WWII History Final

Final Exam Timespan

Period: Mar 1, 1941 to Aug 1, 1945

Lend-Lease Act

Mar 11, 1941

Passed in March of 1941, was the principal means for providing U.S. military aid to foreign nations during World War II.

Operation Barbarossa

Jun 22, 1941

Germany invades Soviet Union in 3 part invasion. AGN, AGC, AGS.

Encirclement of Kiev

Aug 23, 1941

(23 Aug 1941 - 26 Sep 1941) AGS (under Von Rundstedt) successfully encircles Kiev. Largest encirclement of the war.

Lenigrad Blockade

Sep 21, 1941

AGN (under Von Leeb) unable to capture Leningrad, decides to blockade city and starve it.

Op. Reinhard

Oct 1, 1941

(Oct. 1941 - Nov. 1943) was the German death camp system. Creating 3 new death camps with a goal to speed up the killing of victims.

Op. Typhoon (Battle for Moscow) Begins

Oct 2, 1941

(2 Oct. 1941 - 7 Jan. 1942) Op. Typhoon was the specific plan to encircle Moscow, failed eventually due to Soviet counterattack on 5 Dec. 1941.

Pearl Harbor

Dec 7, 1941

Japan attacks U.S. at Pearl Harbor.

Germany Declares War On U.S.

Dec 8, 1941

Germany declares war on United States.

Wannsee Conference

Jan 20, 1942

German conference to coordinate movement of Jews to death camps in Poland.

Strategic Bombing

Mar 28, 1942

(28 Mar 1942 - 3 Apr 1945) After Churchhill approved this change of policy, British bombers bombed Germany's industrial cities and their civilian populations. These cities included: Hamburg, Dresden, Luebeck, and Berlin.

Fall Blau (Case Blue)

Jun 28, 1942

Launched 28 June 1942. A German operation to invade Moscow, but decided to focus on Stalingrad. Mini Operation Barbarossa, ends up failing for Nazi Germany.

Op. Edelweiss (Blau revamped)

Jul 1, 1942

July of 1942, Case Blau revamped. Split south offensive toward both Stalingrad and the Don and the Black Sea.

Op. Uranus

Nov 19, 1942

(19 Nov 1942 - 2 Feb 1943) Successful Soviet counterattack during Case Blue.

Op. Ring

Dec 10, 1942

German operation, last attempts to try and save the 6th Army. 10 Dec. 1942 Russian 'Ring" begins final closure.

Surrender of the Sixth Army

Jan 31, 1943

Paulus is first German FM to surrender. Turning point in the war. Germany could no longer win in the East.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Apr 19, 1943

(19 Apr - 16 May 1943) Largest Jewish Resistance during Holocaust. Broke out after the final clearing f the Ghetto. SS ordered to "cleanse" the ghetto. Nazis massacred 13,000 Jews in response. Ghetto destroyed.

Op. Husky

Jun 10, 1943

First step in Italy; Western Allies from North African sicily. Airborne/amphibious operation followed by a 6 week land campaign. Allied victory.

Op. Citadel

Jul 5, 1943

(5-16 July 1943) Last German offensive to "Pinch Off" the Kursk Salient from north and south relying on German armor.
Called off because of Operation Husky, but first uge tank battle (Prokhorovka).

Battle of Prokhorovka

Jul 12, 1943

During Op. Citadel. Start of the Soviet Counterattack with armor. Tank on tank battle, little infantry participation.

Kutuzov Offensive

Jul 31, 1943

July/Aug 1943; Soviet attack on Army Group Center Orel, north of Kursk.

Polkovets Rumyantsev Offensive

Jul 31, 1943

(July/Aug 1943) Soviet attack on AGS and retaking of Knarkov/Kharkiv (Ukraine).

Op. Baytown

Sep 3, 1943

(Invasion of Italy) amphibious landing on Italy's mainland.

Op. Avalanche

Sep 9, 1943

(Invasion of Italy) main amphibious landing on Italy near Salerno.

Op.Slapstick

Sep 9, 1943

(Invasion of Italy) airborne landing in Italy at Taranto.

Teheran Conference ("Eureka")

Nov 28, 1943

(28 Nov - 1 Dec 1943) Conference in Teheran, Iran to determine the course of the alliance considering the developments on the Eastern front. Decision made to open a second from in Western Europe

Op. Shingle/Anzio Landings

Jan 22, 1944

(Invation of Italy) Amphibious landing further north in Italy. Allies lose the initiative, campaign lasted until 5 June 1944, possibly delayed D-Day.

Op. Neptune (DDay)

Jun 6, 1944

Suprise naval bmbardment of the coast to break German defenses across 5 Nrmandy beaches. Largest amphibious landing in history.

Op. Overlord

Jun 6, 1944

(6 June - 25 Aug 1944) Lodgment of Normany. Securing force after Operation Neptune for beaches, ports, and "Mulberry Harors".

Op. Bagration

Jun 22, 1944

(22 Jun 9 Aug 1944) Soviet deep battle operation with the goal of Belarus, commanded by K. Rokossovsky. Drove remaining forces from Soviet territory and retook Belarus. Called "The Destruction of Army Group Center". Part of Stalin's 10 blows.

Cherbourg

Jun 22, 1944

(22-30 June 1944) Major port that was targeted in Operation Netune and Overlord. Closest to normandy.

Warsaw Rising

Aug 1, 1944

(1 Aug - 2 Oct 1944) City wide uprising of resisters of the Home Army (Poland). Stalen ordered the Red Army not to help, resulted in defeat.

Liberation of Paris

Aug 19, 1944

(19-25 Aug.1944) Patton leads 3rd army into Paris. German garrison surrenders and Charles De Gaulle takes power when French resistance rises up

Op. Market-Garden

Sep 17, 1944

(17-25 Sept 1944) Combined air (market) and land (garden) attack takes 8 days and fails, due to complexity and German resistance. Launched by Montgomery with Eisenhower's permission. 16,000 allied casualties.

Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive)

Dec 16, 1944

(16 Dec 1944 - 25 Jan 1945) Last German offensive attack of the war in the Ardennes. Caught allies by surprise, taking heavy casualties. Attempt to drive out the Western Allies out of German territory.

Yalta Conference

Feb 4, 1945

(4-11 Feb 1945) War was thought to be over by Allies. Stalin demands "Sphere of Influence" across Eastern Europe. Possibly the beginning of the Cold War.

Hitler Commits Suicide

Apr 30, 1945

Hitler kills himself.