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| 01/01/1941 |
Hitler, in his New Year's order of the day to the German armed forces, promises "...completion, on the Western Front, of the greatest victory in our history...". |
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19/01/1941 |
Hitler and Mussolini meet at Berchtesgaden, with Mussolini accepting German military help in North Africa, but not Albania. |
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06/02/1941
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Hitler makes one last appeal to the Spanish leader, General Franco, to enter the war. |
| 08/02/1941 |
Laval declines Petain’s offer of Cabinet seat in the Vichy Government. |
| 09/02/1941 |
Admiral Darlan becomes Vichy Vice-Premier. |
| 26/02/1941 |
Franco, in response to Hitler's appeal to enter the war, says ‘I stand today already at your side, entirely and decidedly at your disposal,' but refuses to enter the war. |
| 28/02/1941 |
Vichy France reduces bread ration from 350g to 280g. |
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14/05/1941 |
Admiral Darlan reports back to Vichy after meeting Hitler and von Ribbentrop. Vichy Cabinet approves German concessions and French counter-concessions unanimously. |
| 19/05/1941 |
Vichy France announces release and repatriation of 100,000 French POWs. |
| 21/05/1941 |
Vichy military court sentences 56 NCO’s and privates, siding with de Gaulle to death or hard labour in absentia. All property of free French fighters is to be confiscated. |
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03/06/1941 |
Ex-Kaiser Wilhelm II, dies in exile in Holland. |
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19/06/1941 |
Germany and Italy expel US consular officials in retaliation for similar American moves. |
| 29/06/1941 |
Goering is named Hitler’s successor. |
| 30/06/1941 |
Vichy France breaks off diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. |
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14/07/1941 |
Believing the campaign in the East soon to be concluded in Germany's favour, Hitler orders the German war industry to shift production away from guns and armoured vehicles to U-boats and planes. |
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05/08/1941 |
Vichy limits wine consumption to two litres per person per week. |
| 21/08/1941 |
French resistance member Pierre "Fabien" Georges commits the first violent act of resistance against the Germans in Paris when he assassinates a German naval cadet in the Barches-Rochechouart Metro station. More than 150 Parisians would be shot by the Germans in reprisal. |
| 26/08/1941 |
Pierre Laval is shot and wounded by Paul Colette who is arrested. |
| 29/08/1941 |
Despite protests, Vichy parliament moves to holiday resort in the hills. |
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15/09/1941 |
German soldiers attacked in the Champs Elysees in Paris. |
| 24/09/1941 |
Tobacco ration in Paris reduced to four cigarettes per day for men and zero for women. |
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26/09/1941 |
The Free French government in London under General de Gaulle signs an alliance with the Soviet Union. |
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| 22/10/1941 |
50 hostages shot in Nantes, France as reprisal for assassination of the German military commander. 50 more to die if the assassin isn't caught. German Major shot in Bordeaux 100 arrested, 50 shot immediately. |
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23/10/1941 |
De Gaulle meets French Resistance and asks to spare the innocent and bide their time. |
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25/11/1941 |
Hitler takes time out from monitoring the assault on Moscow to meet with Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in Berlin. While the Fuhrer refrains from giving an unqualified endorsement of Arab nationalist aims in the Middle East (he did not wish to upset Vichy France), the two agree on the need for the "destruction" of the "Jewish
element." |
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11/12/1941 |
In a speech before the Reichstag, Hitler, after denouncing the un-neutral and warlike anti-German policies of President Roosevelt and citing Germany's obligations under the Tri-Partite Pact with Japan and Italy, declares war on the United States. Italy follows suit some hours later. |
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20/12/1941 |
Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels broadcasts an appeal for winter clothing for the German troops on the eastern front. |
