Events
Events 1939–1945
A chronology of events across the European theatres of war. The database grows over time — a missing entry does not mean nothing happened.
1939
- 23 August 1939Molotov–Ribbentrop PactDiplomacy · Diplomacy · MoscowShow on map →
- 1 Sept 1939 – 6 Oct 1939Invasion of Poland (September Campaign)Campaign · Eastern Front · PolandShow on map →
- 1 Sept 1939 – 7 Sept 1939Battle of WesterplatteBattle · Eastern Front · Westerplatte, DanzigShow on map →
- 3 September 1939Britain and France declare war on GermanyDiplomacy · Diplomacy · London and ParisShow on map →
- 3 Sept 1939 – 8 May 1945Battle of the AtlanticNaval operation · Atlantic & Britain · North AtlanticShow on map →
- 7 Sept 1939 – 16 Sept 1939Saar OffensiveBattle · Western Front · SaarlandShow on map →
- 9 Sept 1939 – 19 Sept 1939Battle of the BzuraBattle · Eastern Front · Kutno–Łowicz areaShow on map →
- 17 Sept 1939 – 6 Oct 1939Soviet invasion of PolandOccupation · Eastern Front · Eastern PolandShow on map →
- 30 Nov 1939 – 13 Mar 1940Winter WarCampaign · Scandinavia & Finland · Karelian Isthmus, FinlandShow on map →
1940
- 3 Apr 1940 – 19 May 1940Katyn massacreCrimes & persecution · Eastern Front · Katyn Forest, Kalinin, Kharkiv and other sitesShow on map →
- 9 Apr 1940 – 10 Jun 1940German invasion of Denmark and Norway (Operation Weserübung)Campaign · Scandinavia & Finland · Denmark and NorwayShow on map →
- 9 Apr 1940 – 8 Jun 1940Battles of NarvikBattle · Scandinavia & Finland · Narvik, NorwayShow on map →
- 10 May 1940British occupation of IcelandOccupation · Atlantic & Britain · Reykjavík, IcelandShow on map →
- 10 May 1940 – 25 Jun 1940Battle of FranceCampaign · Western Front · France and the Low Countries (breakthrough at Sedan)Show on map →
- 12 May 1940 – 15 May 1940Battle of Sedan (1940)Battle · Western Front · Sedan, MeuseShow on map →
- 14 May 1940Bombing of RotterdamAir operation · Western Front · Rotterdam, NetherlandsShow on map →
- 26 May 1940 – 4 Jun 1940Dunkirk evacuation (Operation Dynamo)Naval operation · Western Front · Dunkirk, FranceShow on map →
- 10 Jun 1940 – 25 Jun 1940Italy enters the war: invasion of FranceBattle · Mediterranean & Italy · Franco-Italian Alpine borderShow on map →
- 15 Jun 1940 – 6 Aug 1940Soviet occupation and annexation of the Baltic statesOccupation · Eastern Front · Estonia, Latvia, LithuaniaShow on map →
- 22 June 1940Armistice of 22 June 1940Politics · Western Front · Compiègne (Rethondes), FranceShow on map →
- 28 Jun 1940 – 4 Jul 1940Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern BukovinaOccupation · Eastern Front · Bessarabia and Northern BukovinaShow on map →
- 3 July 1940Attack on Mers-el-KébirNaval operation · Mediterranean & Italy · Mers-el-Kébir, AlgeriaShow on map →
- 10 Jul 1940 – 31 Oct 1940Battle of BritainAir operation · Atlantic & Britain · Southern England and the ChannelShow on map →
- 30 August 1940Second Vienna AwardDiplomacy · Diplomacy · Belvedere Palace, ViennaShow on map →
- 7 Sept 1940 – 11 May 1941The BlitzCivilians · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · London and other British citiesShow on map →
- 27 September 1940Tripartite PactDiplomacy · Diplomacy · BerlinShow on map →
- 28 Oct 1940 – 23 Apr 1941Greco-Italian WarCampaign · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Epirus and southern AlbaniaShow on map →
