1940
In France, spreading Communist or antiwar propaganda is declared a capital offense.
1941
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel captures the British held town of Benghazi in North Africa.
Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, is abandoned by Italians.
1943
Newly built gas chamber/crematory V opens at Auschwitz.
1944
Charles de Gaulle becomes the head of Free French armed forces in place of Giraud.
Army Group Centre, under General Busch launches a counterattack which succeeds in reaching German units surrounded at Kovel in the Pripet swamps since the 19th March.
The 17th Indian Division reaches the Imphal plain after a 20-day fighting retreat. Japanese forces begin five weeks of attacks to reach Imphal from the South and begin their attack on Kohima, Assam.
1945
The US Third Army advancing toward Leipzig takes Suhl and Gotha and finally clears Kassel of German resistance. The British Second Army captures Osnabrück. The French First Army enters Karlsruhe.
The First Belorussian Front breaks through at Stargard and drives towards Stettin and also establishes a new bridgehead across the Oder to the South of Frankfurt.
The US 8th Air Force launches its heaviest raid to date (700 bombers) against Kiel on the Baltic.
US Third Army liberates Ohrdruf concentration camp, the first liberated by US troops.
The Russian 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian front complete the liberation of Hungary. Troops of the 2nd Ukrainian front capture Bratislava. The Germans forces counterattack in Moravska-Ostrava and Nitra.