World War Two Dates Flashcards
Nazi-Soviet Pact.
August 1939
Germany invade and conquer Poland.
September 1939
Rationing introduced, though still fair and sufficient.
1939
Battle of Britain sees Germany’s Luftwaffe being defeated by the British RAF.
July-October 1940
Fritz Todt heads the new Ministry of Munitions.
March 1940
Poles have to wear stars with a ‘P’ on and they are given working restrictions, as well as being unable to ride public transport.
1940
Germany have conquered Poland, France, Belgium Holland, Denmark, Norway and Luxembourg among others.
December 1940
Germany invades Russia (Operation Barbarossa).
22 June 1941
Hitler issues a Fuhrer order on the “Simplification and Increased Efficiency in Armaments Production.”
3 December 1941
Russian counter attack outside Moscow halts the German advance.
6 December 1941
Surrender at Stalingrad.
2 February 1943
Albert Speer replaces Fritz Todt as Minister of Weapons and Munitions.
February 1942
Meat rations reduced from 500 grams of meat to 300 grams.
April 1942
Fritz Sauckel, a member of the Plenipotentiary General for Labour Allocation issues a compulsory labour decree for all occupied nations.
August 1942
German resources falter as a result of the Soviets’ scorched earth policy. Areas such as the coal rich Donets Basins became useless.
1942
Sacrifices are made to the German consumer market
1942
By the end of this year, following a labour decree, 6.4 mllion foreign workers were working for the Reich in occupied nations.
1942
Goebbels calls for the closing of all non-essential businesses, and for the formation of a universal labour service.
February 1943
Goebbels’ total war speech
February 1943
German troops in North Africa surrender due to their being outnumbered by allied troops.
May 1943
Italy is defeated by allied troops.
July 1943
The Hamburg bombings.
Summer 1943
Speer is appointed Minister for Armaments and Production.
September 1943
An Armaments commission is set up to standardise armaments production.
1943
Equal pay for all foreign workers sees a boost in pay for workers in the East.
March 1944
D-Day.
6 June 1944
Paris Liberated.
September 1944.
Battle of the Bulge.
December 1944
Dresden Bombings.
February 1945.
Hitler orders a scorched earth policy, which Speer ignores.
1945.
Germany surrender.
8 May 1945.
