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Battle of Britain
Who: Royal Air Force (Britain) versus Luftwaffe (Germany).
What: The Battle of Britain was a pivotal air campaign fought over the skies of Britain between the RAF and the Luftwaffe, aiming to gain air superiority.
When: July 10, 1940 – October 31, 1940.
Where: United Kingdom airspace, particularly over England and the English Channel.
Why: Germany sought to gain control of the skies over Britain to pave the way for a planned invasion (Operation Sea Lion) and to demoralize the British population. -
Operation Barbarossa
Who: Nazi Germany (led by Adolf Hitler) versus the Soviet Union.
What: Operation Barbarossa was the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, launched on June 22, 1941
When: June 22, 1941
Where: The invasion covered a vast front stretching from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south
Why: Hitler sought to conquer the Soviet Union to gain Lebensraum for the German people, eliminate the perceived threat of communism, and acquire valuable resources -
Operation Torch
Who: Allied forces (led by the United States, Britain, and Free French forces) versus Axis forces
What: Operation Torch was the code name for the Allied invasion of North Africa
When: November 8, 1942
Where: The operation targeted French North Africa, including Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia
Why: The Allies aimed to secure control of North Africa to protect shipping routes in the Mediterranean, undermine Axis influence, and ultimately prepare for an invasion of southern Europe -
Operation Overlord
Who: Allied forces (led by the United States, Britain, and Canada) versus Nazi Germany.
What: Operation Overlord, also known as D-Day, was the largest seaborne invasion in history, landing Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in Nazi-occupied France.
When: June 6, 1944.
Where: Normandy, France.
Why: The Allies aimed to establish a foothold in Western Europe, liberate France from Nazi occupation, and ultimately defeat Germany. -
Yalta Conference
Who: Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (UK), and Joseph Stalin (USSR)
What: The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the Allied leaders to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and Asia
When: February 4–11, 1945
Where: Yalta, Crimea
Why: The conference aimed to reach agreements on the structure of the post-war world, including the division of Germany the establishment of the United Nations and Soviet participation in the war against Japan