1940 — Britain’s Wartime Economy
Sir John Simon announces that British food subsidies have reached £1,000,000 per week, reflecting the growing economic strain of total war.
1941 — War Expands Across Europe and Africa
SS Oath in Norway
New recruits of the SS “Nordland” Regiment swear their oath of loyalty to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler in Oslo.
Italian Withdrawal in East Africa
The Italian garrison at Metemma in northern Abyssinia, under pressure for three weeks, begins withdrawing toward Gondar, allowing the 9th Indian Brigade to occupy the town.
Japan Imposes Armistice in Southeast Asia
Japan intervenes in the conflict between Vichy France and Thailand, forcing the French to accept an armistice they are powerless to resist.
1942 — Retreat and Atrocity
Einsatzgruppe Report
SS Einsatzgruppe A reports that 229,052 Jews have been murdered, a grim documentation of the Holocaust in occupied Eastern Europe.
Evacuation of Malaya
British and Commonwealth forces complete their evacuation of Malaya, withdrawing across the causeway to Singapore Island with Japanese forces only eight miles away. Although Singapore now has the equivalent of four divisions for defense, morale is low and shortages of weapons are severe.
Reinforcements to Burma
An additional Indian Brigade lands at Rangoon and moves to reinforce the 17th Indian Division as Japanese pressure increases.
1943 — Technology, Collaboration, and Catastrophe
RAF Introduces H2S Radar
RAF Bomber Command makes its first operational use of H2S ground-mapping radar, improving night navigation and target identification.
Vichy France Forms the Milice
The Vichy regime creates the Milice under Joseph Darnand, a World War I veteran and committed fascist, to suppress the French Resistance. The organization effectively becomes an arm of the German occupation and grows to over 20,000 members by mid-1944.
The Fall of the Sixth Army
The exhausted remnants of the German Sixth Army in the southern Stalingrad pocket, having expended their last ammunition, surrender to the Red Army. The Soviets capture Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus along with 16 German generals.
Eighth Army Advances
The British Eighth Army captures Zuara near the Tunisian frontier, continuing the Allied push in North Africa.
1944 — Allied Momentum
Italy: Crossing the Rapido
The U.S. 34th Infantry Division crosses the Rapido River during the bitter fighting of the Italian campaign.
Pacific Offensive Expands
U.S. forces attack the Marshall Islands, landing on Kwajalein, Roi, and Namur. Simultaneously, land fighting begins in Dutch New Guinea.
1945 — The War Nears Germany’s Heart
Execution of Private Eddie Slovik
Private Eddie Slovik becomes the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War executed for desertion, a controversial decision that continues to be debated.
Soviets Reach the Oder
Two Soviet armies under Marshal Georgy Zhukov establish a bridgehead on the Oder River north of Küstrin, placing them less than 40 miles from Berlin.
Japanese Facilities at Singapore Attacked
U.S. aircraft sink a large Japanese floating dock at Singapore, further crippling Japanese naval repair capabilities.