Here is how it all started...
***NEWS***
July 1st, 1939
The Road to War: political highlights 1933 - 1939...
January 1933: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
1935-6: Abyssinia invaded and annexed by Fascist Italy
March 1936: Germany reoccupies demilitarised Rhineland
Hitler realises that Anglo-French unwilling to fight
July 1936: Spanish Civil War after right-wing coup fails
Sept. 1938: Czechs forced to cede Sudetenland to Germany
March 1939: rump of Czechoslovakia annexed by Germany
July 1939: Hitler offers Stalin terms for dividing East
Hitler demands concessions from Poles on borders, Danzig
Britain & France unconditionally guarantee Poland.
July 8th, 1939
Red Army occupies Bessarabia and Bukovina
Rumania joins the Axis
Rumania's Antonescu seeks Axis alliance to thwart USSR
July 15th, 1939
Axis successfully defend Danzig (Free City).
Axis successfully defend Danzig (Free City).
July 29th, 1939
Germans enter Poland claiming 'border provocations'
Western public favors war in support of Poland
Axis capture Ocksywie.
August 12th, 1939
USSR annexes the Baltic States to 'Mother Russia'
Axis forces enter Warsaw: Poland now part of Reich
Baltic States occupied: repression and deportations
August 19th, 1939
Poland collapses: Hitler and Stalin stake their claims
Eastern Poland collapses: repression and deportations
September 2nd, 1939
French mobilise, signs of low morale among conscripts
French patrols probe cautiously into Saarland
Maginot Line garrisons brought to full strength
Great Britain and France are now at war with Germany
Belgium mobilises, allows UK & French troops to enter
Winston Churchill appointed First Lord of the Admiralty
Armee De L'Air placed on war footing
Stalin orders Red Army to conquer Finland within weeks
Finland mobilises against the USSR
Allies protest USSR attack, Swedish concern.
Poles vow to fight on alongside UK and France
Allies announce naval blockade on Germany and satellites
Finns refuse Russian ultimatum, appeal for aid
September 9th, 1939
Italy joins the Axis: 'New Roman Empire' promised
Axis forces enter Belgium, Holland & Luxembourg
Belgium and the Netherlands join the Allies
French colonial troops mobilised for battle
Yugoslavia mobilises: only ALLIED if Axis declared war
Greece mobilises: only fully ALLIED if Axis declared war
Fighting breaks out in Africa: Allies reinforce Horn
Mussolini pleads for supplies and equipment from Hitler
German Blitzkrieg paralyses Allied armies (70% shock)
Ill-prepared Italy led into war by Mussolini
Allies determined to defend Belgium
Bulgaria joins the Axis
King Boris mobilises Bulgaria to support Axis
Arnhem has been reduced to ruins.
Allies successfully defend Arnhem.
Liege has been reduced to ruins.
Axis capture Liege.
Allies successfully defend Namur.
September 16th, 1939
Key Polish fortress-city of Brest-Litovsk falls
Axis capture Arnhem.
Namur has been reduced to ruins.
Axis capture Namur.
September 23rd, 1939
Finnish reserves mobilise to meet attack
Allied GHQs recover from initial shock of blitzkrieg
Brussels has been reduced to ruins.
Allies successfully defend Brussels.
Rotterdam has been reduced to ruins.
Allies successfully defend Rotterdam.
Axis capture Brussels.
Allies successfully defend Rotterdam.
Axis capture Rotterdam.
September 30th, 1939
Axis troops and Belgian Rexists occupy Brussels
King Leopold orders Belgian Army to surrender
Greece mobilises: only fully ALLIED if Axis declared war
Amsterdam has been reduced to ruins.
Allies successfully defend Amsterdam.
Axis capture Amsterdam.
October 7th, 1939
Axis forces and Dutch fascists occupy Amsterdam
October 14th, 1939
Dutch Fleet continues fight as Holland collapses
Cambrai has been reduced to ruins.
Axis successfully defend Cambrai.
October 21st, 1939
Lille has been reduced to ruins.
Allies successfully defend Lille.
LUXEMBOURG has been reduced to ruins.
Axis successfully defend LUXEMBOURG.
Axis successfully defend Cambrai.
Axis successfully defend LUXEMBOURG.
Allies capture Cambrai.
October 28th, 1939
Axis capture Namur.
Allies successfully defend Lille.
November 4th, 1939
Allies successfully defend Lille.
Allies successfully defend Lille.
Allies successfully defend Lille.
Allies successfully defend Lille.
November 11th, 1939
Axis capture Cambrai.
Axis capture Lille.
November 18th, 1939
Axis success in Egypt brings anti-British unrest in Iraq
Axis successfully defend Lille.
Axis successfully defend Cambrai.
Axis successfully defend Lille.
Allies capture Cambrai.
November 25th, 1939
Arab uprising organised by pro-Axis Rashid Ali in Iraq
Iraq joins Axis. Local UK units mobilise, Indians arrive
Matrula has been reduced to ruins.
Allies capture Matrula.
Allies capture Namur.
Axis successfully defend Lille.
Axis successfully defend Lille.
Allies successfully defend Sidi Barrani.
Allies successfully defend Cambrai.
Allies successfully defend Sidi Barrani.
December 2nd, 1939
Axis capture Sidi Barrani.
Axis capture Namur.
December 16th, 1939
Worst European winter for years:'Phoney War'/'Sitzkrieg'
NKVD claim to have stamped out Ukrainian separatists
Indecision grips both sides as harsh winter bites in '39
January 6th, 1940
Limited resistance as Allies insist on Shah's abdication
Unrest in Iraq spreads to Iran: UK sends Indian units