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Refugees Flee Paris Taking only what they could carry, civilians flee Paris in 1940 in anticipation of the German invasion. Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain ceded control of northern France to Germany in an armistice signed on June 25, 1940.

Royal Air Force Spitfire IA To invade Britain, Hitler’s air force first had to wipe out the British Royal Air Force (RAF). He underestimated both the effectiveness of British radar and their outstanding Spitfire fighter planes. The Spitfire could fly at high speeds, make tight turns, and climb rapidly, outmaneuvering most German Luftwaffe fighters. This tactical oversight, coupled with the effectiveness of the British fighting force, resulted in an English victory at the Battle of Britain.

Albert Kesselring German field marshal Albert Kesselring, one of Adolf Hitler’s top defense advisers in World War II (1939-1945), led the German air force during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and 1941.

Germans Freeze in the Russian Winter During the fall and early winter of 1941, German armored divisions had advanced toward Moscow at a rapid pace, capturing hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops in the process. By late November, German armored divisions, within a day’s travel, threatened the city. But by the first week of December, snow began falling, and temperatures plunged to -40° C (-40° F). The German soldiers, not dressed for winter weather, were freezing and losing their will to fight. Their equipment also froze, becoming useless. The Russian winter finally accomplished what its military had failed to do: It halted the German offensive.

Attack on Pearl Harbor A few minutes before 8 AM, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft initiated a surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. The Japanese hoped to cripple the American fleet, which they perceived as the principal threat to victory in a war against the United States. Within a few hours the Japanese had destroyed four battleships and damaged four more, including the USS Arizona (pictured), destroyed other naval vessels and a large number of combat aircraft, and killed and wounded many American naval and military personnel. As a result of the attack, and at the request of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Congress of the United States declared war on Japan the following day.