Major European Theater Battles

Battle of France/Miracle of Dunkirk

May 10, 1940

This was an invasion of France by the German forces, where the Germans wanted to conquer territory.

1. German forces invaded areas of France
2. It pushed British and French forces back to the sea
3. The evacuation of the Allied troops from Dunkirk saved 193,000 British and 145,000 French troops.
4. German forces defeated Allied Forces by mobile operation and conquering.
5. In late June a ceasefire was signed between Germany and France, which forced France to surrender some of its territory.

Battle of Britain

Jul 10, 1940

This was a military campaign that was mostly fought with Air Forces (RAF and Luftwaffe), which resulted in British victory. And it was caused by the Germans who bombed Britain.
1. 300 German bombers raided London
2. It was 57 consecutive nights of bombing
3. It was the largest sustained bombing campaign to that date
4. Winston Churchill made a speech to rally the British people, which is how the name of the battle came
5. Britain won this battle, saving them from possible German occupation

Battle of Leningrad

Sep 8, 1941

This was a siege of the city of Leningrad that lasted almost 900 days where many people died because of the Germans.

1. It was a 900 day siege of the city of Leningrad.
2. This was after the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union.
3. 1,000,000 people died in the seige
4. Anyone who was "essential to the war effort" was evacuated
5. There was starvation, arrests, executions, deaths, and torture during the siege because of the Nazis.

Battle of Stalingrad

Jul 17, 1942

This was a crucial battle in WWII, and it was one of the bloodiest battles in history. It ended with a success for the Soviet Union.

1. It was when the Germans tried to advance into the Soviet Union in the Eastern Front.
2. It was a successful defense of the city of Stalingrad (which was a vital industrial center) by the Soviets.
3. There were nearly 2 million casualties.
4. The Soviet forces crushed an entire German army.
5. It is a turning point and a monumental battle in World War 2.

Operation Torch

Nov 8, 1942

This was when the British and Americans worked together to invade French North Africa where they won.

1. The British and the Americans worked together on this invasion
2. It was the Allied invasion of French North Africa
3. Allies wanted to remove the Axis presence on the continent
4. It was the 1st major airborne assault done by the U.S.
5. it was a major victory for the Allies

D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

This was when international forces from all over the world wanted to liberate the mainland Europe from Nazi Germany.

1. This battle was the largest naval, land, and air operation in history
2. This battle was when the allied forces wanted to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi Germany
3. It was the invasion of Normandy in the Operation Overlord
4. Operation Overlord caused the two-front against Germany
5. D-Day required cooperation between international armed forces.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

This was a surprise offensive attack, against the Allies in the Western Front, that used the blitzkrieg method.
1.Surprise blitzkrieg attack in the Ardennes Mountain Region on the Western Front.
2. It was a major German offensive launched against the Allies.
3. During the attack, the Allies took on the appearance of a bulge, giving the name.
4. The defense of the Allies lead to neutralization of German counteroffensive.
5. The battle ended in a tie because of shortage of German fuel.

Battle of Berlin

Apr 16, 1945

This battle involved the Soviet army attacking the Germans in Berlin, and it resulted in the surrender of the Germans.
1. This battle was mostly fought between the German and Soviet Army.
2. The Soviet Army outnumbered the Germans and they were ill- equipped to fight.
3. The Soviets attacked the city of Berlin and many people died.
4. The result of this battle was that the Germans surrendered and the war in Europe ended.
5. During the attack, Hitler was defeated and he committed suicide.