- 11 Nov 1940 – 12 Nov 1940Battle of TarantoNaval operation · Mediterranean & Italy · TarantoShow on map →
- 14 Nov 1940 – 15 Nov 1940Coventry BlitzAir operation · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · CoventryShow on map →
- 9 Dec 1940 – 9 Feb 1941Operation CompassCampaign · Mediterranean & Italy · Western Desert (Egypt–Libya)Show on map →
1941
- 6 Apr 1941 – 18 Apr 1941Invasion of YugoslaviaCampaign · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Yugoslavia (bombing of Belgrade)Show on map →
- 6 Apr 1941 – 30 Apr 1941German invasion of GreeceCampaign · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Northern and mainland GreeceShow on map →
- 10 Apr 1941 – 27 Nov 1941Siege of TobrukBattle · Mediterranean & Italy · Tobruk, LibyaShow on map →
- 20 May 1941 – 1 Jun 1941Battle of CreteBattle · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Crete, GreeceShow on map →
- 24 May 1941 – 27 May 1941Last battle of the battleship BismarckNaval operation · Atlantic & Britain · North Atlantic, west of BrestShow on map →
- 22 Jun 1941 – 5 Dec 1941Operation BarbarossaCampaign · Eastern Front · Soviet western border (Brest Fortress)Show on map →
- 25 Jun 1941 – 19 Sept 1944Continuation WarCampaign · Scandinavia & Finland · KareliaShow on map →
- 10 Jul 1941 – 10 Sept 1941Battle of Smolensk (1941)Battle · Eastern Front · SmolenskShow on map →
- 23 Aug 1941 – 26 Sept 1941Battle of Kiev (1941)Battle · Eastern Front · Kiev and the left bank of the DnieperShow on map →
- 8 Sept 1941 – 27 Jan 1944Siege of LeningradBattle · Eastern Front · Leningrad (Saint Petersburg)Show on map →
- 29 Sept 1941 – 30 Sept 1941Babi Yar massacreCrimes & persecution · Eastern Front · Babi Yar ravine, KyivShow on map →
- 2 Oct 1941 – 7 Jan 1942Battle of MoscowBattle · Eastern Front · Approaches to MoscowShow on map →
- 30 Oct 1941 – 4 Jul 1942Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942)Battle · Eastern Front · Sevastopol, CrimeaShow on map →
- 18 Nov 1941 – 30 Dec 1941Operation CrusaderCampaign · Mediterranean & Italy · Sidi Rezegh and CyrenaicaShow on map →
- 11 December 1941Germany and Italy declare war on the United StatesDiplomacy · Diplomacy · BerlinShow on map →
1942
- 20 January 1942Wannsee ConferenceCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Wannsee, BerlinShow on map →
- 17 Mar 1942 – 4 Nov 1943Operation Reinhard — extermination camps begin operatingCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Bełżec, Sobibór and Treblinka (General Government)Show on map →
- 12 May 1942 – 28 May 1942Second Battle of KharkovBattle · Eastern Front · Kharkov and the Izium salientShow on map →
- 26 May 1942 – 21 Jun 1942Battle of GazalaBattle · Mediterranean & Italy · Gazala line, west of TobrukShow on map →
- 27 May 1942 – 24 Jun 1942Assassination of Heydrich and the reprisals (Lidice)Resistance · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Prague and LidiceShow on map →
- 10 June 1942Lidice massacreCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Lidice, Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaShow on map →
- 28 Jun 1942 – 24 Nov 1942Case Blue — German summer offensive 1942Campaign · Eastern Front · Southern Russia: Voronezh, Don and CaucasusShow on map →
- 17 Jul 1942 – 2 Feb 1943Battle of StalingradBattle · Eastern Front · Stalingrad (Volgograd)Show on map →
