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Battle of France
May 10, 1940 - Jun 25, 1940 Facts
1.) The French army was one of the biggest armies in the world before the battle.
2.) The Germans used Blitzkrieg attack tactics.
3.) 8 million refugees resulted from the Battle of France.
4.) The armistice was signed on June 22
5.) One of the biggest military losses for the British occurred in one sea incident. Importance: The Battle of France is what pushed the British back to the sea. -
Battle of Britain
Jul 10, 1940 – Oct 31, 1940 Facts
1.)Hitler attempted to get Britain to surrender first.
2.) The Battle of Britain was the first battle fought almost exclusively in the air.
3.) The Battle of Britain was one of the first radar combats.
4.) It was resource exhausting on both sides.
5.) The British crashed into a German bomber plane in order to prevent it from hitting Buckingham palace. Importance: The Battle of Britain was the first battle fought almost entirely in the air. -
Battle of Leningrad
Sep 8, 1941 – Jan 27, 1944 Facts
1.) About 260 people were jailed for cannibalism during the battle.
2.) The total number of deaths and casualties was more than all the wars in US History combined
3.) The end of the siege is now a holiday in Leningrad
4.) Many valuables and abandoned houses were burned during the battle.
5.) People starved in the towns if there was no bread. Importance: The Germans completed the siege with a single army and it was also one the bloodiest battles. -
Battle of Stalingrad
1942 – February 2, 1943 Facts
1.) It resulted without a declaration of war by Hitler.
2.) Fighting took place in the streets of towns.
3.) Death cause the air to be filled with the smell of burning bodies.
4.) Stalin issued an order to the Red Army that said “Never step back”.
5.) Women and men in the Soviet military were treated almost equally and both had many accomplishments. Importance: The Battle of Stalingrad marked the end of Germany’s advances into Europe and Russia. -
Operation Torch
Nov 8, 1942 – Nov 10, 1942 Facts
1.) The Germans had lost about 250,000 men who weren't replaceable.
2.) It opened up a second front in Africa
3.) It brought Americans into the war in Europe.
4.) It had the longest as well as biggest boat landing in WW2
5.)It was the first combined landing operation with the British, Americans, and Canadians. Importance: The first major operation in the European and North African theatre. -
D'Day
June 6, 1944 Facts
1.) It was the largest oceanic invasion in History.
2.) It had to be postponed due to bad weather.
3.) 4% of Normandy beach sand is made of metals from D’Day landings.
4.) The Canadian navy and the British Navy had a practice raid called “Dieppe Raid” to prepare for D'Day
5.) Allies parachuted fake humans to distract Nazi gunners from real parachuters. Importance: Considered the most important event in WW2 and led to France’s freedom. -
Battle of the Bulge
Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945 Facts
1.) More than 1 million men participated in the battle.
2.) Allied troops who were resting or training were attacked.
3) Bored paratroopers responded “NUTS” to a surrender request as a joke.
4.) American uniforms were illegally worn by the Germans in order to sneak behind enemy lines.
5.) Hitler’s generals were extremely cautious about the entire operation. Importance: Because of this battle the end of the war and Germany’s defeat came sooner. -
Battle of Berlin
Apr 16, 1945 – May 2, 1945
Facts
1.)About a million residents of Berlin were made homeless as a result.
2.)One of the heaviest bombings took place on Hitler’s birthday.
3.)This battle is why Hitler committed suicide.
4.)More than 1 million Russian soldiers were awarded a medal for the battle.
5.)The Battle of Berlin occurred during the last couple days of WW2
Importance: The battle of Berlin was the last major battle in WW2 and caused Hitler to commit suicide and Germany to surrender.
