Show milestones ON mcm TO 0 VIC the beginning of the gigantic gigant ic life and death struggle known as world war II 11 is generally set as september 1 1939 the day the german armies rolled into poland two days later france and england declared war on germany blitzkrieg tactics flattened polish resistance in less than a month then began the half year of phoney war at the maginot line in the spring of 1940 german troops overran norway and denmark forcing out the british early in may the campaign that frightened the entire world opened holland belgium and then france itself capitulated b by Y the middle of june italy came in on germanys germanas Germ anys side the british expeditionary force barely escaped destruction st at dunkerque Dunker que september 1940 saw the massed air attacks on britain by which hitler hoped for a quick victory the RAF held off the nazi bombers until winter when weather brought a slack ening of attacks that autumn of 1940 1910 was probably the perie of gravest peril to civilization in in many centuries britain almost succumbed I 1 during the spring of 1941 nazi troops smashed into the balkans to to aid the italians invading yugoslavia and greece bulgaria joined the axis voluntarily germany controlled all of continental europe excepting russia by the middle of the year without warning on june 22 nazi armies crossed the russian border in a tremendous drive As alarmed america prepared for defense japan attacked without warning at pearl harbor in the hawaiian islands and the U S was immediately at war with both japan and germany by mid 1942 american marines stopped the japs on guad al canal in africa the british baited the drive on the suez canal and counterattacked counter attacked successfully cess fully the russians Bus epic defense of stalingrad Stal ingrad stalled the german thrust into the caucasus the tide had turned in the fall american and british troops landed in northern africa the great russian counteroffensive began in february of 1943 it rolled fiercely until mid july when the retreating nazis stiffened and brought it to a standstill in central poland meanwhile the air offensive from the british isles was battering german cities and ports preparatory to the invasion june 6 1944 was the big day the invasion of western europe from england after landing on the coast of france american and british troops battled inland almost all france was under allied control by november 1944 advance tank units were attacking on the german border by december A substantial german counteroffensive was checked as the year ended on march 2 the american ninth army reached the rhine river within in two weeks this great natural defense line was crossed racing tank corps smashed to the elbe river 30 miles from berlin and halted t to await junction with the russians this signal event took place on april 27 far F ar to the south american and russian armies were roaring through austria to seal off southern germany organized resistance crumbled as german soldiers gave up in enormous numbers |