Battle of Britain to Battle of Stalingrad Sept to August 1942 September 1940 (during Battle of Britain) Germany and Italy attack North Africa Goal is to seize Suez Canal Both sides advance and retreatvets/goldstar/GillndBA.htmwww.rootsweb.com/.../ vets/goldstar/GillndBA.htm Field Marshall Erwin Rommel General Bernard Montgomery March 1941 Hitler invades Balkans Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary forced to join Axis Yugoslavia and Greece invaded and conquered Balkan campaign set the stage for an invasion of the Soviet Union Fall of Greece June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarosa Germans invade Soviet Union Russians retreat (Scorched-Earth strategy) Surrounded Leningrad, 1 million died during winter, did not surrender Advanced to Moscow winter forced German retreat 125 miles No retreat order given August 1942 Battle of Stalingrad begun major tank producing city Caucus oil fields to south of city