06/22/09

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