Eastern Europe and the USSR: World War II Timeline
Explore 35 dated records related to eastern europe and the ussr between 1938 and 1946.
Dated historical records
Entries below follow the dates recorded in the WWII CHRONOS archive. Each linked title opens the original historical entry, including its source reference.
- — Declaration of Independence of Carpatho-Ukraine — The Soim of Carpatho-Ukraine proclaimed independence in Khust.
- — German Invasion of Poland — The beginning of the Second World War in Europe; Germany attacks from the west.
- — Soviet Invasion of Poland — The Red Army enters eastern Poland in accordance with the Soviet-German division of spheres of influence.
- — Surrender of Warsaw — After Germany's attack on Poland, Warsaw came under siege. The city's defenders and civilian population endured heavy artillery fire and bombing.
- — Winter War — The Soviet Union attacks Finland; fighting continues until March 1940.
- — Moscow Peace Treaty with Finland — The Winter War ends with a peace treaty under which Finland cedes territory to the Soviet Union.
- — Soviet Ultimatum to Lithuania — The Soviet Union presented Lithuania with an ultimatum that was followed by Soviet occupation of the country.
- — Romania Agrees to Cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina — In June 1940, the Soviet Union issued Romania an ultimatum demanding Bessarabia and the northern part of Bukovina.
- — Proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia — After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia began, the country's political and military system collapsed rapidly.
- — Operation Barbarossa — Nazi Germany and its allies attack the Soviet Union, opening the largest land front of the war.
- — Beginning of the Siege of Leningrad — Land routes to Leningrad are cut; the siege will cause mass civilian death.
- — German Forces Capture Kyiv — The capital of the Ukrainian SSR falls under German occupation.
- — Operation Typhoon — The German offensive toward Moscow enters its decisive phase.
- — Soviet Counteroffensive at Moscow — Soviet forces begin a large-scale counteroffensive around Moscow.
- — Failure of the German Offensive on Moscow — Operation Typhoon fails to achieve its objective as the Soviet counteroffensive pushes Wehrmacht forces back from the capital.
- — Operation Blue Begins — The Wehrmacht launches its summer offensive in the southern sector of the Eastern Front.
- — Battle of Stalingrad Begins — Prolonged fighting begins in the Stalingrad area.
- — Massive Air Raid on Stalingrad — Heavy bombing strikes the city as fighting intensifies in its approaches.
- — Operation Uranus — Soviet forces launch a counteroffensive at Stalingrad, threatening Axis troops with encirclement.
- — Encirclement Ring Closes at Stalingrad — Soviet fronts link up near Kalach-on-Don.
- — Battle of Stalingrad Ends — The remaining forces of the encircled German Sixth Army surrender.
- — Battle of Kursk — Germany begins an offensive against the Kursk salient; the subsequent Soviet counteroffensive changes the situation on the front.
- — Red Army Retakes Smolensk — Soviet troops recapture Smolensk after offensive operations.
- — Liberation of Kyiv — Soviet forces recapture Kyiv from the Nazi occupiers.
- — Siege of Leningrad Fully Lifted — Soviet forces push German troops away from Leningrad and bring the siege of the city to an end.
- — Germany Occupies Hungary — By early 1944, Germany's leadership feared that Hungary might try to leave the Axis alliance.
- — Crimean Offensive — Soviet forces begin driving German and Romanian troops out of Crimea.
- — Nazi Forces Driven from Odesa — Soviet forces retake the city during the Odesa Offensive.
- — Operation Bagration — A massive Soviet offensive begins in Belarus.
- — Warsaw Uprising — The Polish Home Army begins an uprising against German occupation in Warsaw.
- — Warsaw Uprising Ends — After two months of fighting, Polish insurgents end organised resistance.
- — Fighting at the Dukla Pass — Soviet and Czechoslovak troops enter Slovakia.
- — Vistula–Oder Offensive — Soviet forces begin a broad offensive on the road to Berlin.
- — Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation — Soviet forces begin the final offensive on the capital of Nazi Germany.
- — Suicide of Adolf Hitler — Adolf Hitler dies in Berlin as the Nazi regime collapses.
For wider context, explore the interactive historical timeline and compare events across theaters.