Not every historical event or term is know to everyone, obviously. Some of us know every minute off Fall Gelb by heart, while others know the name of every single rope on HMS Golden Hind. And some of us may be laymen, just here for the thrills. So, for those who do not know, I'll put on a show.
1939 was kind of like the beginning of a big storm in World War 2. Things weren't exactly calm before, but in 1939, Germany, led by Hitler, invaded Poland. This was a big deal because Britain and France, who didn't want to see another war, declared war on Germany to try and stop them. That's how World War 2 officially started, even though other countries were already fighting. It was a scary time, and everyone knew things were going to get much worse before they got better.
In 1940, the world turned upside down. Germany attacked, and conquered, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in quick succession. Western Europe was entirely occupied by the Nazis. Well, not entirely! One small island of indomitable Brits still held out against the invaders. And life is not easy for the German legionaries who look anxiously across the Channel... However, it did look like Germany might still win the whole war in Europe.
But there were some things that helped the good guys to hold on. Britain, even though they were weak, never gave up. They evacuated a huge number of soldiers from France at Dunkirk, which kept them in the fight. The USA was helping out, and there was hope that the damned Bolsheviks couls also join in. 1940 was a scary year for the Allies, but it also showed that even when things are tough, there's always hope.
In 1941, World War 2 wasn't going well for the Allies. Nazi Germany, drunk on victory, decided to invade the Soviet Union in a huge surprise attack. Britain was still fighting back across the English Channel, but it looked even tougher now.
But here's the twist! The United States, after being attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, finally joined the fight against the bad guys. Even though it was a scary year, 1941 marked a turning point. With more countries joining the Allies, things were starting to look a little less gloomy.
1942 seemed a bad year for the allies: the Nazis kept pushing deep into the Soviet Union, and Japan was conquering lots of land in the Pacific Ocean. However, not everything swas going smoothly for them. A lot of experienced German soldiers had died, the KidÅ Butai was reaching its limits at Midway and well, Stalingrad was on the horizon.
World War 2 was still going strong in 1943. It was a busy year with lots of fighting! In Africa, after a long battle, the German army finally gave up to the Allies. This was a big win because it meant Germany couldn't use Africa as a base anymore.
Over in Europe, things were also heating up. The Allies landed in Sicily, an island south of Italy, to start pushing their way into Europe. Meanwhile, on the other side of Europe, the Soviet army kept fighting hard against Germany. Even though the war wasn't close to being over, 1943 was a year when the Allies and the Soviets started winning more battles and things started to look a little less gloomy.
In 1944, World War 2 was still raging. It was a very important year because things started to change. On D-Day, in June, a lot of Allied soldiers landed on beaches in France to fight the Germans. This was a big turning point because it meant the Allies were pushing into Europe to defeat Germany.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Europe, the Soviet army was also fighting hard against Germany and pushing them back. Even though the war was still very tough, 1944 was a year when the tide started to turn against Germany and the Allies started winning more battles.
In 1945, Germany, after being pushed back by the Soviets on the eastern front, finally gave up in May. Then, things turned to Japan. The US dropped new atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, making Japan surrender in September. This marked the end of World War 2! Even though it was a long and terrible war, 1945 was the year everyone finally celebrated peace.
The Eastern Front in World War 2 was like a giant tug-of-war between Germany and the Soviet Union. At first, Germany seemed unstoppable, but by 1943, they were getting tired. In 1944, the Soviets really started pushing back. They won a massive tank battle at Kursk and slowly but surely kept pushing Germany all the way back towards their own country. It was a brutal fight, but 1944 was the year the Soviets turned the tables on Germany on the Eastern Front.
After pushing the Germans back from Leningrad, the fight kept going. The Germans retreated to a spot near Estonia called Narva. There were intense battles around there, with a big one fought on a group of hills called the Blue Hills. This was a new chapter in the war because for the first time, the Germans weren't fighting inside the Soviet Union anymore. They were now defending towards their own land, and the Soviets kept pushing them back westward.
Leningrad (today called St. Petersburg) was like a tough nut the Germans couldn't crack. They surrounded the city for years, trying to starve the people inside into giving up. But the people of Leningrad wouldn't budge! Finally, in 1944, the Soviets had gotten strong enough. They punched a hole through the German lines around Leningrad and pushed the Germans all the way back. It wasn't easy, but after a terrible siege, Leningrad was finally free!