The End of World War Two

Defeat of the Axis, 1943-45

Stalingrad and Kursk: Russia 1943

1943 was the beginning of the end for the Axis. Germany had just suffered its worst-ever

defeat at Stalingrad, and for the first time was on the defensive in Russia. The fighting culminated in a gigantic tank battle that

summer in Kursk. Meanwhile, on the home front, the British were inflicting terrible damage on German industrial cities such as Hamburg.

Feb 2: German surrender at StalingradJuly 5: Massive tank battle at KurskJuly 27: Huge bombing raid on HamburgNov 6: Russians recapture Kiev

The Second Front: Italy 1943After winning the Battle of El Alamein the previous

October, the Allies pushed on into Libya and Tunisia. By the middle of the year, the Anglo-

Americans were able to launch an invasion of Italy. The fighting was difficult, but the opening of a

second front relieved some of the pressure on the Soviets.

May 13: Afrika Corps surrenders in North AfricaJuly 10: Allies land in SicilyJuly 26: Fascist government falls; Mussolini arrestedSept 8: Italy surrendersSept 11: Germany occupies northern ItalySept 12: Mussolini rescued by German commandos; forms a puppet government

‘D’ Day and the Liberation of France:

1944By 1944, the Axis was clearly losing the war. For the knockout blow, the Allies launched the invasion of France known as ‘D-Day’. This landing of several

hundred thousand Allies troops drew German strength away from the Eastern Front, enabling the Russians to

rapidly advance. It also enabled the liberation of France after four years of Nazi occupation.

June 6: D-Day landings at NormandyJune 13: First V-1 rocket attack on BritainJune 24: Assassination attempt on HitlerAug 25: Paris liberatedSept: Belgium liberatedNov: Allies reach German border

Russian Offensives 1944The Russian steamroller advanced with increasing

speed in 1944, pushing the Nazis from Russian territory, and advancing almost to the German border.

1.2 million Red Army soldiers took part in Operation Bagration.

Jan 6: Soviets enter PolandJan 27: Leningrad siege lifted after 900 days

Jun 9: Soviets advance into FinlandJune 22: Operation Bagration – the Russian summer

offensiveJuly 24: First concentration camp liberated

Aug 19: Soviets advance into RomaniaSept: Baltic states liberatedDec 27: Siege of Budapest

Battle of the Bulge 1944

Staring defeat in the face, the Germans mustered all of their remaining strength for one last offensive. The Ardennes Offensive,

known as the Battle of the Bulge, lasted around a month, and saw fierce fighting

between American and German troops. The offensive failed and left the way clear for the

Allies to march into western Germany.

Dec 16: Ardennes Offensive beginsDec 26: Allies begin counterattack

Jan 25: Official end of the battle

Road to Defeat: 1945At the beginning of 1945, Germany was hanging by a thread. Vast numbers of Allied troops surrounded her

borders, and unconditional surrender was the only acceptable outcome. Hitler vowed to fight on, and so German civilians bore the brunt of the tough fighting

of early 1945.

Jan 17: Warsaw liberatedJan 26: Auschwitz liberatedFeb 13: Dresden destroyed in firebombingMarch 6: Final German offensive to guard Hungarian oilfieldsApril 1: US troops encircle the RuhrApril 21: Red Army reaches Berlin

Collapse: April/May 1945By April the war was lost. The Soviets fought street

by street to capture Berlin, as Hitler cowered in his bunker. At the end of the month, he killed himself.

A week later, his successor, Admiral Doenitz, signed the surrender. The most destructive war in human

history was over.

April 28: Mussolini is captured and hangedApril 30: Hitler commits suicide

May 2: German troops in Italy surrenderMay 7: Unconditional surrender of all German

troopsMay 8: V-E (Victory in Europe) Day

June 5: Germany is divided between the AlliesNov 20: Nuremberg War Crimes Trials begin