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World War II
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Battle of France
The Battle of France was a swift, decisive German victory, capturing not only France, but Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Hitler's Ace was Blitzkrieg. The French had left the Ardennes because they thought it was naturally impenetrable. Hitler shoved 50 Wehrmacht divisions through the Ardennes, encircling most of the British and French troops into Belgium. Some escaped at Dunkirk, but with France weak, Germany breezed through Paris, and France fell. The battle ended on June 25, 1940. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
As a result of Hitler's successful Blitzkrieg, Allied troops were now trapped and surrounded by the Germans in France and Belgium. Operation Dynamo was swiftly put into action to help save as many Allied troops as possible. More than 300,000 Allied troops were saved. It saved many lives, and troops at that to fight another day. Even civilians helped out with their own boats to bring troops back to Britain. Over 800 boats were used in the Dunkirk Evacuation. The evacuations ended on June 4, 1940. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was Hitler's attempt at taking control of the English Channel for an invasion of the UK. Germany's Luftwaffe first targeted ports and coastal facilities, and then attacked RAF bases. However, the UK won this decisive battle and damaged the Luftwaffe significantly. This also cut off any chance of invasion of the UK. Germany's army was spread thin, while the UK showed air support was powerful. Britain's victory on October 31, 1940 showed that Germany could be defeated. -
Siege/Battle of Leningrad
The Siege/Battle of Leningrad held mostly symbolic significance to the Germans, as it was the previous capital of Russia. However, it was a strategic goal for the Germans to capture Leningrad, it also had many arms factories that the Germans could exploit if they took the city. And even more so, it housed the main base of Russia's Baltic Navy. It was a very costly siege, that killed over 1 million citizens. The Germans held the Soviets with a single army until January 27, 1944. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a decisive Soviet victory over Germany and is considered the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front. Hitler wanted to take the city to launch offensives on the Caucasus and to take Persia's oil. It also held symbolic importance, being named after Stalin. However, the Soviets held and reinforcements kept coming. Hitler wouldn't let his forces retreat. It was a huge victory for Russia, and a ginormous loss for Germany. The battle ended on February 2, 1943. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was a joint British and American invasion of French North Africa. It was a plan to initiate the elimination of Germans and Italians from Africa. It also helped divide attention away from the Western Front, as well as draw attention away from Allied forces in Egypt. This victory would be the start of resecuring Allied naval control of the southwest Mediterranean. That would eventually lead to the invasion of southern Europe through Italy and Sicily. It ended November 10, 1942. -
D-Day (Invasion of Normandy)
With the successful Invasion of Normandy, France was liberated and freed from Nazi Germany. A huge ally had been taken back by the Allies. It also started the liberation of other neighboring countries in central Europe, like Belgium. And, with the liberation of France, the Allies regained key coastal sites. Normandy was the main invasion that eventually led to the fall of Nazi Germany, and is considered the start of the end of the war. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive of the war. Hitler was getting desperate, so he decided to Blitzkrieg through the Ardennes again. The intention was to split Allied armies up, encircling many in Belgium. It caught American troops off guard and killed thousands, but the Allies held the line. This offensive depleted the rest of Germany's supplies. They had no resources to defend and was the end of the war. This German offensive ended on January 25, 1945. -
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was the total end of the war in the European Theater. Nazi Germany fell during this offensive, and Hitler also had commit suicide as the Soviets advanced. It was strictly the last of the Eastern Germans against the Soviets. Berlin and Western Germany fell into the Soviet sphere of influence after the war. At this point, it was a race between Americans and Soviets to see who could capture the capital before the other. The Fall of Berlin ended on May 2, 1945.
