1941.
22nd June. Germany invades Italy and Romania declares war on the Soviet Union.
24th June. Germans take Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
26th-27th June. Finland and Hungary declare war on the Soviet Union.
28th June. Minsk the capital of Belorussia, taken.
1st July. Riga, capital of Latvia taken.
8th July. Soviet West Front encircled south east of Minsk, 290.000 captured.
16th July. Germans take Kishinev, capital of Moldovia.
August. Stalin appointed Supreme Commander in chief. Germans take 103,000
prisoners in Uman 'pocket'.
13th Aug. Siege of Odessa begins.
28th Aug. Talenn, capital of Estonia falls.
30th Aug. German cut rail routes out of Leningrad.
8th Sept. Leningrad isolated except across Lake Ladoga.
10th Sept. Smolensk battle ends with Soviet retreat Zhukov takes command at
Leningrad.
10th Sept Smolensk battle ends with Soviet retreat; Zhukov takes command in
Leningrad.
16th Sept Germans encircle Soviet southwest front, claim 665,000 prisoners.
17th Sept. Compulsory military training increase for all Soviet males ahed 16 -
50.
19th Sept Germans take Kiev, seige of Leningrad (until 27th January 1944)
begins, Germans launch Moscow offensive. (Typhoon).
October. Germans encircle Bryansk front, Stalin recalls Khukov to Moscow and he
arrives on the 7th Oct.
7th Oct. Soviet west and reserve fronts encircled west of Vyazma.
8th Oct. Bryansk Front breaks out east, but 50,000 captured.
10th Oct. Zhukov appointed to command defence of Moscow.
13th Oct. Vyazma pocket liquidated; Germans claim 673,000 prisoners.
15th Oct. Decree on evacuating most of the government from Moscow. Rain, snow,
mud, made the advance slow.
16th Oct. Last Odessa defenders evacuated by sea.
19th Oct. "State of siege" (martial law) proclaimed in Moscow.
25th Oct. Germans take Kharkov in the Crimea, Soviets retreat to Sevastopol.
30th Oct Siege of Sevastopol (until 4th July 1942) begins.
15th Nov. German Moscow offensive resumes.
17th Soviet counter offensive in south begins.
22nd Nov. First supplies to Leningrad over ice Lake of Ladoga.
23rd Nov. Germans reach a point less than 19 miles from Moscow. 31km.
29th Nov. Soviets retake Rostov-on-Don.
5th Dec. Soviet Moscow offensive begins; continues until 20th April.
19th Dec. Hitler dismisses 19 generals and appoints himself Army Commander in
Chief.
25th Dec. Threat to encircle Moscow from the north eliminated; Kerch - Feodosia
Soviet amphibious assault begins.
1942.
2nd Jan Kerch-Feodosia assault ends; advanced 60 miles. 100km.
7th Jan. Battle of Moscow ends after advancing 60-150 miles.
100-240km.
8th Jan. Soviet general offensive begins; continues until 20th April.
3rd Feb. Germans encircle Soviet 33rd army at Yukhnov.
6th Feb. Germans IX army encircle 29th army near Rzhev.
20th Feb. Two German corps encircle at Demyansk; supqplied by air until
relieved 21st-23rd April.
19th March. Soviet 2nd shock and 59th armies encircle in Volkhov 'pocket.'
17th April. Soviet 33rd army destroyed.
20th April. End of Soviel general offensive; Germans push back up to 200miles.
320km from Moscow.
3rd May. Soviets attempt to re-encircle Germans at Demyansk.
12th May. Soviet southwest front attacks towards kharkov.
16th May. Soviet Crimean front, less 176,000 casualties abandons all Crimea
except Sevastopol.
23rd May. Germans 1st panzer army closes trap behind south west, front.
29th May. Battle of Kharkov ends, Soviet losses 230,000.
28th June. Army Group South begins summer offensive.
29th June. Encircled 2nd shock and 59th armies destroyed 33,000 captured.
8th July. Army group south begins advance along river Don.
12th July. Stalingrad front formed.
25th July. Battle of Caucasus begins.
28th July. Stalin's order 227, 'Not one step back.'
10th Aug. German VI army reaches Maikop oilfields.
23rd Aug. German VI army reaches north Volg of Stalingrad.
26th Aug. Zhukov appointed deputy Supreme Commander.
12th Sept. Germans reach centre of Stalingrad.
20th Sept. Germans driven back across Caucasus mountain passes.
