World War II Chronology

World War II Chronology

These details have not all been double checked, they have been pulled together from various books and websites to give context for the time that posters were produced. 1938 September Munich Crisis 1939 March End of Civil War, Spain August 23rd Nazi/Soviet non-aggression pact September 1st Germany invades Poland 3rd Britain, France, Australia, NZ & India v. Germany 10th Canada v. Germany 17th Soviet Union invades E. Poland 27th Surrender of Warsaw November 30th Soviet Union invades Finland December 17th German Graf Spee scuttled 17th 1st Canadian troops arrived in UK 1940 March 12th Finland treaty with Soviet Union. 28th Allied leaders agree no armistice without prior agreement April 9th Germany occupies Denmark & invades Norway May 10th Germany invades Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg 15th Holland surrenders 26th Dunkirk evacuation begins 27th Belgium surrenders June 4th Dunkirk evacuation ends 10th Italy declares war – Axis 10th Norway surrenders 14th German army -> Paris 18th Soviets invade Baltic States 22nd France surrenders 30th Channel Islands occupied July 10th Battle of Britain commences 11th Petain = Head of French Vichy Government August 3rd Italy occupies British Somaliland September 13th Italy invades Egypt 27th Germany, Italy & Japan – Tripartite Pact October 7th Germany invades Rumania 28th Italy invades Greece November 14th Greek army repels Italians into Albania 22nd Italians defeated by Greeks December 11th British capture Sidi Barrani (Egypt) from Italians 17th British an attacking force in Libya 1941 January 5th Australians capture Bardia, Libya 22nd British/Australians capture Tobruk February 6th British/Australians capture Benghazi 25th British capture Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland. March 1st Bulgaria joins Axis 25th Yugoslavia signs Tripartite pact 27th Yugoslav Govt. overthrown 30th Germany v. N. Africa April 4th Germans capture Benghazi. 6th Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece. 10th Germans take Zagreb. 12th Germans occupy Belgrade. 13th Soviets and Japanese sign neutrality pact. 17th Yugoslavia surrenders. 22nd Germans capture Thessalonika. 27th Germans capture Athens. 28th Germans take Sollum. May 15th British re-capture Sollum and Halfaya. 20th German airborne invasion of Crete. 31st British forces in Crete defeated. June 8th Allied forces invade Syria. 22nd Operation Barbarossa – Germany invades Soviet Union. 22nd Italy and Rumania declare war on Soviets. 23rd Hungary and Slovakia declare war on Soviets. 26th Finland declares war on Soviets. 28th Germany captures Minsk. July 15th Germans capture Smolensk August 16th Germans capture Novogrod September 5th Germany occupies Estonia 15th Siege of Leningrad starts 19th Kiev captured by Germans October 16th USSR Govt to Kuibyshev 24th Kharkov to Germany 25th Prince of Wales- flagship battleship sails for Singapore November 3rd Kursk captured 14th Ark Royal sunk nr Gibraltar 22nd Rostov captured 25th Moscow attacked December 5th Germans halt attack on Moscow. 7th Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour/ Japanese declare war on USA. 7th Japanese invade Siam and Malaya. 8th Allies (except Soviets) declare war on Japan. 11th Germany declares war on USA. 25th Japanese capture Hong Kong. 25th British Re-capture Benghazi. 1942 January 2nd Japanese capture Manila. 11th British re-take Sollum. 11th Japanese take Kuala Lumpur. 13th Soviets recapture Kiev. February 15th Signapore falls to Japan March 8th Japanese enter Rangoon May 6th British capture Madagascar 6th Surrender of all US forces on Phillipines 28th Germans defeat Soviets @ Kharkov 31st Raids on Cologne June 4th Battle of Midway – 4 Japanese carriers sunk 11th US & USSR – lend lease deal signed. July 3rd Sevastapol falls to Germans August 22nd Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy October 23rd Battle of El Alamein begins November 8th Operation Torch begins – Allies invade NW Africa 1943 January 14th Casablanca Conference begins – Roosevelt demands “Unconditional Surrender”. 