14th July 1933
The ‘Law Against the Formation of Parties’ is introduced, making the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (Nazi Party), the only legal political party in Germany, and turning Germany into a one party state.
Introduction to a World at War
Before the first shots were fired, the foundations of global conflict were laid during the Road to War (1933–1939). Following the rise of the Nazi Party and the collapse of international diplomacy, the world was set on an inevitable path toward War.
On 1st September 1939, World War II officially began with Germany’s invasion of Poland. France and the United Kingdom honoured their commitments to Poland, declaring war two days later, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. The Second World War became the most destructive conflict in human history, fought across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, drawing more than 50 nations into the conflict and causing some 60 million deaths.
During the first three years, Germany and Italy scored sweeping victories in Poland, France, Norway, the Balkans, Russia, and North Africa, while Japan won early successes at Pearl Harbor, Singapore, and the Philippines. By mid to late 1942, however, the Axis had suffered decisive defeats at Midway, El Alamein, and Stalingrad.
These setbacks, described by Churchill after El Alamein as ‘the End of the Beginning’, forced the Axis onto the defensive. Germany and Japan faced further defeats at Kursk, Sicily, and in the Solomons. With Italy’s surrender in September 1943, Germany and Japan were left to fight alone against a strengthening Allied coalition. By late 1944, they were pushed back to their pre-war borders and defeated in Normandy, Hungary, Burma, and Okinawa. Hitler’s suicide on 30 April 1945 preceded Germany’s surrender on the 7th May, while Japan capitulated on the 14th August after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet declaration of war.
The war’s aftermath reshaped the world order, exposing the atrocities committed by the Axis powers and shifting global influence from Britain and France to the United States and the Soviet Union. The unity that bound the Allies soon gave way to the mistrust of the Cold War.
The above introduction can give only a very brief overview of World War 2, but you can find out much more by exploring the pages within WorldWar-2.com, which will help you uncover the detail and the complexity of the politics leading up to the war as well as link together the individual timelines of battles and operational campaigns to provide you with the bigger picture. Enjoy your journey!
What’s New
30th June 2026
The Leaders and Commanders section has been expanded with four new profiles: Rodolfo Graziani, Georgy Zhukov, Archibald Wavell, and Sir Richard O'Connor, adding further coverage of the military leaders who shaped the early years of the war. The Famous Quotations section has also been updated with additional British and Italian quotations relating to the North African Campaign, while the Weapons of War section now includes two new Italian and three British armoured vehicles.
25th June 2026
A major new timeline has been added with the launch of Operation Compass, covering the Italian invasion of Egypt between September 1940 and the British and Commonwealth counteroffensive that followed between December 1940 and February 1941. The timeline traces the campaign from the initial Italian advance to Sidi Barrani, through the battles of Nibeiwa, Bardia, Tobruk, Derna, and Beda Fomm, culminating in the destruction of the Italian 10th Army and one of Britain's most decisive victories of the war. Featuring detailed day-by-day entries, contemporary photographs, campaign maps, newsreels, and historical quotations, the new timeline provides a comprehensive account of the fighting across Egypt and Cyrenaica during the opening stages of the North African Campaign.
10th May 2026
The Famous Quotations section has been expanded with multiple new quotations covering the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, the Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940, and the subsequent British and Commonwealth counteroffensive during Operation Compass. These additions further broaden the range of Italian, British, and Commonwealth perspectives represented throughout the section.
Weapons of War
Cruiser MkIII (A13 MkI)
Medium (Cruiser) Tank
The Cruiser Mk III (A13 Mk I) was a British cruiser tank introduced in 1938 and represented a major step forward in British armoured design. Incorporating the Christie suspension system pioneered in the United States, it offered exceptional speed and cross-country mobility compared with earlier British tanks. The vehicle was intended to exploit breakthroughs, conduct reconnaissance, and operate independently of slower infantry-support tanks. Armed with the QF 2-pounder (40 mm) gun and a coaxial machine gun, the Cruiser Mk III possessed effective anti-tank firepower for its era. Operated by a four-man crew, it could reach speeds of nearly 50 km/h on roads. However, armour protection remained relatively light, ranging from around 6 to 14 mm, leaving the vehicle vulnerable to anti-tank guns and heavy machine-gun fire. Approximately 65 examples were produced and entered service before the outbreak of war. The type saw combat during the Battle of France in 1940 and helped establish the design principles that shaped later British cruiser tanks. Although produced in limited numbers, the Cruiser Mk III marked an important stage in Britain's transition towards faster and more capable armoured forces.
