Key Events of World War II: Axis Powers, Battles, and Operations
Key Events of World War II
The Axis alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, formed between 1936 and 1945, was a significant force during World War II. The term “Axis powers” generally refers to Germany, Italy, and Japan, in opposition to the Allied forces.
Fortifications and Defense Lines
The Maginot Line was a line of fortifications built by France along its border with Germany and Italy after World War I. The term can refer to the entire system of fortifications or specifically to the defenses against Germany, with the defenses against Italy sometimes called the Alpine Line. The German counterpart was the Siegfried Line.
Operation Sea Lion
Operation Sea Lion was a German plan to invade Britain during World War II. Although never executed, preparations were extensive, and the threat of invasion loomed, serving to maintain psychological pressure on the British and to mask German plans for the attack on the Soviet Union.
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe, took place in Normandy, France, which was then occupied by Nazi Germany. This operation focused on landing an army in Europe, liberating France, and advancing into the heart of the Third Reich. Preparations for Operation Overlord began in Britain.
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference, held in July and August 1945, was the last summit conference of the Allied powers during World War II. Key decisions included the Allied control of Germany, reparations policies, Germany’s territorial losses, and the Soviet Union’s intervention against Japan.
Battles of El Alamein
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein (July 1-27, 1942) was a crucial battle in the Western Desert Campaign. Axis forces, led by Erwin Rommel, clashed with Allied forces under Claude Auchinleck. This battle halted the Axis advance at El Alamein, Egypt, approximately 106 km (65.87 mi) from Alexandria.
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a turning point in the North African campaign. It followed the First Battle of El Alamein and saw General Bernard Montgomery replace Claude Auchinleck as commander of the British Eighth Army in August 1942.
Operation Marita (Battle of Greece)
Operation Marita was the Axis invasion of Greece during World War II, aimed at confronting the Allied forces (Greece and the Commonwealth). The Battle of Greece began on October 28, 1940, with the Italian invasion and concluded with the fall of Kalamata on April 28, 1941. Along with the Battle of Crete and other naval actions, it forms part of the Aegean theater of the Balkans Campaign.
Italy invaded Greece from Albania, which it had occupied in April 1939. However, the Greek army resisted and pushed back the Italian forces, occupying a quarter of Albania by mid-December. A new Italian offensive in March 1941 failed, ending Italian aspirations in the region.