- 19 August 1942Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee)Battle · Western Front · DieppeShow on map →
- 23 Oct 1942 – 11 Nov 1942Second Battle of El AlameinBattle · Mediterranean & Italy · El Alamein, Egypt (North African theatre — context)Show on map →
- 8 Nov 1942 – 16 Nov 1942Operation TorchCampaign · Mediterranean & Italy · Algeria and MoroccoShow on map →
- 17 Nov 1942 – 13 May 1943Tunisian campaignCampaign · Mediterranean & Italy · TunisiaShow on map →
1943
- 9 Feb 1943 – 29 Feb 1944Massacres of Poles in VolhyniaCrimes & persecution · Eastern Front · VolhyniaShow on map →
- 19 Apr 1943 – 16 May 1943Warsaw Ghetto UprisingResistance · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Warsaw GhettoShow on map →
- 5 Jul 1943 – 23 Aug 1943Battle of KurskBattle · Eastern Front · Kursk salientShow on map →
- 10 Jul 1943 – 17 Aug 1943Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky)Campaign · Mediterranean & Italy · Sicily, ItalyShow on map →
- 24 Jul 1943 – 3 Aug 1943Bombing of Hamburg (Operation Gomorrah)Air operation · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · HamburgShow on map →
- 2 August 1943Treblinka prisoner revoltResistance · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Treblinka extermination campShow on map →
- 26 Aug 1943 – 23 Dec 1943Battle of the DnieperCampaign · Eastern Front · Dnieper river, UkraineShow on map →
- 3 Sept 1943 – 8 Sept 1943Armistice of Cassibile — Italy leaves the AxisPolitics · Mediterranean & Italy · Cassibile, SicilyShow on map →
- 9 Sept 1943 – 16 Sept 1943Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche)Battle · Mediterranean & Italy · Gulf of SalernoShow on map →
- 1 Oct 1943 – 31 Oct 1943Rescue of the Danish JewsResistance · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Denmark and the ØresundShow on map →
- 13 October 1943Italy declares war on GermanyDiplomacy · Diplomacy · BrindisiShow on map →
- 28 Nov 1943 – 1 Dec 1943Tehran ConferenceDiplomacy · Diplomacy · Tehran, IranShow on map →
1944
- 17 Jan 1944 – 18 May 1944Battle of Monte CassinoBattle · Mediterranean & Italy · Monte Cassino, ItalyShow on map →
- 22 Jan 1944 – 5 Jun 1944Battle of Anzio (Operation Shingle)Battle · Mediterranean & Italy · Anzio and NettunoShow on map →
- 2 Feb 1944 – 10 Aug 1944Battle of Narva (1944)Battle · Eastern Front · Narva and the Sinimäed hillsShow on map →
- 19 March 1944German occupation of Hungary (Operation Margarethe)Occupation · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Budapest, HungaryShow on map →
- 6 Jun 1944 – 30 Aug 1944Normandy landings and Operation OverlordCampaign · Western Front · Normandy, FranceShow on map →
- 10 June 1944Oradour-sur-Glane massacreCrimes & persecution · Western Front · Oradour-sur-Glane, FranceShow on map →
- 10 Jun 1944 – 9 Aug 1944Vyborg–Petrozavodsk offensiveCampaign · Scandinavia & Finland · Karelian Isthmus and East KareliaShow on map →
- 22 Jun 1944 – 19 Aug 1944Operation BagrationCampaign · Eastern Front · BelarusShow on map →
- 13 Jul 1944 – 29 Aug 1944Lvov–Sandomierz offensiveCampaign · Eastern Front · Lwów and the upper VistulaShow on map →
- 1 Aug 1944 – 2 Oct 1944Warsaw UprisingResistance · Eastern Front · WarsawShow on map →
- 12 Aug 1944 – 21 Aug 1944Falaise pocketBattle · Western Front · Falaise–Chambois, NormandyShow on map →
