000 troops on five Normandy beaches. Despite heavy casualties, the Allies established a crucial foothold in Nazi-occupied France. The operation marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from German control.
French and American forces liberated Paris from four years of Nazi occupation after street fighting and an uprising by the French Resistance. German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered, defying Hitler's orders to destroy the city. General Charles de Gaulle triumphantly entered Paris and led a victory parade down the Champs-Élysées the following day.
Germany launched a massive surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest in a desperate attempt to split Allied lines and capture Antwerp. The attack created a "bulge" in Allied lines and initially caught American forces off guard. After fierce fighting in brutal winter conditions, the Allies repelled the attack, Germany's last major offensive of the war.
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in Yalta to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and the final defeat of Germany. They agreed on Germany's unconditional surrender, division into occupation zones, and Soviet entry into the war against Japan. The conference shaped the post-war order but later became controversial for concessions made to Stalin.
U.S. Marines invaded the strategic island of Iwo Jima, eight square miles of volcanic rock heavily fortified by 21,000 Japanese defenders. The battle was among the bloodiest in Marine Corps history, with nearly 7,000 American deaths. The iconic flag-raising on Mount Suribachi became one of the war's most famous images.
U.S. forces invaded Okinawa, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater, facing fierce Japanese resistance including massive kamikaze attacks. The battle cost over 12,000 American lives and demonstrated the extreme cost of invading the Japanese home islands. The carnage influenced the decision to use atomic weapons to end the war.
Soviet forces launched their final assault on Berlin with over 2.5 million troops, encircling and capturing Hitler's capital in brutal urban combat. Hitler committed suicide in his bunker on April 30th as Soviet forces closed in. The fall of Berlin effectively ended the war in Europe and Nazi Germany.
Germany's unconditional surrender took effect, ending World War II in Europe after nearly six years of conflict. Celebrations erupted across Allied nations as Churchill and Truman declared victory. The war had devastated Europe, killed tens of millions, and revealed the horrors of the Holocaust, fundamentally reshaping the world order.
The U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare on Hiroshima, instantly killing an estimated 80,000 people with many more dying from radiation. The B-29 Enola Gay delivered "Little Boy," which destroyed five square miles of the city. President Truman warned Japan of "utter destruction" if it did not surrender immediately.
Three days after Hiroshima, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing approximately 40,000 instantly. The "Fat Man" plutonium bomb demonstrated America's ability to continue atomic attacks. Combined with the Soviet declaration of war on Japan the same day, these events forced Japan's decision to surrender.
Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender in a radio address, ending World War II after six years of global conflict. Massive celebrations erupted worldwide as the deadliest conflict in human history concluded, having killed an estimated 70-85 million people. The formal surrender was signed on September 2nd aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
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