European Front Timeline

  • Battle of the Atlantic

    1939 through 1945
    Significance: If the Allies had not gotten their supplies, they would have been unable to continue fighting in the war.
    Outcome: Britain defended the Atlantic ocean from German U-boats to keep their supply lines and invasion routes open.
  • Battle of Britain

    Summer and Fall of 1940
    Significance: Proved the effectiveness of air power.
    Outcome: British and German forces clashed over the United Kingdom as the Germans tried to invade and the British successfully defended
  • Dunkirk

    May 26, 1940- June 3, 1940
    Significance: 330,000 Allied troops to eventually escape mainland Europe to safety in Great Britain.
    Outcome: Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of around 350,000 British, French and Belgian troops from Dunkirk, enabled the Allies to continue the war and was a major boost to British morale.
  • El Alamein

    Significance: It pushed all German forces out of North Africa and opened up the way for the Invasion of Sicily and Italy. It was a major defeat for Rommel's Desert Army. Outcome: Expulsion of Axis forces from Africa, Allies defeated the axis powers.
  • Stalingrad

    August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943
    Significance: Largest battle in history; Nazi Germany’s first defeat; fascists lost esteem; victory of the allies could be predicted; b/w Fascists and Allies.
    Outcome: Germans lost lots of money, vehicles, and people.
  • Operation Torch

    November 8, 1942- November 11, 1942
    Significance: Introduction of U.S forces into the European Front against the Germans
    Outcome: U.S completed mobilizing troops; postponed landing in France until 1944
  • Invasion of Palermo/ Sicily

    July 2, 1943- August 17, 1943
    Significance: When the German forces surrendered in North Africa, the Allies chose Sicily to attack Germany; Allied invasion of Germany
    Outcome: Italy surrendered on Sept. 8, 1943; collapse of Benito Mussolini’s government in Rome
  • Battle of Monte Cassino

    January 17- May 18, 1944
    Significance: Stopped the advance Allies from invading Italy; German finally pulled out of the town of Monte Cassino and the mountain & Abbey of Monte Cassino on May 18, 1944. This opened up the path for the Allies to advance into Rome
    Outcome: German forces were dislodged from the Gustav Line, opening the way to invade Rome
  • Battle of Palermo/Anzio/Rome

    January 22nd to May 24th 1944
    Significance: Controversial battle that enabled the Allies to drain German resources by forcing them to fight the Allied armies within their territory instead of reinforcing their border.
    Outcome: Eventual Allied victory, but with much loss of life that some critics say could have been prevented.
  • Normandy

    Significance: Marked the end of Hitler’s reign; Allies invaded German occupied France and won the battle
    Outcome: Marked the point where it was foreshadowed that the Allies would surely win WW2
  • Battle of the Bulge

    December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945 Significance: Last hope for Germans to win, but they lost; the people in the Nazi Death camps were liberated; last German offence
    Outcome: Allies would have less resistance while trying to cross the Rhine; outcome of the war is determined to give the Allies the victory
  • Battle of Dresden

    February 1945
    Significance: Showed the power of bombers & ensured that Russia would remain agreeable
    Outcome: Massive firestorm that killed hundreds of thousands
  • Iwo Jima

    9 February – 26 March 1945
    Significance:
    Japan: defending their country will scare U.S
    U.S: the price of invading is too much, so we dropped a bomb instead
    Outcome: the island was secured by the Americans. Thousands of casualties occurred