28th British 8th Army captures Tripoli. 31st German surrender at Stalingrad. February 8th Soviets re-capture Kursk. 14th Soviets re-capture Rostov. 16th Soviets re-capture Kharkov. March 15th Germany re-takes Kharkov May 12th Surrender of Axis forces in N. Africa June 16th RAF starts heavy bombardment of Sicily July 10th Operation Husky – Allied landings in Sicily 25th Mussolini’s Italian Fascist government overthrown 26th Marshal Badoglio declares martial law in Italy August 23rd Soviets re-capture Kharkov September 3rd Italy signs armistice. 10th Germans occupy Rome. 23rd Mussolini declares Fascist government in Northern Italy. 25th Soviets re-take Smolensk. October 13th Official Italian Govt. declares war on Germany November 6th Soviets re-capture Kiev 1944 January 6th Soviets advance into Poland 22nd Allied landings in Anzio 27th End of Leningrad siege March 19th Hungary occupied by Germans April 10th Soviets capture Odessa May 9th Sevastapol to Soviets 18th Monte Casino to Poles June 4th Rome captured by Allies. 6th Operation Neptune/Overlord (D-Day) – Allied invasion of Normandy. (Bad weather delayed start) 27th US Army captures Cherbourg. July 3rd Soviets re-capture Minsk. 7th Japanese defeat on Saipan. 9th Allies capture Caen. 20th German assassination attempt on Hitler fails. 21st US landings on Guam. 25th Beginning of Operation Cobra – Allied breakout from Normandy. 28th Soviets take Brest-Litovsk. August 4th Allies liberate Florence. 15th Operation Anvil – Allied landings in South of France. 25th Allies liberate Paris. 28th Liberation of Marseilles/Toulon. 30th Germans abandon Bulgaria. 31st Soviets capture Bucharest. September 2nd Pisa liberated. 3rd Antwerp/Brussels liberated. 5th Soviets declare war on Bulgaria. 12th Le Havre liberated. 17th Operation Market Garden – failed airborne assault in Holland. 22nd Boulogne liberated. 26th Estonia occupied by Soviets. 28th – Liberation of Calais. October 1st Soviets enter Yugoslavia. 4th Allies land in Greece. 14th Athens liberated. 20th Liberation of Belgrade. 21st Allies capture Aachen. 23rd Soviets enter East Prussia. November 4th Surrender of Axis forces in Greece. 24th French capture Strasbourg. December 16th German attack through Ardennes – Battle of the Bulge begins. 26th US troops hold Bastogne – Ardennes offensive stalls. 1945 January 1st Germans withdraw Ardennes. 16th German Ardennes “Bulge” eliminated. 17th Soviets capture Warsaw. 26th Japanese retreat to Chinese coast. 26th Soviets liberate Auschwitz. February 2nd Trier captured by Allies. 4th Manila falls to Allies. 17th Koblenz falls to Allies. 19th Japanese evacuate Mandalay. 19th US landings on Iwo Jima. 20th Saarbrucken captured by Allies. 20th Danzig captured by Soviets. 23rd Poznan falls to Soviets. March 10th Massive US firebombing attack on Tokyo flatten city. April 1st US invades Okinawa. 10th Hanover falls to Allies. 11th Soviets and Yugoslavs sign treaty. 12th US President Roosevelt dies – Truman becomes President. 13th Soviets capture Vienna. 13th Buchenwald CC liberated 15th Allies capture Arnhem. 20th Nuremburg falls to Allies. 23rd Soviets enter Berlin. 28th Mussolini executed by partisans. 29th Dachau CC Liberated 30th Hitler commits suicide. May 2nd German forces in Italy surrender. 4th German forces in Holland, Denmark and N W Germany surrender. 5th Ceasefire on Western Front. 7th German unconditional surrender. 8th VE Day 9th Soviets occupy Prague. 9th Liberation of Channel Islands. 14th Ebensee CC (Austria) liberated 28th Lord Haw-Haw captured June 10th Australians invade Borneo. 22nd US forces capture Okinawa. July 16th 1st Atomic bomb tested New Mexico desert. August 6th Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 8th Soviets declare war on Japan. 9th Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki. 14th Japanese surrender. 15th VJ Day declared. 25th Lend-Lease ended September 5th British land in Singapore. 7th Japanese surrender Shanghai. 9th Surrender of remaining Japanese forces in China. 13th Japanese surrender in Burma. 16th Japanese surrender in Hong Kong. December 31st Nazi War Crimes Trials @ Nuremberg

