1939
World War Two began on 1 September 1939 with Germany's invasion of Poland. This marked a turning point for countries across the world, most of which would soon become part of a five-year war that resulted in the deaths of millions. The events of the war that took place in 1939 were key, providing Adolf Hilter and the other Axis Powers with a series of aggressive victories that would place them in good stead as the year drew to a close. So much so that countries had already surrendered to Nazi Germany's forces before the year was out.
The timeline below lists the sequence of events that took place in 1939, beginnign with the German invasion of Poland in September and ending with the expulsion of Russia from the League of Nations in December.
| 1939 | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 September | Germany invaded Poland and military tactic Blitzkrieg was first used. Britain and France gave an ultimatum to Germany to withdraw from Poland immediately. England made plans for Blackouts and evacuations. |
| 2 September | Hitler was given an ultimatum by Chamberlain: withdraw German troops from Poland or Britain will decalre war. The Polish air force had their air skills challenged by the Luftwaffe. |
| 3 September | Germany ignored Britain's ultimatum, leading Britain and France to declare war on Germany. British troops (the BEF) were sent over to France. The passenger liner "Athenia" was sunk by U-30 off of Ireland with a total of 112 passengers killed. |
| 4 September | The RAF raided German warships based in the Heligoland Bight. |
| 6 September | South Africa declared war on Germany; Egypt disconnected from Germany. |
| 9 September | The IV Panzer Division reached Warsaw. |
| 17 September | Russia's Red Army attacked Poland from the east. |
| 24 September | 1,150 German aircraft bombed Warsaw. |
| 26 September | The Royal Navy was attacked by the Luftwaffe at Scapa Flow. |
| 27 September | Poland surrendered to Germany. |
| 6 October | The last of the Polish troops stopped fighting. Hitler’s "Peace Offensive" was rejected by Neville Chamberlain. |
| 14 October | 'HMS Royal Oak' torpedoed at Scapa Flow by U-47. |
| 30 November | Russia's Red Army invaded Finland. |
| 13 December | The Battle of the River Plate was fought. |
| 14 December | Russia was expelled from the League of Nations. |
MLA Citation/Reference
"1939". HistoryLearning.com. 2024. Web.