The world in
What happened in 1939?
34 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Battle of the AtlanticThe Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. At its core was the Allied naval blockade of Germany and Germany's counter-blockade, with the campaign peaking from mid-1940 to the end of 1943.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Edward W. Dinsmore / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Public domain ↗
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Invasion of PolandIn September 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union jointly invaded Poland. Germany attacked on 1 September, and the Soviet Union invaded from the east on 17 September. By 6 October, Germany and the Soviet Union had occupied most of Poland and divided its territory under the German–Soviet Frontier Treaty.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Central Photographic Agency Warsaw / Centralna Agencja Fotograficzna (CAF), Military Photographic Agency Warsaw (WAF) / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of World War IIIn 1939, World War II erupted as a global conflict involving nearly all nations divided into two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Axis. Characterized by total war, it mobilized entire economies and industries, becoming the deadliest conflict in history and involving large-scale massacres, starvation, disease, and genocide.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: User:Staberinde / CC BY-SA 3.0 de ↗
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The HolocaustDuring World War II, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically perpetrated genocide against the Jewish people, resulting in the murder of approximately two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population.
Outbreak of the Spanish Civil WarIn 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain between the Republican government and the right-wing Nationalist forces, lasting until 1939. The Republicans were supported by the Soviet Union, while the Nationalists received aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The war was seen as an ideological and class struggle.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
Winter WarThe Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland from 30 November 1939 to 13 March 1940. After the Soviet invasion, despite overwhelming military superiority, the Soviet Union suffered severe losses and made little initial progress. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union. The war ended with the Moscow Peace Treaty, forcing Finland to cede and lease some territory.
Battle of the BzuraThe Battle of the Bzura was a decisive engagement in the Invasion of Poland during World War II, fought in September 1939 near the Bzura River. It was the single major Polish counter-attack of the campaign, initially successful, but later encircled and crushed by German forces. It was the largest single battle of the Polish campaign.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
- Battle of Suomussalmi
The Battle of Suomussalmi took place from December 1939 to January 1940 during the Winter War, between Finnish and Soviet forces. The Finnish forces achieved a victory, considered the clearest and most significant Finnish success in the northern half of Finland during the war.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Albanian Resistance in World War IIIn April 1939, Italy invaded Albania, beginning its World War II. Fascist Italy set up a puppet state, and Communist groups started a resistance, initially independent, uniting in early 1942 against first Italian then German occupation, leading to the country's liberation in 1944.
Signing of the Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance TreatyOn 28 September 1939, the Soviet Union and Estonia signed the Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty, also known as the Bases Treaty, in Moscow. The treaty obliged both parties to respect each other's sovereignty and independence, and allowed the Soviet government to establish military bases in Estonia, facilitating the Soviet takeover in 1940.
Signing of the Soviet–Polish Non-Aggression PactIn 1932, Poland and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact in Moscow, aiming to maintain peaceful relations. The pact was unilaterally broken by the Soviet Union on September 17, 1939, with the invasion of Poland.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Agence de presse Mondial Photo-Presse. Agence photographique / Public domain ↗
Construction Begins on the Exhibition of Achievements of National EconomyIn 1939, construction began on the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy in Moscow. Originally built to showcase Soviet economic achievements, the site includes pavilions, fountains, and sculptures, serving as a Soviet showcase and tourist destination.
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Establishment of the Polish Military Transit Depot on WesterplatteIn 1926, a Polish Military Transit Depot was established on the Westerplatte peninsula within the Free City of Danzig, operating until 1939. The site later became the location of the first battle of World War II.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Osmar Valdebenito from Santiago, Chile / CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗
- Phoney War
The Phoney War was a period of limited military activity at the start of World War II, lasting from September 1939 to May 1940. Following the Allied declaration of war on Germany, there were virtually no major land operations on the Western Front.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Nazi Plunder Campaign Begins
In 1933, Nazi Germany began the systematic looting of art and valuables, initially targeting German Jews before expanding into occupied territories. Carried out as part of the Holocaust and under the pretext of 'art protection' by special units, the campaign resulted in the theft of countless paintings, books, religious treasures, and other cultural items.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Battle of WesterplatteFrom 1 to 7 September 1939, fighting on the Westerplatte peninsula in the harbour of the Free City of Danzig marked the first engagement of Germany’s invasion of Poland and is widely regarded as the beginning of World War II in Europe.
