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German Invasion of Poland
Germany, to the surprise of only the Allies, invades Poland sparking World War 2 due to its claims on the city of Danzig, trying to reconnect the German region of Ostpreussen. -
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Battle of Britain
At the start of the war, the Germans were looking for a quick victory of the Allied Powers, having already knocked Poland, France, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg out of the war effort. The United Kingdom was left to fend for itself. The Royal Air Force was able to stop the blitz and defend the British homeland, marking the first major defeat for the Luftwaffe and Hitler. -
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Operation Barbarossa
An event that the Soviets did not expect, the Germans pushed over the treaty line and attacked, which would begin the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. -
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Battle of Moscow
The German advance had picked up so much momentum that they were now at the gates of Moscow. The Germans encountered tough resistance by Soviet defenders, and because of this would soon start loosing momentum. As the winter also set in, German supply lines were slow to reinforce Wehrmacht troops at the front, effectively making them start to suffer my attrition. The Soviets countered the German offensive and in turn launched their own which repelled the German attackers. -
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Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans and Soviets would clash in Stalingrad, which would end up being one of the bloodiest and fiercest battles of World War 2, ending in a Soviet victory. -
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Operation Torch
Following the US entering the war, this would be their first experience against the German Afrika Korps, or German units in general. They would invade parts of Northern Africa, and would ultimately succeed in capturing back Western North Africa from Germany -
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Battle of Kursk
In the beginning of July, the German Army Group Centre attacked the Soviet city of Kursk, and attempted to encircle the city in order to capture or kill a massive amount of Russians. The Battle of Kursk would also see massive amounts of German and Soviet armor duke it out on the battle field, and set a precedent for future German designs. As the Soviet T-34 would prove itself effective. German pincer efforts would be halted by Soviet reserves, and their own counter effective would push them out. -
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Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord, or better known as the D-Day landings was the American, Anglo, and French invasion of Normandy, and would establish a foothold in France, and eventually would be another turning point in the war as the Normandy Landings would be successful and Allied forces would liberated key French cities and towns. -
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Battle of the Bulge
As US Forces pushed into the Ardennes, they were encircled by a German counter-offensive and a detachment of 101st Airborne troops were trapped in the pocket of Bastogne, and eventually would become called the Bulge. The Paratroopers held out and fought the Germans until they were relieved by Patton's III Army, but many Paratroopers are said to have stated that they did not need "saving" by Patton's troops. -
German Surrender
After Hitlers suicide, the German government and military staff unconditionally surrendered to Soviet/Allied Forces on May 7th, 1945, marking the end of World War 2 in Europe, and becoming V-E Day, Victory in Europe Day.