1933-1939: Rise of Nazism in Germany
- 1933: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
- 1933-1934: Nazi consolidation of power and repression of political opposition
- 1935: Nuremberg Laws passed, depriving Jews of citizenship and basic rights
- 1936: Berlin Olympics, Nazi propaganda spectacle promoting German superiority
- 1938: Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), violent anti-Jewish pogrom in Germany
- 1939: Nazi Germany invades Poland, triggering the start of World War II
1939-1941: Early Years of the War
- September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II
- September 3, 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany
- 1940-1941: German conquests in Europe, including France, Belgium, Netherlands
- 1941: German Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union
- October 30, 1941: First mass gassings of Jews begin at Auschwitz-Birkenau
1942: Turning Points and Escalation
- January 20, 1942: Wannsee Conference, Nazi leaders meet to coordinate the "Final Solution"
- February-April 1942: Large-scale deportations of Jews to extermination camps begin
- June 6, 1942: D-Day, the Allied forces land in Normandy, France, marking a major turning point
- Summer-Autumn 1942: Mass killings reach their peak at Auschwitz-Birkenau
1943-1945: Allied Advances and Liberation
- November 22-28, 1943: Tehran Conference, meeting of Allied leaders to discuss strategy
- June 6, 1944: D-Day landings, Allied forces invade Normandy
- July 20, 1944: Failed assassination attempt on Hitler
- August 1944: Liberation of Paris by Allied forces
- January 27, 1945: Soviet forces liberate Auschwitz-Birkenau
- April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide in Berlin
- May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders, marking the end of World War II in Europe
- August 14-15, 1945: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan
- September 2, 1945: Japan surrenders, ending World War II globally
After the war, the Nuremberg Trials were held to prosecute Nazi leaders responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace committed during World War II.