- Nisko Plan
In 1939, Nazi Germany launched an operation to deport Jews to the Lublin District of the General Governorate in occupied Poland, known as the Nisko Plan. The operation was cancelled in early 1940.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Siege of WarsawDuring the 1939 Polish campaign, the Polish Warsaw Army defended entrenched Warsaw against the invading German Army. The Germans launched major aerial bombardments from day one, targeting residential areas as well.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
- Signing of the Anglo-Polish Agreement of Mutual Assistance
In 1939, the United Kingdom and Poland signed the Anglo-Polish Agreement of Mutual Assistance in London, pledging mutual military support in case of invasion. The treaty marked the end of British appeasement and led to a brief postponement of Germany's invasion of Poland.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
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Villa Mairea Construction BeginsThe summer villa designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto for Harry and Maire Gullichsen in Noormarkku, Finland, began construction in 1938 and was completed in 1939. It is recognized as an important work of modernist architecture.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Ninara from Helsinki, Finland / CC BY 2.0 ↗
Central & South America
Battle of the River PlateOn 13 December 1939, the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee fought three British cruisers in the South Atlantic in the first major naval battle of World War II. The action took place off the River Plate estuary near Uruguay and Argentina. HMS Exeter was badly damaged, while the two light cruisers sustained damage. The German ship entered Montevideo, where British diplomatic pressure and deception led to its scuttling.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Orginal link: http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/A_000002.jpg / Public domain ↗
Establishment of Iguaçu National ParkIguaçu National Park was established in Paraná State, Brazil, to protect the Iguaçu Falls and surrounding subtropical forest. Covering about 185,000 hectares, it forms with Argentina's Iguazú National Park a transboundary protected area of some 260,000 hectares. The region is renowned for its spectacular waterfalls and rich biodiversity, encompassing multiple ecosystems.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Luca Galuzzi ( Lucag ) / CC BY-SA 2.5 ↗
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Completion of the Legislative Palace of PeruIn 1939, the Legislative Palace of Peru was completed on Bolivar Square in Lima, becoming the permanent seat of the Congress. Its construction had begun in 1904 but it was only in the late 1930s that it was definitively used as a political building. Since then it has served as the center of the Peruvian legislature, defining the political landscape of Lima's historic center.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Congreso de la República del Perú from Lima, Perú / CC BY 2.0 ↗
North America
Implementation of the New DealBetween 1933 and 1938, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented a series of economic, social, and political reforms in response to the Great Depression, centered on relief, recovery, and reform. The policies aimed to stabilize the economy through massive government intervention, assist the poorest, and reform financial markets.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: LordHarris at English Wikipedia / Public domain ↗
1939 New York World's Fair OpensThe 1939 New York World's Fair opened on April 30 at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, themed 'the world of tomorrow'. 62 nations participated, drawing over 44 million visitors across two seasons. While envisioning the future, World War II broke out during the fair, and Germany did not attend.
Construction of Graceland MansionGraceland is a white-columned mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, on an estate of about 5.6 hectares, later the private residence of Elvis Presley.
East Asia
- Second Sino-Japanese War begins
In 1937, full-scale war broke out between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, known as the Second Sino-Japanese War. The war was primarily fought in China, also extending into neighboring areas such as northern Burma. It was the largest Asian war in the 20th century and is often regarded as the beginning of World War II in Asia.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
First Battle of ChangshaFrom September to October 1939, Chinese forces in the Ninth War Zone fought a defensive campaign against the Japanese army in the border region of Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces, successfully repelling the Japanese attempt to capture Changsha. This was the first major Chinese victory after the war entered a stalemate. Occurring two weeks after Germany's invasion of Poland, it is considered the first major battle of World War II.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Imperial Japanese Army / Public domain ↗
Central Asian steppe
Battles of Khalkhin GolIn 1939, an undeclared border war in Mongolia pitted the Soviet Union and Mongolia against Japan and Manchukuo. Fighting lasted from 11 May to 16 September and ended with a ceasefire; Japan’s Kwantung Army was defeated and the Soviets prevailed.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Viktor Antonovich Temin / Public domain ↗
Soviet–Japanese Border Conflicts Break OutIn 1932, a series of border clashes erupted in Northeast Asia between the Soviet Union, Mongolia, and the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. These undeclared hostilities, ranging from minor skirmishes to major battles, persisted through the 1930s and culminated in the 1939 Battle of Khalkhin Gol, shaping the pre-WWII strategic landscape in the Far East.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Mainichi Shinbun Sha / Public domain ↗
West Asia
1936–1939 Arab Revolt in PalestineFrom 1936 to 1939, Palestinian Arabs in Mandatory Palestine launched a large-scale uprising against British rule and Zionist policies, demanding independence and an end to Jewish immigration and land sales. The revolt erupted during a peak of Jewish immigration, with the Jewish population reaching about 320,000. Though suppressed, it became a key milestone in Palestinian nationalism.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: PLO Collection, Institute for Palestine Studies, hanini.org / Public domain ↗
- Erzincan earthquake of 1939
At 1:57 a.m. on 27 December 1939, a major earthquake struck Erzincan Province in eastern Turkey. It reached Mw 7.8 with a maximum intensity of XII. About 32,968 people were killed and roughly 100,000 injured, making it Turkey’s deadliest natural disaster of the 20th century.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
Establishment of Hartz Mountains National ParkAround the 1930s, Hartz Mountains National Park was established in southern Tasmania, Australia. The park is located roughly 55 km southwest of Hobart and is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Around 1939
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains