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01/01/1940 |
The Finns change the numbers of 3 divisions in order to deceive the Red Army. |
| 05/01/1940 |
The Finnish 9th Division begins an offensive on the Raate road, which leads to the almost complete destruction of Russian 44th division in 2 days. The Red Airforce makes its first air attack on the Finnish GHQ town of St. Michel causing 29 dead. |
| 06/01/1940 |
Finnish pilot Lt. Sarvanto, flying a Fokker, shoots down six out of seven Russian SB-2 bombers in just 5 minutes. The Russian 44th Division's commander General Vinogradov, authorizes the remainder of his troops to try escape back to Russian lines. |
| 07/01/1940 |
General Semyon Timoshenko takes command of all Soviet forces in Finland and begins to build up his forces for a decisive offensive. |
| 08/01/1940 |
Finnish troops capture 1,000 Russian soldiers near Suomussalmi. |
| 21/01/1940 |
The Russian 8th Army launches an attack against the Finnish forces of Group Talvela, without success. The Finnish 9th Division is transferred from Suomussalmi to Kuhmo. |
| 27/01/1940 |
Hitler personally takes over planning for the invasion of Norway, 'Plan Weser'. |
| 29/01/1940 |
The Soviet Union reopens negotiations with Finland through Sweden and indicates that it may withdraw its support for Otto Kuusinen's puppet government should the Finns come to terms. The Finnish 9th Division launches an attack with the aim of destroying the Russian 54th Division in Kuhmo. |
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01/02/1940
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General Timoshenko launches his big offensive across the iced up straits of Viipuri Bay, although Finnish aircraft raids disrupt these attacks. |
| 02/02/1940 |
Big Russian offensive continues on the Karelia front. |
| 05/02/1940 |
British and French governments agree to land an expeditionary force in northern Norway without regard for Norway's neutrality in order to aide Finland, although in eventuality way never carried out. |
| 06/02/1940 |
The Finnish 9th Division finally manages to encircle the Russian 54th Division in Kuhmo. |
| 11/02/1940 |
Soviet troops finally breach the Mannerheim line, forcing the Finns to withdraw to a secondary defense line. |
| 13/02/1940 |
Russian troops capture forts on Karelia Isthmus. |
| 17/02/1940 |
Norway protests to Britain over violation of neutrality. |
| 19/02/1940 |
Finnish forces defeat and disperse the Soviet 18th Division northeast of Lake Ladoga. |
| 20/02/1940 |
General von Falkenhorst is appointed to command the German invasion of Norway. |
| 23/02/1940 |
Sweden announces that she will not permit British or French troops to cross through her territory on their way to Finland. The Soviet Union announces its final conditions for peace. Finland must hand over the Karelia Isthmus and the shores of Lake Ladoga. It must also grant a 30 year lease on the Hangö Peninsula and sign a mutual assistance treaty, guaranteeing the security of the
Gulf of Finland against external threats. In return for all this, the Russians will withdraw from the Petsamo area. |
| 28/02/1940 |
Russian forces overrun the second line of Finnish defenses on the Karelian Isthmus. |
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01/03/1940
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The Soviet Unions peace ultimatum to Finland expires. |
| 03/03/1940 |
The Russian launch a massive offensive and bring Viipuri under direct attack. This brings home to the Finns the fact that they cannot resist for must longer against the overwhelming force that the Russians are now deploying. |
| 08/03/1940 |
Heavy fighting is reported at the outskirts to Viipuri, as the Red Army continues its attempt to capture the city. This prompts the Finns to seek an immediate armistice, which the Russians refuse. Therefore the Finnish delegation in Moscow is instructed to sue for peace. |
| 12/03/1940 |
A peace treaty is concluded between Finland and Russia, that formally ends the "Winter War". The terms of this treaty are harsh for Finland, who are forced to cede the entire Karelia Isthmus, and the city of Viipuri, which is renamed Vyborg. The also lose parts of eastern Karelia, Lake Ladoga, the Rybachiy Peninsula and the Petsamo area. The also have to grant the
Russian a 30 year lease of the Hangö Peninsula. However, the ever 'generous' Russians drop their recognition of the Kuusinen puppet government in Moscow. The British finalise their plans for the invasion of Norway. Landings are to be made at Narvik and Trondheim in order to secure the rail line to Sweden and the large iron-ore fields. |
| 13/03/1940 |
Hostilities between the Soviet Union and Finland cease. The Finns have lost 25,000 killed and 45,000 wounded, while the Russians have lost an estimated 200,000 killed and an unknown number of wounded. |
| 18/03/1940 |
Russia assures Sweden of its safety after Finland's surrender. |
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| 02/04/1940 |
