WHAT ALL HAPPENED JANUARY TO JULY 1940
Find out what all happened January to July 1940

World War II: Altmark Incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack. 299 British prisoners are freed. (16. February 1940)

Sino-Japanese War: Japan declares Nanking capital of a new Chinese puppet government, nominally controlled by Wang Jingwei. (30. March 1940)

World War II: Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom. (10. June 1940)

World War II: The German 2nd Panzer Division captures the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer; the surrender of the last French and British troops marks the end of the Battle of Boulogne (25. May 1940)

World War II: Belgium surrenders to Nazi Germany to end the Battle of Belgium. (28. May 1940)

Franz Rademacher proposes plans to make Madagascar the "Jewish homeland", an idea that had first been considered by 19th century journalist Theodor Herzl. (3. June 1940)

World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 99 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops; two survive. (27. May 1940)

World War II: Paris falls under German occupation, and Allied forces retreat. (14. June 1940)

Vidkun Quisling seizes power in Norway. (9. April 1940)

The United States' Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles issues a declaration on the U.S. non-recognition policy of the Soviet annexation and incorporation of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. (23. July 1940)

World War II: the old city centre of the Dutch town of Middelburg is bombed by the German Luftwaffe, to force the surrender of the Dutch armies in Zeeland. (17. May 1940)

World War II: The Battle of the Netherlands ends with the Netherlands surrendering to Germany. (14. May 1940)

Denmark leaves the League of Nations. (20. July 1940)

World War II: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture Narvik in Norway. This is the first allied infantry victory of the War. (28. May 1940)

Winter War: The Finnish 9th Division stops and completely destroys the overwhelming Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road. (7. January 1940)

World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison. (26. May 1940)

World War II: German raids on British shipping convoys and military airfields begin. (10. May 1940)

The Soviet Union presents an ultimatum to Lithuania resulting in Lithuanian loss of independence. (14. June 1940)

World War II: In order to stop the ships from falling into German hands the French fleet of the Atlantic based at Mers El Kébir, is bombarded by the British fleet, coming from Gibraltar, causing the loss of three battleships: Dunkerque, Provence and Bretagne. One thousand two hundred sailors perish. (3. July 1940)

France is forced to sign the Second Compiègne armistice with Germany. (22. June 1940)