1940 - Nineteen-Forty
30 January- In a speech at Berlin sport pulust, Hitler declares that the first phase
of the war has been completed with the destruction of Poland.
12 March- A peace treaty between Finland and the Soviet Union is signed in Moscow.
9 April- German troops invade Denmark and Norway Operation Weserubung.
10 May- German offensive on the western Front: in London, Churchill forms a coalition
government.
22 May- The British parliament passes the emergency powers (Defense) act, giving
the government control over people and property.
10 June- Italy declares war on France and Great Britain.
18 June- General de Gaulle broadcasts his first message to the French people from
London.
3 July – Battle Mers-él-Kebir. Royal Navy destroys most of French Navy
16 July- Hitler issues directive no. 16, the official “starting-gun” for operation
sea lion,
The landing of 20 divisions on the south coastline of Britain.
13 August- The Adler tag (day of Eagle), the code name given to the first day of
the Luftwaffe campaign to bomb British headquarters, airfields, aircraft factories
7 September- the London Blitz begins at 5:00pm 300 German bombers drop 337 tons of
bombs on London.
27 September – Tripartite Pact between Germany, Italy, and Japan
28 October – At dawn Italian troops in Albania cross the Greek border
11 November – Royal Navy Swordfishes cripple Italian fleet of Taranto
14 November – 449 German aircraft conduct a night raid on Coventry, center of the
British automobile industry
9 December – In Egypt the British break through the Italian lines at Sidi Barrani
29 December – “We must be the arsenal of the democracies”, declares President Roosevelt