Hitler gives orders that the invasion of Denmark and Norway is to begin on the 9th April 1940. |
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05/04/1940 |
Norway and Sweden are both informed of the allied intention to mine Norwegian waters. |
| 09/04/1940 |
German troops invade Denmark and Norway simultaneously. There is very little opposition by the surprised Danes, with Copenhagen being captured within 12 hours. The Germans make sea-borne landings in Norway at Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. An airborne landing is also made against the airfield at Stavanger. Norwegian defenders move inland. Major Quisling sets up ‘National
Government’ in Oslo. |
| 10/04/1940 |
Denmark surrenders to the Germans. Bitter fighting as Germans advance north from Oslo. |
| 11/04/1940 |
King Haakon VII of Norway appeals to all Norwegians to fight. The first British troop's sets sail for Norway, although they have been mistakenly embarked without much of their heavy equipment. |
| 12/04/1940 |
Norway announces German control of Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim in the south, Narvik in the north. |
| 15/04/1940 |
British troops land at Harstad in the Lofoten Islands, opposite Narvik. Quisling government resigns in Oslo and a 'Administrative Council’ takes control. |
| 16/04/1940 |
British and French troops make landings at Namsos. Further British troops are landed in the Faeroe Islands. |
| 18/04/1940 |
Germans advance further north of Oslo. More British troops are landed at Aandalesnes in Norway with the plan of co-operating with the British and French troops already at Namsos to surround and then retake Trondheim. However, the Norwegian commander, General Ruge persuaded the Aandalesnes force, to move south in order to give support to his troops still holding out at Lillehammer. |
| 20/04/1940 |
Danish Army is demobilised. |
| 24/04/1940 |
French reinforcements arrive at Aandalesnes. British troops forced to withdraw north of Trondheim after sharp fighting. Norwegian troops attack the Germans south of Narvik, but are beaten back. |
| 25/04/1940 |
Allied forces withdraw from Lillehammer in central Norway. |
| 26/04/1940 |
The British stun the French and Norwegians by deciding to evacuate southern Norway. |
| 28/04/1940 |
Allied reinforcements arrive in Aandalesnes, Norway. |
| 29/04/1940 |
King Haakon VII and his government are evacuated from Molde and taken to Tromso in northern Norway, from where they can continue the fight. |
| 30/04/1940 |
Germans announce they have established communication between Trondheim and Oslo. |
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01/05/1940 |
Norwegians surrender in Lillehammer. |
| 02/05/1940 |
Germans troops reach Aandalesnes. Allied forces are evacuated from Namsos. Chamberlain announces British forces are to withdraw from southern Norway. |
| 03/05/1940 |
Allies troops remain only in northern Norway in order to stop the supply of iron ore to Germany. |
| 05/05/1940 |
Germans advance north to Trondheim. |
| 21/05/1940 |
The isolated German troops at Narvik are now close to exhaustion and will be unable to hold out for very much longer. |
| 28/05/1940 |
French mountain troops capture the port of Narvik, forcing the German defenders (Gebirgsjäger units and crews of sunk destroyers) into the surrounding hills and towards the safety of the Swedish border and internment. |
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01/06/1940 |
British forces evacuate the Bodo area of Norway, 120 miles to the southwest of Narvik. |
| 03/06/1940 |
British and French forces start to evacuate from Narvik in northern Norway. |
| 07/06/1940 |
King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government leave Tromsö for England. |
| 08/06/1940 |
The evacuation of British and French troops (24,000 men) from Narvik and Harstad is completed. A Norwegian delegation negotiates with the Germans for a peace treaty. |
| 10/06/1940 |
The remaining troops of the Norwegian Army (6th Division) surrender, after Norway surrenders unconditionally. |
| 18/06/1940 |
Sweden receives a reply from Britain regarding expectations in Norway, indicating that Britain might have to make peace with Germany. The Swedish government agrees to allow German troops to pass from Trelleborg, Sweden, to Oslo, Norway, via Swedish railways. |
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| 01/07/1940 |
Germany asks the USA and other neutrals to withdraw its diplomatic missions from Norway. |
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08/07/1940 |
The Swedish government agrees to transport German war material across Sweden to Norway. |
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25/09/1940 |
Reich-Commissioner in Norway deposes King Haakon and the Administrative Council, declaring the government illegal. All political parties are dissolved except for Quisling’s pro-Nazi party, the Nasjonal Samling, which is installed as the government of Norway. |
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