1938
France and Germany sign a treaty of friendship.
1939
Soviet attacks against the Mannerheim line are beaten back by the Finns with heavy Red Army casualties.
Germany warns neutral ships to resist the British blockade.
1940
The Western Desert Force begins Training Exercise No.2. This was a 60 mile approach march to their concentration point, designated Piccadilly, approximately 20 miles south of Maktila.
War Guilt trial in Vichy France indicts MM Blum, Daladier, La Chambre and Gen. Gamelin.
Greeks occupy Santi Quaranta, Albania. Italian Supreme Commander Badoglio resigns ˜at his own request; replaced by Gen. Cavallero.
SS executes mentally ill inmates in Stralsund and Chelm, Poland, including Hitler’s second cousin, Aloisia Veit.
General Ugo Cavallero assumes command of Italian army (Comando Supremo) after Marshal Badoglio resigns.
1941
Zhukov extends the Red Army’s counter-offensive along the whole Moscow axis in an attempt to prevent Panzer Groups 3 and 4 from outflanking Moscow from the northeast. To launch this offensive, Zhukov uses 4 armies on the right flank of his own West Front.
An RAF Hudson aircraft spots Japanese transports sailing west off Cape Cambodia towards Malaya. The British, having feared a surprise Japanese attack for a number of months now, had developed a plan codenamed ‘Matador’, to advance forces into southern Thailand should the Japanese attack, in order to deny the Japanese use of the airfields and ports at Patani and Singora. However, the implications of violating Thai neutrality and more importantly the possible US reactions, dissuaded the British from launching ‘Matador’.
Battleships USS Oklahoma and USS Nevada arrive at Pearl Harbor.
Roosevelt makes a personal appeal to the Japanese Emperor Hirohito for peace.
1942
Germans victorious in tank battle at Djebel el Guessa, Tunisia.
1943
Monte Casino is finally taken by U.S. Fifth Army.
Soviets take Yeysk on Sea of Rostov, cutting off German Army Group A.
1944
The Japanese capture Tushan, south of the Nationalist capital of Chungking.
1945
The United States extends a $3 billion loan to Great Britain to help compensate for the termination of the Lend-Lease agreement.
USASTAF (USA Strategic Air Forces) based in the Pacific, is inactivated.