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| 09/01/1945 |
British troops enter Thebes, to the Northwest of Athens. |
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13/01/1945 |
German forces of Army Group E complete their withdrawal from Greece and Albania. |
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22/02/1945
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After a heavy four-day battle, the U.S Fifth Army takes the Upper Reno Valley in northern Italy between Bologna and Florence. |
| 25/02/1945 |
Turkey declares war against Germany. |
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08/03/1945
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Beginning of secret negotiations at Bern, Switzerland, between representatives of the American OSS (Allan Dulles) and the German High Command in Italy (General von Vietinghoff and SS General Wolff) for an early surrender of German forces in Italy. |
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06/04/1945 |
Sarajevo falls into the hands of Yugoslav partisans. |
| 07/04/1945 |
In Yugoslavia, German Army Group E under General Löhr evacuates it remaining troops from Sarajevo. |
| 09/04/1945 |
The British Eighth Army launches its final offensive in Italy with a 1,800-plane and 1,500-gun bombardment of the German positions East of Bologna. The U.S. Fifth Army begins its offensive toward Bologna and the Po river valley. Army Group E is now completely isolated from the main German forces, but continues its struggle against Titos partisan forces in Yugoslavia. |
| 12/04/1945 |
In Yugoslavia the Germans evacuates Zenica. |
| 14/04/1945 |
The British Eighth Army captures Bastia bridge intact, while Hitler rejects an appeal for a German withdrawal to the Po river. |
| 20/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army reaches the Po river Plain in northern Italy as a German retreat to river ordered. |
| 21/04/1945 |
The 2nd Polish Corps which is fighting with the British Eighth Army captures Bologna in co-ordination with the U.S. 34th Division, of the U.S. Fifth Army. |
| 23/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth and British Eighth Armies reach the Po, to the North of Bologna. |
| 24/04/1945 |
The Eighth Army captures Ferrara, 30 miles to the Northeast of Bologna and crosses the Po after fierce fighting. The U.S. Fifth Army takes Spezia on the Gulf of Genoa and Modern. |
| 25/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army enters Mantua, 60 miles Northwest of Bologna and continues its drive up coast, while the British Eighth Army crosses the Po river and captures Parma. |
| 26/04/1945 |
Italian Partisans take Genoa and stage revolt in Milan. The U.S. Fifth Army captures Verona, 20 miles Northeast of Mantua. |
| 27/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army enters Genoa. |
| 28/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army take Brescia, 30 miles East of Milan. The British Eighth Army reaches Venice. Italian Partisans capture Mussolini, his mistress Clara Petacci and 12 of his cabinet members in a German convoy trying to reach Switzerland. All are shot in nearby village. |
| 29/04/1945 |
The bodies of Mussolini and Clara Petacci are brought to Milan and hung upside down from lamp-posts in the square where 15 Partisans were executed a year ago. The bodies are shot and spat upon. The Germans armies in Italy sign surrender terms at The Royal Palace, Caserta, but German officers do not guarantee acceptance, the ceremony takes only 17 minutes. The British Eighth Army secures Venice
and advances towards Trieste. The U.S. Fifth Army enters Milan and makes contact with the Eighth Army at Padua. |
| 30/04/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army in Northwest Italy, links up with French troops on the French/Italian border. |
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| 01/05/1945 |
The cessation of hostilities and surrender of all German forces in Italy is announced. This is as a result of unauthorised and secret negotiations with the allies by the German C-in-C, General von Vietinghoff. and SS General Wolff. New Zealand troops capture Udine, 60 miles Northeast of Venice and makes contact with Tito’s partisans in the Trieste area. The situation is now desperate for the
surrounded Germans of Army Group E in Yugoslavia as Titos partisans reach the river Isonzo near Monfalcone. |
| 02/05/1945 |
The German Army in Italy abides by the Caserta agreement and surrenders to the allies, with hostilities ceasing at 12 noon GMT. |
| 04/05/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army reaches the Brenner Pass. |
| 06/05/1945 |
The U.S. Fifth Army enters Austria from Italy. |
| 07/05/1945 |
The British Eighth Army crosses the Italian/Austrian border. |
| 09/05/1945 |
German forces in the Greek islands surrender. |
| 12/05/1945 |
The German garrison in Crete under Major General Bentach surrenders. |
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15/05/1945 |
The Axis Croation forces that surrendered to British troops in Austria are handed over to Tito's partisans who without delay proceed to massacre them, killing a total of 110,000, including women and children. |
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22/12/1945 |
Britain and the USA formally recognise Tito’s Yugoslavia. |
