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Battle of France/Miracle of Dunkirk
The Battle of France was a German invasion of France from May 10 to June 25, 1940.
Germany successfully overtook France and forced them to armistice.
The Dunkirk evacuation began afterwards until June 4.
French and British troops who were surrounded by the German army began evacuating from the beaches of Dunkurk.
338,226 men were evacuated in eight days by Navy and civillian ships. -
Battle of Britain
The first major military campaign fought only by air forces that ended Oct 31, 1940.
The British Royal Air Force successfully defended against large scale attacks by German Luftwaffe.
Germany's first attack on London was successful; the second one was met by British fighters and caused them heavy losses.
Britain's air defense network of technology, ground defenses and aircraft gave them a critical advantage.
The Germans used terror bombing on civilians to try and get Britain to sign a treaty. -
Battle of Leningrad
A siege on Leningrad, Russia that ended 27 January 1944
(2 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 5 days).
German forces surrounded the city and cut off trade.
It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, causing nearly 3.5 million Russian deaths
Innocent civilians faced starvation and bombardment.
It gave Russians motivation to fight against the Germans. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The largest confrontation in World War II that ended February 2, 1943.
It is often regarded as the largest and bloodiest battle in the history of warfare.
Germany unsuccessfully attacked Stalingrad, Russia in a close defeat.
The Germans saw the city as crucial to their strategy, but Russia needed their city as an industrial and transportation center.
After over five months of close-quarters fighting, a German general surrendered what what left of his army. -
Operation Torch
Allied invasion of French North that ended November 16, 1942.
It was the first time that the Americans and the British lead an invasion together.
Beforehand, there was a long debate on what the Allied strategy would be, but Franklin Roosevelt made a direct order to prioritize Operation Torch.
The Allies successfully invaded French North African ports and obtained all their objectives.
The Germans lost their power and resources from Africa. -
D-Day
The day in which the Allies invaded Normandy, France in the largest seaborne invasion in history. Beforehand, the allies deceived Germany into thinking target was Pas-de-Calais, France. After they secured the beaches, the Allies fought their way across the Normandy countryside. Resulted in an Allied victory - Nazi Germany lost control of Western Europe. It was a major psychological blow to Germany and prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front. -
Battle of the Bulge
The last major German offensive that ended Jan 25, 1945.
Germany launched a surprise attack on the western front that cost Americans the most casualties in history
The German's plan was to split Allied forces then make them sign a peace treaty.
As the Germans drove further, the American line took the shape of a bulge, hence the name of the battle.
Despite the high casualties, the Allies were able to successfully stop the Germans. -
Battle of Berlin
The final major offensive of the European Theater Battles that ended May 2, 1945
The Soviet army successfully captured Berlin, ending Hitler's Third Reich.
The Red Army encircled the city and began shelling the city center.
As they ran out of ammunition, the Germans saw that they would lose and surrendered.
Shortly after, Hitler committed suicide and World War II ended.
