-
Formation of the Axis Powers
Germany and Italy signs the Pact of Steel, marking the beginning of the Axis powers. -
Declaration of War
The Allies (Britain, France, and commonwealth countries including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) declares war on Germany. -
Blitzkrieg! Operation Weserubung
Operation Weserubung; Germany assaults Denmark and Norway using their blitzkrieg surprise tactic. War planes lead the attack, destroying enemy positions as well as their supply lines. The German panzers forced through enemy lines, while soldiers parachuted into enemy territory, aiming to destroy communications and trasportation links.
Using this tactic, Germany successfully conquers Denmark and Norway. Within three weeks, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium all fell to Germany. -
Battle of France; Operation Fall Gelb
Operation Fall Gelb (Case Yellow);The German troops pushes into Ardennes in an attempt to cut off and surround the Allied troops which had advanced into Belgium. The Allied troops were successfully pushed back to the English Channel and were completely trapped at the French port of Dunkirk. -
Period: to
Evacuation at Dunkirk; Operation Dynamo
Britain would have lost the bulk of its army if they had surrendered, so the British government makes a dramatic rescue for the Allied troops that were trapped by the Germans during the Battle of France. Every boat that could navigate the English channel was dispatched towards Dunkirk to evacuate the trapped troops. Nearly 340 000 Allied soldiers were safetly brought back to Britain. This was viewed as a "miracle" and also helped boost morale. -
Fall of France; Operation Fall Rot
The evacuation of the Allied troops from Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) was complete, however, the Germans were relentless in their assault to conquer France. They launched Operation Fall Rot (Case Red), and the German air force superiority as well as their amoured mobility overwhelmed the resisting French forces. Eventually, they pushed deep into France into an undefended Paris, and successfully caused the French to officially surrender on June 22, 1940. -
Period: to
North African Campaign
Also known as the Desert War, the Axis powers struggled for control of the resources and strategic positions in North Africa.The Axis powers had to dominate the Mediterranean by controlling the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. This would have given the Axis powers access to the oils in the Middle East, as well as the major strategic point of the Suez Canal. However, the Allies eventually won on May 13, 1943. -
Period: to
Battle of Britain
July 10, 1940, Germany stopped all merchant shipping across the English Channel. Then on August 1, 1940, Germany launched attacks against the RAF. They were unable to get the upperhand due to the British radar system and the British Spitfires and Hurricanes (both fighter planes), so Hitler turned his attention to bombing residential cities. On September 15, 1940, the Germans finally retreated. This loss caused the cancellation of Operation Sea Lion, Hitler's intended invasion of Britain. -
Japan Joins the Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, and Japan signs the Tripartite Pact, and these three countries officially became known as the Axis powers. -
Operation Barbarossa!
Hitler broke the non-aggression pact between him and Stalin. The Soviet Union was a source of raw materials and agricultural land, and conquering the Soviet Union was part of Hitler's long-term plans for a new German Empire. Initially successful, the Germans were stopped after reaching Moscow and Leningrad due to winter. After reaching Stalingrad, they were stopped again by winter. With no reinforcements, the Germans surrendered in 1943, and the Soviet army managed to reclaim much of the land. -
Dieppe Raid
The Allied objectives were supposed to be seizing and holding a major port, to prove it was possible and to gather intelligence, however, it was a huge failure. A ship carrying Canadian soldiers to Dieppe ran into a German convoy beforehand, and the other ships were delayed and landed in daylight instead of night. Troops were gunned down by German soldiers and tanks were ineffective on the pebbled beach. Miscommunication caused more Allied reinforcements to be sent to their deaths or captures. -
Period: to
Italian campaign
On July 10, 1943, Allied forces invaded Sicily, and captured the island within 38 days. This led to Mussolini's downfall; he was overthrown and the new Government surrendered. Germany, however, was intent on holding their Italian territory. On December 20, 1943, Canadian troops had the objective to capture the town of Ortona and several smaller villages. Finally on December 28, 1943, after fighting in the rubble filled town, Canadian forces finally overtook the German troops. -
Juno Beach
The first wave of Operation Overlord, Canadians arrived on Juno beach. The troops battled past the German defences, including concrete barriers, barbed wire, and land mines, to take the beach. Although successful, the casualties were high - 359 Canadians had died and 715 were wounded. -
Period: to
D-day: Normandy Invasion
Operation Overlord; the Allies launched a full scale invasion of Europe. Allied troops were landed on 5 beaches, codenamed Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah, on the Normandy coast of France. Backed with massive air and naval support, the invasion was a great success. -
Period: to
Battle of Scheldt
The Canadians were given the task to clear enemy troops from the Scheldt River in Belgium. It was an important river connecting Antwerp to the North sea. Even though Antwerp was already liberated by the Allies, the Germans still controlled the river and access to the sea. After a month of fighting, the Canadians finally achieved their goal and allowed the Allies to bring in supplies for their final advance towards Germany. -
Period: to
Battle of the Rhineland
On February 8, 1945, the Canadians launched their attack to drive back the Germans over the Rhine River and out of the Netherlands. Fighting was slow, as the soldiers had to struggle through mud and flooded fields against the German resistances. On March 10, 1945, the Germans retreated to the east bank of the Rhine River, and the Canadians continued north to liberate Holland. Eventually, the Canadians also succeeded in liberating the Netherlands after failing to liberate Holland.
