Curated category
Conflicts in 1939
- Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)Germany's economy faced a severe crisis in 1937 as the Four-Year Plan strained foreign exchange reserves. The German government needed to import raw…
- Saar OffensiveFrance and Poland signed a defensive alliance in 1921 through a military convention. This agreement set the stage for future cooperation against Germany.
- Invasion of PolandAt 4:45 a.m. on the 1st of September 1939, the pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish military transit depot at Westerplatte…
- 1939–1940 Winter OffensiveThe Chinese National Revolutionary Army launched a multi-front counter-offensive in the winter of 1939. This operation marked the first major coordinated…
- Slovak invasion of PolandOn the 14th of March 1939, the Slovak State emerged as a client state of Nazi Germany. This new entity initiated the breakup of Czechoslovakia that had…
- Soviet invasion of PolandThe Peace of Riga treaty signed on the 18th of March 1921 drew a new line between Poland and Soviet Russia. This agreement divided disputed territories after…
- Winter WarOn the 30th of November 1939, Soviet forces invaded Finland with 21 divisions totaling 450,000 men. This attack came three months after the outbreak of World…
- Battle of Changsha (1939)The First Battle of Changsha began on the 17th of September 1939, just two weeks after Germany invaded Poland. This timing was no accident for the Japanese…
- Italian invasion of AlbaniaItalian naval strategists coveted the port of Vlorë and the island of Sazan because of their location at the entrance to the Bay of Vlorë.
- Battles of Khalkhin GolThe river Khalkhin Gol cuts through a disputed strip of land where the borders of Manchukuo and Mongolia meet. In 1939, this remote area became the stage for…
- World War IIWorld War II killed between 60 and 75 million people, making it the deadliest conflict in history. Tanks and aircraft reshaped the battlefield, and aircraft…
- Bombing of ChongqingThe first Japanese air raid on Chongqing struck the city on the 18th of February 1938, marking the start of a campaign that would last until December 1944.
- Phoney WarAn 8-inch howitzer sat silent in France during the autumn of 1939. This image captures the stillness that defined the first eight months of World War II.