Publicity Chronology

Publicity Chronology

These details were pulled together from reading and writing whilst progressing through the PhD to give context for the time that posters were produced. It was abadoned as a part of the thesis, but I intend to add further dates in the future. 1935 October 14th Committee for Imperial Defence meet. Sub-committee formed to plan for establishment of the MOI. Robinson/Leeper & Reith produced papers. 1936 December Sir Stephen Tallents appointed D.G. Designate of MOI 1937 November Preparatory work for publicity division of MOI – expected to be easy to form at short notice. December BIPO & Mass-Observation formed 1938 July Planning of the Home Publicity Division commenced. September Government Information Bureau formed => forerunner to MOI. MOI mobilised for 2 days over Munich December Late Tallents produced 6 stage plan for CID Committee to avoid unpreparedness of Munich. Felt to be unacceptable so resigned 1939 September 4th Lord Macmillian – MOI (formed) 9th RAF leaflet ‘bombing’ raid on Germany 19th Sir EWM Grigg – Parliamentary Secretary, MOI October 20th War Office recommends soldiers read Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto 30th ‘The Lion Has Wings’ 1st shown November 22nd National Savings Scheme – ‘Lend to Defend the Right to be Free’ 26th Chamberlain’s first broadcast 1940 January 5th Sir JCW Reith – MOI 30th Waste Collection Campaign February 6th Fougasse’s Careless Talk posters March Home Intelligence Division formed April 3rd No Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information 6th Leaflet raids on Germany suspended May 12th Duff Cooper – MOI (with Cabinet status) 17th Harold Nicolson – Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information August Frank Pick dismissed as D.G. of MOI, replaced by Monckton with Radcliffe as DDG. December Campbell Stuart resigns from MOI – what was deemed suitable for WW1, was not for WW2 1941 March 9th Bevin appealed for 100,000 women to work in factories – not to wait for instructions April 14th Churchill instructs MOI to stop publishing demoralising weekly figures for shipping losses June Wartime Social Survey: Regional panels of correspondents recruited. July 20th Brendan Bracken – MOI 21st Ernest Thurtle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information September 17th British to eat more potatoes -’Potato Pete’ 1942 November No longer regular summary of morale/public opinion to War Cabinet December Extensive VD Campaign begun 1944 July Home Intelligence reports considered superfluous 1946 April MOI becomes Central Office of Information