30th Sept. German advance along Caucasus west coast toward Tuapse.
9th Oct Red Army Political Commissioners replaced by 'Deputy Commanders for
Political Matters.'
23rd Oct. Germans advance on Tuapse halted.
6th-12th Nov. Transcaucaus Front defeats last German attempt to reach Soviet
oil fields.
11th Nov. Last German offensive in Stalingrad fails.
19th Nov. Southwest and Don Fronts Stalingrad launch Stalingrad
counteroffensive's north pincer.
20th Nov. Stalingrad Front launches south pincer
23rd Nov. Pincers meet at Kalach, encircling twenty German and two Romanian
divisions.
24th Nov. Kalinin front begins offensive ti prevent German transfers south.
12th Dec. German Stalingrad relief attempt begins.
16th Dec. Southwest and Voronezh Fronts attack on Middle Don; German Tuapse
group defeated.
30th Dec. German Stalingrad relief force repulsed, Middle Don campaign ends.
Italian VIII. Romanian III and Hungarian II armies defeated. Army Groups Don
and A threaten in rear.
1943.
3rd Jan Army Group A begins withdrawal from Caucasus, except Taman Peninsula
and Novorossiiska area.
8th Jan. Germans in Stalingrad reject surrender terms
10th Jan. Reduction of Stalingrad 'pocket' starts.
12th Jan. Attempt to lift seige of Leningrad begins.
18th Jan. Soviets clear south shore of Lake Ladoga and build railway along it
to supply Leningrad.
24th Jan. Army Group A complete withdrawal from Caucasus.
30th Jan. South 'pocket' at Stalingrad surrenders; Field Marshall Paulus
captured..
2nd Feb. All remaining forces in Stalingrad surrender.
16th Feb. Manstein lauches Kharkov counteroffensive.
15th March. Manstein retakes Kharkov, Soviet retreat 60-90 miles. 100-145km. To
northern Donets river line.
8th April. Zhukov predicts German summer offensive and Kursk salient and
recommends defense followed by counteroffensive.
12th April. Stalin accepts Zhukov's proposal
15th April. Hitler issues directive for 'Citadel' offensive against Kurst salient.
26th April. Soviets attack residual German forces in Caucasus.
5th July. Army group centre begins 'Citadel.'
10th July. Allied landings in Sicily create threat to Germany in the west.
12th July. Germans lose Prokhorouka tank battle - largest of war.
13th July. Hitler abandons 'Citadel' and orders several divisions to the west;
Bryansk Central and West Fronts began Operation Kuruzov joined on by the 17th
by south and southwest fronts, on the 22nd by Volkov and Leningrad Fronts.
27th July Southwest Front held after taking bridgeheads over over northern
Donets.
2nd Aug. South Front offensive ended, small gains, heavy casualties.
3rd Aug. Voronezh Steppe and Southwest Fronts attack South of Sailenk.
7th Aug. Western and Kalinin Fronts attack on Smolensk sector.
13th Aug. Kalinin Front offensive temporary halted.
18th Aug. Operation Kutuzov ends after advances of up to 95 miles. 155km.
22nd Aug. Leningrad and Volkhov fronts end offensive with few gains.
23rd Kalinin front resumes offensive; Voronezh and Steppe fronts halt, after
advancing of up to 90 miles. 145km.
25th Aug. Battle for Dnepr began on all five Fronts from central southwards.
6th Sept. West front halted after advancing 25 miles, (40 km).
9th Sept North Caucasus Front begins Novorossiisk-Tamon offensive.
22nd Sept. Voronezh front seizes Bukrin bridgehead over Dnepr south of Kiev;
South and Southwest Fronts halt after advancing to 180 miles. 300km and
liberating industrial Donbass.
30th Sept. Central Front halts after seizing several bridgeheads over Dnepr.
2nd Oct. Western and Kalinin Fronts end offensive after advancing 125-160
miles. 200-260km and beginning reconquest of Belorussia.
9th Oct. End of Novorossiisk-Taman operation. Germans expelled from Caucasus.
10th Oct. Voronezh Front forces seize Lyutezh bridgehead over Dnepr north of
Kiev; South Front begins clearing lower Dnepr's east bank of Germans.
14th Oct. South Front offensive successfully concluded.
30th Oct. Stalin signals readiness to join war against Japan after victory in
Europe.
31st Oct. 4th Ukrainian (ex-South) Front reaches northern approach to Crimea;
Transcaucaus Front begins landing at Kerch, on eastern edge of Crimea.
