20 Aug 1939
  • German leader Adolf Hitler personally asked Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to move up the date for the meeting of the respective foreign ministers, preferably to 22 Aug or 23 Aug from the originally-proposed 26 Aug. Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck formally rejected British and French request for Poland to allow Soviet troops to enter Poland in case of a German invasion. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
China
  • Georgy Zhukov commenced a large-scale surprise offensive against Japanese forces in the Mongolia Area of China. ww2dbase [Main Article | Event | CPC]
  • The British turned over four Chinese nationals to the Japanese despite protest from the Chinese government. The four men had been accused of killing a pro-Japanese Chinese collaborationist. The four Chinese accused would soon be executed by the Japanese. ww2dbase [Main Article | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 20 Aug 1939
Gauleiter Erich Koch, Govt Secretary Landfried, Govt Secretary Pfundtner, and Danzig Senate President Arthur Greiser inspecting a model of Königsberg while visting that German city, 20 Aug 1939

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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Ca.331 OA prototype aircraft, early 1940s




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"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal