WORLD WAR II - 1939

March 15: German troops march into Prague and took Bohemia & Moravia.

March 16: Germans take Czechoslovakia

March 22: Germans annex Memel; Lithuanians forced to sign treaty with Germany

March 28: Spanish civil war ends

March 23: Poland rejects German proposals on Danzig

March 31: Chamberlain announces Anglo-French guarantees to Poland

April 7: Italy invades Albania. Spain joins Germany, Italy & Japan in Anti-comintern part.

April 13: Britain, France guarantee independence of Rumania & Greece

April 28: Hitler rejects Roosevelt’s peace proposals, denounces Anglo-German Naval pact and German-Polish Non-aggression pact.

May 22: Germany signs ‘Pact of Steel’ with Italy a military alliances.

August 12: Anglo-French mission to Russia begins talk in Moscow.

August 23: Germany signs Non-aggression pact with Russia.

August 25: Britain & Poland signs a mutual Assistance treaty. Mussolini tells Hitler that Italy is not ready for war.

September 1: Germany invades Poland. France & Britain demand withdrawal of German troops in Poland. Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden declare themselves as neutral. Italy declares neutral in war between its own ally Germany and Poland.

September 3: Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand and India declare war on Germany. Belgium announces its neutrality in any European war. British liner Athenia became the first victim of German U-boat victim. 112 civilians killed including 28 Americans.
September 4: Japan declares neutrality in any European war.

September 5: German troops cross the Vistula River in Poland. US proclaims its Neutrality.
September 6: South Africa declares war on Germany.
September 7: Saar Offensive, French forces invade Saar Valley in Germany and advances into 8 kms.

September 10: Canada declares war on Germany & the Battle of Atlantic begins.

September 17: Soviet Red army invades Poland.

September 19: Soviet troops occupy Vilna.

September 22: Red Army captures Lwow.

September 23: German troops withdraw to the demarcation line agreed with Russia.

September 27: Warsaw surrenders to Germany.

September 29: Germany & Soviets divide up Poland. Russia signs pact with Estonia & Finland.

October 12: Stalin presents territorial demands to Finns.

October 27: US neutrality bill passed in Senate House.
November 1: The Netherlands declare itself neutral but mobilizes army and navy.
November 7: The Netherlands and Belgium issue joint offer of Mediation to find a path to peace.
November 8: Left wing activists attempt to assassinate Hitler fails in Munich.

November 9: Finland rejects Soviet demand

November 13: Soviet declares war on Finland and plans to set up Puppet Finnish government.
November 15: Germany rejects Belgium - Dutch offer for peace.
November 23: British merchant ship HMS Rawalpindi sunk by German battleship Scharnhorst.
November 27: Japan army captures Nanning in China. 

November 30: USSR invades Finland and bombs Helsinki.
December 2: Finnish army falls back to defenses on the Mannerheim Line.
December 3: International Olympics Committee cancels 1940 Olympics to be held in Finland.

December 7: Russians reach main Karelian defense line.

December 13: Battle of the river plate.
December 14: Russia expelled from the League of Nations.

December 22: Strong Finnish counter attack.