Europe Timeline

By jillianduncan09

  • Invasion of Poland

    The invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany was significant because it created the start of World War II. It also broke appeasement policies leading to immense suffering and the Holocaust

  • Fall of France to Nazi Forces

    The Fall of France was important because it left Britain isolated against Nazi Germany, shattered European power balances, established German superiority over most of Western Europe, provided Germany with vital French resources, and led to the creation of the collaborationist Vichy regime. This fundamentally altered the course of World War II

  • Rescue at Dunkirk

    The Rescue at Dunkirk was crucial because it saved over 338,000 Allied soldiers from being almost captured or killed in May/June 1940. This prevented the total destruction of Britain's core army and allowed Britain to continue fighting World War II.

  • London Blitz

    The London Blitz was important because it was a brutal and prolonged German bombing campaign. This was intended to crush British morale, but instead showed British resistance, which highlighted civilian resilience that strengthens national unity, and disrupted life with about 43,000+ deaths.

  • Victory at Stalingrad

    The Victory at Stalingrad was significant because it was a major turning point of WWII on the eastern front, which halted the German advance into the Soviet Union, destroying a huge German army. This shifted the war's momentum permanently in favor of the Allies as the Soviets began their westward push towards Berlin.

  • Italian Campaign

    The Italian Campaign was crucial for securing the Mediterranean, and tying down German troops away from the Eastern and France Front. This provided the valuable invasion practice (D-Day), which opened airfields for bombing Germany, and forcing Italy out of the war, thereby weakening the Axis powers and aiding the rise of the Italian Resistance.

  • D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)

    D-Day was important because it was a massive Allied invasion of Normandy. This marked the crucial opening of the Western Front against the Nazi Germany, which directly led to liberation of France. This forced Germany to fight in a two-front war, and set the stage for the ultimate Allied victory in Europe.