UK Events Chronology

UK Events Chronology

These details have not all been double checked, they have been pulled together from various books and websites to give context for the time that posters were produced. 1939 February Free Air Raid shelters promised for London’s poor. March Britain and France pledge to protect Poland from attack April Bill for limited conscription May TUC agrees to support conscription plans. June RAF said to be producing 750 planes per month. August Royal Navy mobilised, reserves called up. 31st Evacuation of children begins September 3rd 1st air raid warning near Croydon 22nd Petrol Rationing 26th Churchill claims Britain winning boat war 29th National Census, re: rationing/mobilisation October 10th – WLA recruitment suspended as ½ million enrolled December 2nd Conscription extended to all men 19-41 1940 January 8th Butter/sugar/bacon rationed February 12th Paper rationing March 3rd Announced £100m invested in National Savings since start of war. 11th Meat rationing April 3rd Lord Woolton = Minister of Food 30th 1st civilian deaths in Clacton due to Nazi plane crashing May 8th Chamberlain resigns 10th Churchill becomes Prime Minister 13th Churchill offers ‘blood, sweat & tears’ 22nd Emergency Powers Act 27th Butter ration reduced/ sign posts reduced June 4th Churchill ‘We shall fight’ speech 5th Strike action banned 17th Churchill ‘Finest Hour’ speech July 11th Beaverbrook Aluminium appeal. WVS to handle collection 20th Buying/Selling new cars banned 23rd LDV renamed ‘Home Guard’ 23rd Emergency Budget – High taxes on luxury goods August 12th 1st German shell lands on Dover 20th Churchill ‘Never was so much owed’ speech 24th London’s 1st bombing raid 26th Portsmouth bombed 28th Liverpool bombed From this point London heavily bombed, avg. 6,000 dead per month September 6th Forces on ‘yellow alert’ – invasion = 3 days 10th Buckingham Palace damaged by bomb 21st Underground allowed as bomb shelter October 9th St Paul’s Cathedral bombed 21st 200th air raid on Liverpool November 9th Neville Chamberlain dies 15th Coventry bombed 30th Southampton bombed December 3rd Extra rations tea/sugar for Christmas 30th London – v. heavy raids. Many landmarks hit. 31st Firewatching compulsory 1941 January 1st 1st BBC ‘Brains Trust’ 16th Bristol raided February 9th Churchill ‘Give us the tools’ speech. March 17th Jam & Marmalade rationed April 19th Essential work order for women to register their case 20th Heaviest air raids since December on London. 21st-24th Plymouth heavily bombed May 11th Worst bombing on London 13th House of Commons hit June 22nd Churchill – speech promises to aid USSR 29th Cabinet Reshuffle July 27th Bombing raid on London – 1st raid for 10 weeks (900 killed – previous months = 6,000+) October 18th Picture Post – circulation of 1 million. December 4th Unmarried women 20-30 called up. 1942 February 9th Soap rationing 26th Govt. outlines post-war employment/housing plans March 4th Minister for post-war reconstruction appointed 5th Conscription for men extended to men ages 40, women 20-30 11th Black marketeers – up to 14 years prison. 11th National Wheatmeal loaf replaces white bread – advertisements = ineffective April 2nd 1st women conscientious objectors face trial June 1st Fripperies banned on clothing 3rd Govt. takes over coal mines 6th Undetected bomb explodes @ Elephant & Castle July 26th Sweets & chocolate rationed. August 10th Colchester raided 31st Utility Furniture introduced September 8th Churchill guardedly promises Stalin the ’2nd Front’ December 1st Beveridge Report 15th Regulation 33B (VD) approved by HOC. 16th German ‘hit and run’ raids on 20 Southern towns. 1943 January 23rd Unemployment lowest in history, under 100,000. February 21st Red Army Day March 3rd Benthal Green tube disaster – 173 died of suffocation. 7th ‘Wings for Victory’ launched April 25th Ban on ringing of Church Bells raised (No alternative invasion signal provided) 30th Hore-Belisha – speech at Blenheim – more died as road casualties in 1942 than in armed forces since war commenced. June 13th Germans drop 1st ‘butterfly’ anti-personnel bombs. 30th Churchill receives ‘Freedom of the City of London’ and states that surrender must be unconditional. July 16th R.A. Butler promised Education would be reformed. 29th Recruitment for women’s services halted as more needed for aircraft production. September 24th Bevin – manpower crisis looming – need many more industry 30th Unofficial strikes causing problems October 29th Thames Dockers on strike November 20th Mosley released from prison on health grounds = protests December 2nd ‘Bevin Boys’ call-up to the mines begins 1944 January 18th First ‘Bevin Boys’ start in the pits 21st ‘Mini Blitz’ strikes Southern England. 1st raid in months February 1st Clothing restrictions lifted 9th King & Queen eat 1/- miners lunch: ‘It is a long time since we had a better meal’ 17th Govt. announces NHS plans 24th Miners – 4 yr pay deal April 27th All foreign travel banned 29th Practice for Operation Overlord – 638 US soldiers die. 30th Intensified bombing campaign on communications in France May 6th Last Operation Overlord practice 8th Date for D-Day set as 5th June June 13th 1st 10 V1 rockets (4 landed) 18th V1 nr Buckingham Palace – 119 die July 3rd London evacuation begins (High death tolls from V1s) August 28th Plans to deflect V1s paying off – 94 launched, 4 got through. September 6th Home Guard partially stood down. 6th Blackout relaxed 17th Blackout replaced by ‘dim-out’ 18th 1st V2 rockets fired October 8th Ministry of Social Insurance formed 16th 1st British soldier demobilised November 10th Churchill admits to the V2 rockets. (100 already landed) 20th Street lights turned on. December 3rd Farewell parade of the Home Guard 1945 February 20th Churchill, Roosevelt & Stalin met Crimea – Churchill promises to throw weight behind war with Japan April 24th ‘Dim-out’ abolished except in 5 coastal regions May 23rd Churchill resigns in preparation for general election June 12th Eisenhower given Freedom of City of London 18th Mass demobilisation begins. (30,000 per week) July 5th General election (results delayed to collect servicemen’s votes) 26th Labour victory declared August 2nd End of Potsdam Conference 3rd Attlee appoints 19 new ministers 17th secret of RADAR revealed 17th Social reform programme announced, centred on NHS September 2nd Press censorship ends October 7th First F. Eastern PoWs arrive November 5th Dockers Strike ends