Timeline of World War II (1940)

Last updated
1940, clockwise from top left: IJA troops advance to Lang Son during the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, a London Tube station serves an air-raid shelter during the Battle of Britain, German paratroopers arrive for the Battle of the Hague, mass grave of Katyn Massacre victims Timeline of World War II collage.jpg
1940, clockwise from top left: IJA troops advance to Lạng Sơn during the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, a London Tube station serves an air-raid shelter during the Battle of Britain, German paratroopers arrive for the Battle of the Hague, mass grave of Katyn Massacre victims

This is a timeline of World War II events that took place in 1940, the first full year of the second global war of the 20th century.

Contents

January

February

Finnish ski troops in Northern Finland January 12, 1940. The War in Finland, 1940 HU55566.jpg
Finnish ski troops in Northern Finland January 12, 1940.

March

April

May

The state of the Allies (blue), and the Axis powers (black) with the Soviet Union (red) in May 1940. Ww2 allied axis 1940 may.png
The state of the Allies (blue), and the Axis powers (black) with the Soviet Union (red) in May 1940.
The German Blitzkrieg offensive of mid-May, 1940. 16May-21May1940-Fall Gelb.svg
The German Blitzkrieg offensive of mid-May, 1940.
Map of the British invasion of Iceland in mid-May 1940. Iceland invasion targets.png
Map of the British invasion of Iceland in mid-May 1940.
Troops evacuated from Dunkirk on a destroyer about to berth at Dover, 31 May 1940 Troops evacuated from Dunkirk on a destroyer about to berth at Dover, 31 May 1940. H1637.jpg
Troops evacuated from Dunkirk on a destroyer about to berth at Dover, 31 May 1940

June

British troops evacuated from Norway on Lancastria, June 1940 The British Army in Norway April - June 1940 N359.jpg
British troops evacuated from Norway on Lancastria , June 1940

July

.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
The extent of Japanese control of China as of 1940 Japanese Occupation of China 1940.svg
  The extent of Japanese control of China as of 1940

August

September

Winston Churchill visiting bomb-damaged areas of the East End of London on 8 September 1940 Winston Churchill visiting bomb-damaged areas of the East End of London, 8 September 1940. H3978.jpg
Winston Churchill visiting bomb-damaged areas of the East End of London on 8 September 1940

October

November

December

The state of the Allies and Axis powers in December 1940, showing great Axis expansion in Europe and Northern Africa Ww2 allied axis 1940 dec.png
The state of the Allies and Axis powers in December 1940, showing great Axis expansion in Europe and Northern Africa

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "1940 Timeline". WW2DB. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Keegan 2003, pp. 16–17.
  3. Gotovitch & Aron 2008, p. 408.
  4. Piekałkiewicz 1987, p. 83.
  5. Pike 2015, p. 91.
  6. Gotovitch & Aron 2008, p. 372.
  7. "Disaster at Balham Tube station – World War II Today".
  8. "Spirit of the Blitz". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 2023-06-04.

Related Research Articles

1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1940th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 940th year of the 2nd millennium, the 40th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1940s decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European theatre of World War II</span> Theatre of military operations during World War II

The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II, taking place from September 1939 to May 1945. The Allied powers fought the Axis powers on both sides of the continent in the Western and Eastern fronts. There was also conflict in the Scandinavian, Mediterranean and Balkan regions. It was an intense conflict that led to at least 39 million deaths and a dramatic change in the balance of power in the continent.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1940:

The Eastern Front was a theatre of World War II which primarily involved combat between the nations and allies of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Combat in the Eastern Front began with the two powers remaining peaceful towards each other, with the annexation of countries such as Albania and portions of Poland by Germany and its allies, and the annexation of Finland and the rest of Poland by the Soviet Union. However, in 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, putting an end to the peacetime. The majority of major battles in the Eastern Theatre from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945 were fought between the two powers. The following timeline indicates major events taking place on the Eastern Front.

The Timeline of the Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, covers the period during World War II from the first military actions between Germany and France and to the armistice signed by France. Over the period of six weeks, from May 10 to June 25, 1940, Nazi Germany had also conquered Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Nazi Germany's overall plan was to invade the Low Countries which would make the French and British troops leave their current position and position their forces in Belgium. Then, a second force would navigate through the Ardennes Forest and move around the Maginot Line at the weakest part of the Allied defences. The force would then move towards the west French coast and cut the northern Allied force off. The Germans would then capture Paris, eliminate any resistance that remained, cross the English Channel, and invade the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allies of World War II</span> Grouping of the victorious countries of the war

The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers. Its principal members by the end of 1941 were the "Big Four" – the United Kingdom, United States, Soviet Union, and China.

The following events occurred in June 1940:

The following events occurred in May 1941:

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to World War II:

The following events occurred in September 1944:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1939)</span> List of significant events occurring during World War II in 1939

This is a timeline of events of World War II in 1939 from the start of the war on 1 September 1939. For events preceding September 1, 1939, see the timeline of events preceding World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1941)</span> List of significant events occurring during World War II in 1941

This is a timeline of events that stretched over the period of World War II in 1941, marked also by the beginning of Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1942)</span> List of significant events occurring during World War II in 1942

This is a timeline of events that occurred during World War II in 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1943)</span> List of significant events occurring during World War II in 1943

This is a timeline of events that occurred during World War II in 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1944)</span>

This is a timeline of events that occurred during 1944 in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of World War II (1945–1991)</span>

This is a timeline of the events that stretched over the period of late World War II, its conclusion, legal aftermath, with the inclusion of the Cold War, from January 1945 to December 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Weserübung</span> German assault on Denmark and Norway in World War II

Operation Weserübung was the invasion of Denmark and Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign.

The diplomatic history of World War II includes the major foreign policies and interactions inside the opposing coalitions, the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers, between 1939 and 1945.

The following events occurred in April 1941:

The following events occurred in June 1941:

References