1940
April 9
German forces invade Denmark and Norway. Germany's industry depended on iron ore from Sweden that had to be shipped down Norway's coast. If the British sendt troops to Norway they could block this shipment. Therefore on April 9 the Germans attacked the two contries, and within a month controlled both countries.
May 10
Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands were invaded by Germany to get around the Maginot Line, a line of concrete bunkers along the French-German border.
June 4
The Allied forces got trapped in Belgium, and the Germans began to drive them toward the English Channel and the Allied forces got trapped in on port, Dunkirk, in France. As the German troops closed in on Dunkirk, Hitler surprisingly ordered them to stop. This decision has puzzled historians, but the three day delay gave the allied time to evacuate their forces. This event is later know as ''The Miracle at Dunkirk''.
June 10
Italy declared war on Britain and France.
June 22
France surrendered to Germany and a French government of collaboration was set up at Vichy. Hitler accepted the French surrender in the same railway car in which the Germans had surrendered at the end of WWI.
July 2
The Battle of Britain. Hitler realized that Britain would not surrender and ordered his commanders to prepare to invade. If the Germans would try to cross the English channel, the British air force would sink the few transport ships Germany had, so to invade England Hitler had to destroy the British Air Force. And a intense bombing of Britain started from the Luftwaffe.
October 12
Hitler canceled the invasion of Britain after the British Air Force had inflected more losses on the German Luftwaffe than the Germans had been able to on the British Air Force. This was mainly because of the skill of a few hundred British pilots, and the new technology radar.
