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Battle of France/Miracle of Dunkirk
1940, May 10 – Jun 25
The battle of France was significant because France was a key player in the Allies' strategy. The miracle of Dunkirk was significant because many troops were able to escape and fight again later.
Interesting facts:
-At the battle of France, the Allies had more tanks that the Germans.
-Operation Dynamo was the name of the plan to evacuate.
-One challenge was that many ports had been destroyed.
-A storm kept the Germans back while they escaped.
-The evacuation took 9 days. -
Battle of Britain
1940, Jul 10 – Oct 31
The Battle of Britain was significant because it was a decisive victory for the British air force over the German one and may have saved them from a ground invasion.
Interesting facts:
- Named for a line Churchill said in a speech.
- Many of the pilots fighting with the Royal Air Force (RAF) were not British.
- Britain had formed a very effective defensive against air strikes.
- Hitler had almost no navy left.
- RAF lost about 1,023 aircraft and the Germans lost 1,887. -
Battle of Leningrad
Sep 8, 1941 – Jan 27, 1944
Significance: The Soviet Union was able to push the Germans back.
Interesting facts:
-Lasted 880 days
-Over one million citizens died.
-The German invasion of the USSR was called Operation Barbarossa.
-One key way they got supplies to the city was crossing a frozen lake.
-Eventually the USSR was able to push the Germans out. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Jul 17, 1942 - Feb 2, 1943
Significance: Was a decisive victory for the Soviets and damaged the German army.
Interesting facts:
-Nearly 2 million casualties.
-Followed a strategy like when Hannibal encircled and destroyed a Roman army in 216 B.C
-A lot of fighting occurred actually within the city.
-About 150,000 Germans died.
-After the victory Stalin became more confident in his army and Hitler lost some faith in his. -
Operation Torch
Nov 8, 1942 – Nov 10, 1942
Significance: Successful Allied invasion of North Africa to get more control of the Mediterranean.
Interesting facts:
-Eisenhower was given supreme command of the invasion.
-Invasion was amphibious.
-First time Britain and America worked together on an invasion.
-Around 500 died on the Allies side and 1350 for the Axis powers.
-A previous invasion of North Africa was called Gymnast. -
D-Day
June 6, 1944
Significance: Successfully captured Normandy beaches and made possible the liberation of Northern France.
Interesting facts:
-The entire battle was code named Operation Overlord.
-Eisenhower was in charge of Operation Overlord.
-Before, the Allies went to great lengths to convince the Germans that the actual target of the invasion was somewhere else.
-More than 4,000 Allied troops died.
-Hitler thought it was trick,they were going to attack elsewhere, so held back some forces. -
Battle of the Bulge
Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945
Significance: The Allies were able to hold off the Germans.
Interesting facts:
-Last German offensive on the Western Front in WWII.
-Germans were trying to split the army into two.
-Named because the Allied line had a bulge.
-US Army had over 100,000 casualties.
-Fought in the heavily forested Ardennes. -
Battle of Berlin
1945, Apr 16 – May 2
Significance: Final major Allied offensive of WWII.
Interesting facts:
-Soviets attacked before their allies.
-One of the heaviest bombings of Berlin took place on Hitler's birthday.
-About 81,000 Russian soldiers died. There were estimated between 100,000 to 450,000 German casualties.
-Russia awarded over a million of their soldiers medals for the capture of Berlin.
-Hitler committed suicide.
