World War 2 - The Call of Duty: A Complete Timeline

When Adolf Hitler marched his troops into Poland on 1 September 1939, WWII was inevitable. As the opening skirmishes are played out, see the events that shaped the escalating crisis.

As the new year dawned and the people of Britain faced the introduction of rationing, all eyes turned northwards to Scandinavia, where Adolf Hitler was preparing for a full-scale invasion.

When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the wartime coalition government in May 1940 he pledged his "blood, toil, tears and sweat." Within days of his appointment, he was called upon to honour his promise.

With mainland Europe under Hitler's control, the German Führer turned his attention to Operation Sealion, and the Battle of Britain, expecting an easy victory. However, he'd underestimated the enormity of the task and the spirit of a nation.

The worldwide conflict continued to escalate as Japan made its presence felt as signatories of the Tripartite Pact, giving Hitler's Axis of Evil more power. Britain stood alone as the nightly bombing raids of the Blitz devastated major cities.

The Luftwaffe continued its attempts to bomb Britain into submission, while the German Afrika Korps strengthened its position as Rommel, Hitler's "Desert Fox", took charge. At sea, the naval forces battle each other and the elements.