3rd Nov. 1st Ukrainian (ex Voronezh) Front attacks to take Kiev.
6th Nov. Kiev taken.
13th Nov. Army group south pushes 1st Ukrainian back.
28th Nov. Tehran Conference of Allied leaders opens; ends on 1st December.
19th Dec. Germans pushes 2nd Ukrainian Front back 12 miles. (19km.)
22nd Dec. 1st Ukrainian Front stabilizes line after 25 miles retreat. (40km).
24th Dec. Offensive by 2nd Belorussian and all four Ukrainian fronts begins.
0000 Dec. Kalmyks deported for alleged collaboration.
1944.
14th Jan. Start of offensive to end seige of Leningrad.
27th Jan. Seige of Leningrad ends.
28th Jan. Around 70,000 Germans encircled at Korsun-Shevchenkovsky.
3rd Feb. Leningrad Front forces enter Estonia.
17th Feb. Korsun- Shevchenkovsky battle ends, roughly 50,000 Germans killed,
and over 18,000 captured.
1st March. Leningrad offensive ends; Germans forced back over 130 miles. 210km.
28th March. 2nd Ukrainian front crosses river Prut into Romania.
0000 March The Chechens and Ingush deported for alleged collaboration with the
Germans.
0000 April. The Balkans deported for alleged collaboration with the Germans.
8th April. 1st Ukrainian Front reaches Czechoslovakia and Romanian borders; the
4th Ukrainian Front and Independent Coastal Army attack in Crimea.
17th April. Offensive on Right Bank (of Dnepr) Ukraine ends after advances of
almost 300 miles on the front. 480km on a front of 920 miles 1,0490km.
9th May. 4th Ukrainian Front takes Sevastopol.
10th June. Leningrad and Karelian Fronts start offensive against Finland.
23rd June. Main Soviet 'Bagration' offensive begins.
3rd July. Minsk liberated, about 100,000 Germans encircled.
13th July. 3rd Belorussian Front forces take Vilnius, capital of Lithuania.
28th July. 1st Belorussian Front reaches Vistula and nears Warsaw
1st Aug. 1st Belorussian Front seizes bridgeheads over Vistula north and south
of Warsaw. Polish Home Army launches Warsaw rising.
7th Aug. 4th Ukrainian front enters Czechoslovakia.
23rd Aug. 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts encircle most of Army Group South
Ukraine at Yassy-Kishinev.
24th Aug. Romania declares war on Germany.
28th Aug. 3rd Baltic Front reaches German East Prussia border.
29th Aug. Official conclusion of 'Bagration' and associated offensives;
anti-German rising begins in Slovakia.
31st Aug. 2nd Ukrainian front enters Bucharest.
4th Sept. Finland breaks with Germany.
5th Sept. Cease-fire on Finnish front, Soviet union declares war on Bulgaria.
2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts reach Yugoslavia and Bulgarian borders
8th Sept. 3rd Ukrainian Front enters Bulgaria; anti-German rising begins there.
9th Sept. Bulgaria declares war on Germany; 4th Ukrainian front begins East
Carpathians offensive.
14th Sept. Offensive by five fronts launch in Baltic area.
15th Sept. Soviet troops enter Sofia; Finland declares war on Germany.
20th Sept. 4th Ukrainian front enters Czechoslovakia, 2nd Ukrainian Hungry.
26th Sept. Leningrad front forces capture Tallinn, occupies all mainland
Estonia, reaches Baltic coast, and isolates Army Group North.
28th Sept. 3rd Ukrainian, Yugoslav and Bulgarian forces begin Belgrade offensive;
2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts begin Budapest offensive.
7th Oct. Karelin Front begins drive to Norway.
10th Oct. 1st Baltic front reaches coast and cuts army group North off from
East Prussia.
11th Oct. Hungry signs preliminary armistice.
16th Oct. German backed coup in Hungry; army ordered to fight on.
20th Oct. 3rd Ukrainian front and Yugoslav forces take Belgrade.
22nd Oct. Karelian front enters Norway and liberaters Kirkenies.
27th Oct. 3rd Belorussian front enters East Prussia.
29th Oct. Karelian front halts and hands over to Norwegian resistance.
2nd Nov. 2nd Ukrainian front reaches southern approaches to Budapest.
9th Nov. 3rd Ukrainian front seizes bridgehead over Danube.
24th Nov. Baltic offensive ends army group north isolated in Kurland.
