Timeline: American Involvement

Event/Battle Germany invades Poland Germany&s blit'(rie! ta(es estern $)rope 1attle o% 1ritain "#S# enacts dra%t bill 2end-2ease plan Date Location Significance Follo in! non-a!!ression treaty ith Soviet "nion, German troops invade Poland# $n!land and France declare ar on Germany# Soviets invade Poland %rom $ast# /enmar(, 0or ay, 0ethlerlands, 1el!i)m, 2)3embo)r!, and France cr)shed by German o%%ensive German bombers r)in 1ritish cities in attempt to obtain 1ritish s)rrender be%ore "#S# entry# 1ritain&s brea(in! o% German code 45"ltra56 helps overcome air attac(s# 8e!istration o% all men bet een 91 and 3:# 2imit o% 9--,--- men in time o% peace# "#S# o)ld 5lend5 military e;)ipment to cash-strapped 1ritain# Germany be!ins t o-%ront ar ith invasion o% 8)ssia# Germans halt 1: miles %rom *osco in /ecember 19,1# F/8 and 7h)rchill a!ree to ar aims, sel%-determination, and condemnation o% 0a'ism# 3>1 +apanese arplanes attac( American air%ields and shipyards, disablin! 19 ships, destroyin! 9-- planes, and (illin! over 93-- men# So)theast Asia, <on! ?on!, *alaya, Philippines soon %all to +apan# 7on!ress approves entry into ar# Germany and Italy declare ar on "#S# Threat on <a aii ended as %o)r +apanese aircra%t carriers are s)n(# <)!e Allied landin! %orces Germany to retreat to T)nisia, here they are s)rro)nded by 1ritish and American %orces# Americans ta(e %irst island in start o% island-hoppin! strate!y# Germans s)rrender a%ter %ierce hand-to-hand %i!htin! and h)!e cas)alties %or each side# Aver 9:-,--- German and Italian troops are capt)red and Allies prepare to invade Sicily and Italy# In lar!est amphibio)s invasion in history, over 9:-,--- American and 1ritish troops land# Germans and Italians escape to mainland o% Italy#

September 1, Polish-German 1939 border *arch-+)ne 19,Fall 19,September 19,0ovember 19,.estern $)rope Great 1ritain .ashin!ton /#7# .ashin!ton /#7# Polish-8)ssian border

Germany invades 8)ssia +)ne 19,1 Atlantic 7harter +apan attac(s Pearl <arbor F/8 as(s %or ar on +apan *id ay

A)!)st 19,1 0orth Atlantic /ecember =, <a aii 19,1 /ecember @, .ashin!ton/# 7# 19,1 +)ne 19,9 7entral Paci%ic 0orth A%rica Solomon Islands, So)th Paci%ic 7entral 8)ssia T)nisia, 0orth A%rica Sicily

Allies attac( Germans in 0ovember 0orth A%rica 19,9 G)adalcanal Germans s)rrender at Stalin!rad Germans s)rrender at T)nisia Allies invade Sicily Febr)ary 19,3 Febr)ary 19,3 *ay 19,3 +)ly 19,3

Italy s)rrenders /-/ay Invasion 1attle o% 2eyte G)l% 1attle o% the 1)l!e To(yo 1ombin! 8aids 8)ssians ta(e 1erlin B-$ /ay A(ina a

September 19,3 +)ne >, 19,, Actober 19,, /ecember 19,, *arch 19,: April 19,:

Italy 0ormandy coast o% France Paci%ic east o% Philippines French-German1el!ian border To(yo, +apan 1erlin, Germany

Altho)!h Italian troops ;)it %i!htin! Allies, Germans contin)e in %ierce %i!htin!# 8ome %inally s)rrenders on +)ne ,, 19,,# Allies )se ,>-- ships to invade German-held France# S)%%erin! heavy cas)alites, the Allies ere able to reta(e Paris in A)!)st# >- +apanese ships in lar!est naval battle in history# German co)ntero%%ensive almost s)cceeds in reta(in! 1el!i)m b)t is cr)shed ith Allied rein%orcements# American bombers destroy 9:-,--- b)ildin!s and (ill @3,--- in massive %ire-bombin!# 8)ssians ta(e German capital a%ter ho)se-to-ho)se %i!htin!# <itler commits s)icide# German !overnment iss)es )nconditional s)rrender to Allied %orces#

*ay =, 19,: $)rope

April to +)ne Fi!htin! %rom caves and b)n(ers, +apanese in%lict @-,--- losses on Americans# Aver 3So)thern tip o% +apan 19,: American ships are s)n( by +apanese s)icide missions# Philippine Islands +apan +apan A%ter *anila&s %all to Americans in *ay, +apanese s)rrender here a%ter in%lictin! >-,--American cas)alties# 1@-,--- (illed, o)nded, or missin! a%ter atomic bomb is dropped# T o days later Soviet "nion enters ar a!ainst +apan# Second bomb is dropped a%ter +apanese delay s)rrender# @-,--- (illed or missin!# +apan s)rrenders ith one term: the emperor m)st retain his throne#

Gen# *acArth)r reta(es +)ly 19,: Philippines <iroshima 0a!asa(i B-+ /ay A)!)st >, 19,: A)!)st 9, 19,:

September 9, To(yo 1ay 19,: