Timeline of World War II

“The man who has no Sense of History, is like a man who has no ears or eyes.” — Adolf Hitler.

I have taken on the task of writing a local history book about the 1940’s and World War II. I am no stranger to the war as my father fought in the war and I’ve seen a lot of newsreels while growing up. However, the first thing I did in writing this book, was go to the local library and go through all the World War II books. How did the war, in general, influence the little town of Sherwood, Oregon and all the little towns all over America? The impact was huge and hopefully we will not see such a thing again in our life-times. My evolving book is really proof of that wish.

On the West Coast, the threat from Japan was always there.

In order to understand the scope of World War II, here is a timeline of how this world-wide conflict came about. Hind-sight sometimes reveals lessons in history which we should remember. More on that at the end of this section. Enjoy this walk down memory lane:

Jan. 30, 1933: Hitler is appointed as a German Chancellor.

Jan, 1934: Hitler assumes dictatorship.

Sept. 1, 1939: Germany declares War. World War II begins. Germany invades Poland.