- 15 Aug 1944 – 14 Sept 1944Operation Dragoon — landings in southern FranceCampaign · Western Front · Provence coastShow on map →
- 19 Aug 1944 – 25 Aug 1944Liberation of ParisResistance · Western Front · ParisShow on map →
- 20 Aug 1944 – 29 Aug 1944Jassy–Kishinev offensiveCampaign · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Moldavia and BessarabiaShow on map →
- 23 August 1944King Michael's coup — Romania changes sidesPolitics · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Bucharest, RomaniaShow on map →
- 29 Aug 1944 – 28 Oct 1944Slovak National UprisingResistance · Eastern Front · Central Slovakia (Banská Bystrica)Show on map →
- 15 Sept 1944 – 24 Nov 1944Belgrade offensiveCampaign · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Belgrade and eastern SerbiaShow on map →
- 17 Sept 1944 – 25 Sept 1944Operation Market GardenCampaign · Western Front · Eindhoven – Nijmegen – Arnhem, NetherlandsShow on map →
- 2 Oct 1944 – 8 Nov 1944Battle of the ScheldtBattle · Western Front · Scheldt estuary, ZeelandShow on map →
- 16 Dec 1944 – 25 Jan 1945Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive)Battle · Western Front · Ardennes (Belgium and Luxembourg)Show on map →
- 29 Dec 1944 – 13 Feb 1945Siege of BudapestBattle · Balkans & East-Central Europe · Budapest, HungaryShow on map →
1945
- 12 Jan 1945 – 2 Feb 1945Vistula–Oder offensiveCampaign · Eastern Front · Central Poland, Vistula to OderShow on map →
- 13 Jan 1945 – 25 Apr 1945East Prussian offensiveCampaign · Eastern Front · East PrussiaShow on map →
- 27 January 1945Liberation of AuschwitzCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Oświęcim (Auschwitz-Birkenau)Show on map →
- 30 January 1945Sinking of the Wilhelm GustloffNaval operation · Atlantic & Britain · Baltic Sea, off Stolpmünde (Ustka)Show on map →
- 4 Feb 1945 – 11 Feb 1945Yalta ConferenceDiplomacy · Diplomacy · Livadia Palace, Yalta (Crimea)Show on map →
- 13 Feb 1945 – 15 Feb 1945Bombing of DresdenAir operation · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Dresden, GermanyShow on map →
- 7 Mar 1945 – 25 Mar 1945Capture of the Ludendorff Bridge at RemagenBattle · Western Front · Remagen, RhineShow on map →
- 16 Mar 1945 – 15 Apr 1945Vienna offensiveCampaign · Eastern Front · ViennaShow on map →
- 23 Mar 1945 – 27 Mar 1945Operation Plunder — Rhine crossing at WeselCampaign · Western Front · Lower Rhine at Wesel and ReesShow on map →
- 1 Apr 1945 – 18 Apr 1945Ruhr pocketBattle · Western Front · Ruhr areaShow on map →
- 6 Apr 1945 – 9 Apr 1945Battle of KönigsbergBattle · Eastern Front · KönigsbergShow on map →
- 15 April 1945Liberation of Bergen-BelsenCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Bergen-Belsen, Lower SaxonyShow on map →
- 16 Apr 1945 – 2 May 1945Battle of BerlinBattle · Eastern Front · BerlinShow on map →
- 29 April 1945Liberation of DachauCrimes & persecution · Civilian life, occupation, Holocaust · Dachau, BavariaShow on map →
- 5 May 1945 – 8 May 1945Prague uprisingResistance · Eastern Front · PragueShow on map →
- 7 May 1945 – 8 May 1945German Instrument of Surrender — end of the war in EuropePolitics · Diplomacy · Reims and Berlin-KarlshorstShow on map →
- 17 Jul 1945 – 2 Aug 1945Potsdam ConferenceDiplomacy · Diplomacy · Cecilienhof Palace, PotsdamShow on map →