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Invasion of Poland
Germany, utilising a new type of warfare called Blitzkrieg (lightning war), invaded Poland on September 2 1939. This type of warfare included fast tank attacks aided by the Luftwaffe (German airforce) in which paratroopers were dropped behund enemy lines. Poland was taken with relative ease. This event was significant as it showed the effectiveness of the German's new strategy and it signified the start of World War Two. -
Evacuation of Dunkirk
On the beaches of Dunkirk, France, British forces (340,000) were trapped by the Germans. British boats of all types and sizes were called to help evacuate the troops. Hitler did not attack the helpless British forces on the beaches which is considered one of Hitler's greatest mistakes. The soldiers were successfully evacuated and so lived to fight another day. This "victory" gave the British a boost in morale. -
Fall of France
Germany, again using the Blitzkrieg tactic, successfully invaded France. Hitler bypassed the Magiot Line by invading through Luxembourg. Blitzkrieg was extremely effective against the French and their tanks were practically useless. Southern France turned into Vichy France which was a Nazi puppet government while Northern France was occupied by the Nazis. This event once again proved the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg. -
Battle of Britain
Hitler decided to attempt to invade Britain. The operation relied on air control so the Luftwaffe began to bomb strategic points such as air bases and radar station. This was working well and Britain would have soon been unable to launch fighters to defend itself if Germany had not switched tactics and begun to bomb London. This allowed the RAF to rebuild itself and get fighters into the air once again. Hitler indefinitely postponed the invasion at the end of September. -
Winter War
The Red Army attacked Finland to expand its territory further. Although the Finns fought hard, they surrendered and signed a peace treaty on March 12 1940. Shortly after, the Red Army took the Baltic States which included Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, -
Battle of the Atlantic
1941-1942. This battle revolved around the sea lanes between Britain and North America. Britain needed to defend cargo and personelle ships from the German submarines that were trying to sink them. This was a neccessary victory for Britain because if they had not been able to keep their sea lanes open than North American goods would not have reached Europe. -
Barbarossa
Germany launched a surprise attack against Russia which surprised Stalin greatly. It was a brutal battle in which millions of Russians died and many Germans. Although Germany gained a substantial amount of territory at the start of the invasion, the Russians managed to hold them off long enough that the winter killed the Germans. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Germans attacked Stalingrad and it soon became a personal battle between Hitler and Stalin. This fight can be characterized as intense and vicious. Some of Hitler's best units were lost during this battle. Germany was defeated and the road to the liberation of Eastern Europe began. -
Battle of El Alamein
Italian forces attacked in El Alamein, Egypt. The axis powers of Germany and Italy were defeated by the Allies. The main outcome of this battle was that the Allies kept the Suez Canal meaning that Hitler was denied access to the Middle Eastern oil. -
Italian Campaign
During the Italian Campaign the allies attacked Italy to weaken Germany's forces. It was a tough war in which Mussolini was captured by Italian partisans, hung and displayed in Milan. The allies defeated the German soldiers in Italy. This was a large step in the liberattion of Europe. -
Normandy Invasion
The invasion of Normandy was the final major attack to liberate France from Germany and force Germany into surrender. The allies landed on the beaches and forced their way forward. The Canadian forces attacked Juno beach. This was the largest part in the liberation of Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge
This battle occurred in Ardennes when the Germans launched an offensive against the Allied front. The Germans attacked 80,000 Allied troops with 200,000 and advanced 60 miles before they were stopped on Christmas. This was a last ditch attempt by Hitler.