3rd Dec. Ukrainian attacks North Budapest.
26th Dec. 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts encircle Budapest.
31st Dec. Soviets enter western suburbs of Budapest.
1945
6th Jan. Churchill asks Stalin for for offensive to ease pressure on Allies in
the Ardennes, Stalin brings Vistula-Oder operation forward by eight days.
12th Jan. 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts open Vistula-Oder offensive.
[12th Jan. 1st Belorussian corps attacks in Hungary, reaches Danube south of
Budapest on the 20th, but repulsed on the 27th, 2nd Ukrainian takes Pest
(Budapest east of Danube).]
17th Jan. 1st Belorussian Front takes Warsaw.
18th Jan. IV SS Panzer Corps attacks in Hungary, reaches Danube south of
Budapest on 20th, but repulsed on the 27th; 2nd Ukrainian takes Pest (Budapest
east of Danube).
25th Jan. 2nd Belorussian front reaches Baltic coast [Frisches Haff] cutting
army group centre's main supply or withdrawal routes.
1st Ukrainian front seizes Bridgehead across Oder.
28th Jan. 1st Baltic Front and Navy take Memel. (Klayeda).
31st Jan. 1st Belorussian Front seizes bridgehead over Oder north and south of
Kuestrin.
3rd Feb. Vistula-Oder offensive ends, advance on Berlin to follow after removal
of risk of flank attack from the north.
13th Feb. Budapest taken.
15th Feb. 1st Ukrainian Front crosses Neisse, encircling 40,000 Germans at
Breslua.
16th Feb. Germans counter attack south east of Stettin gain 5-8miles. 8-13km.
18th Feb. Germans stop 4th Ukrainian West Carpathian offensive.
19 Feb. Germans stop 2nd Belorussian Front in East Prussia.
23rd Feb. 1st Belorussian front takes Poznan; Turkey declares war on Germany
and Japan.
24th Feb. 1st Ukrainian front ends Lower Silesia campaign -- heavy losses
inflicted on IV Panzer and 17th armies, Neisse river crossed in wide fronts in
Pomerania, 2nd Belorussian front attacks.
In Hungary VI SS Panzer army drives Soviets back over the Hron river.
4th March. 1st and 2nd Belorussian Front forces reach Baltic coast, cutting
German Pomeranian forces in two.
6th March. Army group South attacks in Hungry
16th March. 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts counterattack in Hungary.
22nd March. Belorussian front widens bridgeheads over Oder.
26th March. 3rd Belorussian front wipes out encircled Germans at Frisches Haff.
30th March. 3rd Ukrainian front enters Austria
2nd April. 3rd Ukrainian Front on southern approach Vienna.
5th April. Soviet Union inform Japan that 1941 Neutrality pact will not be
renewed.
6th April. 3rd Belorussian Front begins storm of Koerisgsberg: front falls on
9th April.
13th April. Vienna taken.
16th April. 1st and 2nd Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian fronts open in Berlin
suburbs.
30th April. Hitler commits suicide.
2nd May. Berlin garrison surrenders.
3rd May. 2nd Belorussian front meet British, 1st Belorussian, Americans
along Elbe, German forces in Bavaria and western Austria surrender to
Americans.
5th May. Anti German up rising in Prague; Stalin orders 1st, 2nd, and 4th
Ukrainian fronts to assist.
7th May. German high command representatives sign unconditional surrender at
Eisenhower's HQ in Reims. Stalin insists on a signing in Berlin.
8th May. Surrender ceremony in Berlin. (Karlshorst).
9th May. Army group north surrenders in Kurlard.
11th May. Germans in Prauge surrender.
0000 June. The Crimean Tatars forcibly deported for alleged collaboration with
the Germans.
17th July. Potsdam Conference of Allied leaders begins.
26th July. Potsdam Declaration by USA, Britain, and China demands Japan
surrender unconditionally.
Stalin endorses demand.
30th July. Marshall Vasilevsky appointed Commander in Chief for campaign
against Japan.
8th Aug. Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria, Korea, South
Sakhalin and Kurile islands.
10th Aug. Japan accepts Potsdam Declaration and offers surrender provided
Emperor retained.
14th Aug. Emperor of Japan proclaims surrender.
15th Aug. Anglo - American forces cease fire.
17th Aug. General Yamada commanding Kwantung army, ask Soviet terms.
19th Aug. Yamada unconditionally surrenders Kwantung army.
The beginning of the Cold War.