Timeline Highlights
30th June 1934
With the Nazi Party firmly in control of Germany and having eliminated all other political parties, the SA began to become a serious threat to Hitler. Under the control of Ernst Röhm and with more than 3 million members, the SA was a powerful force and saw itself as a natural ‘politically reliable’ replacement for the Army. This was not Hitlers plan and having tried unsuccessfully to bring Röhm to heel, finally realised that action would be needed. With the assistance of Heinrich Himmler’s SS he decided to rid himself of the problem forever and eliminate the leadership of the SA. Known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ the SS murdered around 400 in total, including Röhm and a number of others who had become politically inconvenient for Nazi Party leadership such as the previous Chancellor, von Schleicher and Gregor Strasser, thereby cementing power in Hitlers hands. Germany launches the new Deutschland Class Cruiser, the ‘Admiral Graf Spee’ in Wilhelmshaven. Exceeding the 10,000 ton limit imposed on all German Naval vessels by the Versailles Treaty, coming in at just over 16,000 tons when fully displaced. She mounts six 11 inch guns and had an unusually fast top speed of 28 knots, being designed to outrun and outgun all but the fastest allied Cruisers and as such was nicknamed a ‘Pocket Battleship’ by the British.
25th July 1934
The Austrian Chancellor, Dollfuss is assassinated during a failed putsch by the Nazis trying to overthrow the Austrian government.
28th June 1935
Germany Commissions its first new U-boat since the end of World War I.
11th July 1936
The Austro-German Treaty, also known as the July Agreement, is signed by Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg and German Minister Franz Von Papen. The treaty stated that Germany would recognize Austria’s independence, not interfere in its internal affairs, and stop supporting the Austrian Nazi Party. In exchange, Austria would declare itself a ‘German state’, align its foreign policy with Germany’s, release several Austrian Nazis from prison, and appoint two Nazis to ministerial positions in the Cabinet.
17th July 1936
A military uprising begins in Spanish Morocco, initiated by units of the Spanish Army of Africa, including the Regulares and the Spanish Legion. These forces act under the orders of senior generals, including Emilio Mola and Francisco Franco, who are opposed to the Popular Front government in Madrid. Franco, who is in the Canary Islands, issues a radio broadcast from Las Palmas, calling for the military to seize control across Spain, marking the start of the Spanish Civil War.
18th July 1936
The military uprising spreads to mainland Spain, with army garrisons in several cities rising against the Republican government. Fighting erupts in key areas including Seville, Zaragoza, and Burgos, while other cities like Madrid and Barcelona remain loyal to the Republic. General Franco flies from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco to assume command of Nationalist forces.
7th July 1937
Full-scale war between China and Japan breaks out following weeks of tension due to Japanese military presence in northern China. The catalyst is the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, where Japanese and Chinese troops exchange fire near the town of Wanping, southwest of Beiping (now Beijing). The confrontation begins when a Japanese soldier is reported missing during a night training exercise near the historic bridge, prompting Japanese troops to demand entry into Wanping to search for him. The Chinese garrison refuses, leading to an escalating exchange of gunfire that quickly develops into full hostilities.
17th July 1937
Britain and Germany reaffirm the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, originally signed in 1935. Though not a new treaty, the 1937 communication reflects Britain’s efforts to manage German rearmament and maintain peace through negotiation (or appeasement) rather than confrontation.
5th July 1938
The Non-Intervention Committee approves a proposal to withdraw all foreign volunteer forces fighting in Spain and to grant belligerent rights to both sides in the civil war. This was accepted by the republican government, but not by Franco’s nationalists.
12th July 1940
Adolf Hitler appoints Josef Terboven as Reichskommissar, granting him supreme authority in occupied Norway. This move sidelines both Vidkun Quisling and the Norwegian Administrative Council, placing the country under direct German rule.
27th June 1941
Japan reaffirms the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” presenting its expanding dominance in East and Southeast Asia as a regional partnership while tightening political and economic control over occupied territories.
24th July 1941
Vichy France agrees to allow Japanese forces to occupy military bases in southern French Indochina, granting Japan naval and air positions that threaten British Malaya, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies.
Major-General Iven Mackay
Commander of the 6th Australian Division
Addressing his troops before the assault on the fortress of Tobruk - 20th January 1941
‘The Italians are many, but they are not the men we are. We shall go through them like a knife through butter.’
Leaders and Commanders
Emperor Hirohito
Emperor of Imperial Japan
Reign: 25th December 1926 to 7th January 1989
Emperor Hirohito served as Emperor of Japan throughout the Second World War and remained the symbolic head of the Japanese state during a period of military expansion across Asia and the Pacific. When war broke out in Europe in 1939, Japan was already engaged in a prolonged conflict with China, and over the following years Japanese forces expanded their operations across East and Southeast Asia. Although political and military decisions were largely made by elected governments and senior military leaders, all major actions were carried out in the Emperor's name. In December 1941, Japan launched attacks against the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the following months, Japanese forces captured vast territories across the Pacific and Southeast Asia. As the war turned against Japan after 1942, the country faced increasing military setbacks, heavy bombing, naval defeats, and growing economic hardship. Throughout the conflict, Hirohito continued to receive military briefings and formally approved major strategic decisions taken by the government and armed forces. By the summer of 1945, Japan faced invasion, widespread destruction, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following the Soviet declaration of war and invasion of Manchuria, Hirohito supported acceptance of the Allied surrender terms. On 15th August 1945, he announced Japan's surrender in a radio broadcast to the Japanese people. Unlike many wartime leaders, Hirohito remained on the throne after the war and continued as Emperor until his death in 1989.
