Irresistibly Forward (Unaufhaltsam vorwärtz) by Walter Gotschke (gouache, 1941). Austrian-born Gotschke painted auto-racing scenes both before and after World War II. He painted advertisements for Daimler-Benz until the war put a halt to commercial auto production. Between July and October 1941 he accompanied one of Hoepner’s panzer regiments as a war artist. (Library of Congress)
1940
June 2 Hitler tells von Rundstedt about Eastern campaign.
June 18 Halder sets up Eastern Front Study Group.
July 31 Hitler briefs generals on his intent to invade USSR.
August 5 Marcks completes his Operationsentwurf Ost.
August 7 OKW completes Aufbau Ost.
October–May 1941 Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance over the USSR.
Mid-October Stalin redirects Soviet main defensive effort from Moscow to the Ukraine.
November 12–13 Molotov visits Berlin.
November 28–December 3 and 7 Paulus hosts Barbarossa wargames.
December 5 Hitler approves basic plan in conference with von Brauchitsch and Halder.
December 17–20 Barbarossa logistical wargames.
December 18 Führer Directive 21 issued.
December 23–January 13, 1941 Kremlin command conferences and wargames; another shake-up within Soviet High Command.
1941
January 31 Aufmarschanweisung published, adds Rumania to Barbarossa planning.
February 20 Göring creates Luftwaffe planning staff for Barbarossa.
March 30 Hitler describes Barbarossa to 250 generals as a “struggle of two world views.”
April 6 German leaders begin Balkans campaign.
May 23 Soviets call up 1905–18 year-group reservists, establish martial law.
May 30 Mussolini establishes a corps for action in the USSR although German leaders have not officially told Italy about Barbarossa.
May 25–27 Finnish chief of staff visits OKW.
June 6 Commissar Order issued.
June 12 Kriegsmarine begins mining Baltic.
June 14 Hitler clarifies Barbarossa objectives to Wehrmacht leaders: Leningrad, the Ukraine, Donbas, and Caucasus. Moscow is not included.
June 20 Rumanians first officially briefed on Barbarossa.
June 22 Barbarossatag; Soviet Military Districts become Fronts. Churchill makes speech in support of USSR.
June 22–30 Battle for fortress Brest.
June 23 Stavka created.
June 23–25 Boldin’s counterattack at Grodno.
June 24 LVII Panzer Corps captures Vilnius.
June 24 First Panzer Group passes through Sixth Army; Kirponos’ counterattacks begin.
June 24–29 Battle of Raseiniai, XLI Panzer Corps against 12th Mechanized Corps.
June 24 Japanese Army and Navy leaders decide “not to intervene in the German-Soviet War for the time being.”
June 26 LVI Panzer Corps captures Dünaburg bridgehead.
June 27 Unattributed bombing brings Hungary into war.
June 28–29 20th and 18th Panzer Divisions close Minsk Kessel.
June 29–July 6 Mountain Corps Norway’s first attack across Litsa River.
June 29 1st Mountain Division enters L’vov.
June 30 Hoth and Guderian confer. OKH directs von Bock to advance on Smolensk.
June 30 Sobennikov replaces Kuznetsov as commander of the Northwest Front.
July 1 XXXVI Corps and Finns attack at Salla.
July 2 Operation Munich crosses Rumanian border.
July 2 Emperor Hirohito decides against attacking the Soviet Union and for striking South Asia and the Pacific instead.
July 3–27 Von Kluge commands Fourth Panzer Army.
July 4 3rd Panzer Division captures Dnepr bridge at Rogatchev.
July 7 13th Panzer Division reaches Berdichev.
July 8 20th Panzer Division captures Dvina bridge at Ulla.
July 9 Piadyshev takes command of LOG.
July 9 14th Panzer Division takes Zithomir.
July 10 Voroshilov arrives at Northwest Direction; Finns attack in Karelia north of Lake Ladoga.
July 10 13th Panzer Division reaches Irpen River, 10 miles from Kiev, rest of III Panzer Corps close behind; Stavka creates Strategic Direction.
July 12 Stavka orders Timoshenko to organize counterattacks toward Bobruisk and prepare defense of Mogilev.
July 13 Kirponos begins counterattacks against Zithomir Corridor.
July 13–17 Mountain Corps Norway’s second attack across Litsa River.
July 14 6th Panzer Division achieves bridgehead over the Narva River.
July 14–18 11th Army counterattacks against LVI Panzer Corps at Soltsy.
July 15 7th Panzer Division captures Yartsevo, isolating Smolensk.
July 15 26th Army counterattacks at Kanev into First Panzer Group’s rear.
July 16 29th Motorized Division enters Smolensk, completing “loose” encirclement.
July 17 XI Corps crosses Dniestr River.
July 17–27 Battle for Mogilev after Soviets frustrate initial German attempts to lever River Dnepr.
July 19 Führer Directive 33 issued.
July 20 10th Panzer Division occupies Yelnia.
July 21–22 Luftwaffe initiates bombing of Moscow.
July 21 Hitler visits Army Group North headquarters.
July 21 Rumanians cross Dnestr; XLVIII Panzer Corps reaches Monastyrishche near Uman.
July 23 Supplement to Führer Directive 33 issued.
July 23 Soviet forces counterattack at Monastyrishche.
July 23–August 7 Timoshenko mounts counteroffensive – Group Kachalov.
July 24–27 Timoshenko mounts counteroffensive – Groups Kalinin and Khomenko, plus Gorodovikov’s cavalry raid.
July 27 Seventeenth Army breaks free of Stalin Line, heads for junction with First Panzer Group.
July 29–31 Timoshenko mounts counteroffensive – Group Maslinnikov.
July 30 Führer Directive 34 published.
July 30 Sixth Army’s first direct assault on Kiev.
July 31 Finns attack in Karelia south of Lake Ladoga.
August 3 IX Army and XXIV Panzer Corps encircle Roslavl.
August 3 16th Panzer and 1st Mountain Divisions link up at Pervomaysk, closing Uman pocket.
August 5 Stalin relieves Zhukov as chief of staff.
August 5 German leaders consider battle for Smolensk to be over.
August 7 26th Army renews attacks at Kanev.
August 8 Uman fighting over; Rumanians close on Odessa; Sixth Army’s second attack on Kiev.
August 8–10 German general offensive on Luga River begins.
August 10 Stavka gives up Dnepr River line.
August 11 Soviets begin general offensive around Yelnia.
August 12 Supplement to Führer Directive 34 issued; 11th, 27th, 34th, 48th Armies attack Sixteenth Army at Staraya Russa.
August 16 First Rumanian assault on Odessa.
August 19 XXIV Panzer Corps plus VII and XIII Army Corps capture Gomel.
August 19 LVI Panzer Corps counterattacks to Staraya Russa.
August 19 LSSAH takes Kherson; 9th Panzer Division gains bridgehead at Zaporozhe.
August 20 Seventeenth Army wins Dnepr bridgehead at Kremenchug.
August 22 Hitler issues Denkschrift ending High Command debate.
August 23 5th Army retreats behind Dnepr.
August 24 Sixth Army reaches Desna.
August 26 LVII Panzer from Army Group Center captures Velikie Luki.
August 26 XVII Corps takes Chernobyl; Tyulenev replaced.
August 28 Tallinn falls to XLII Corps.
August 29 Vyborg taken by Finnish IV Corps.
August 30 OKH issues order for Kiev Kessel.
August 31 Red Army abandons right bank of Dnepr.
September 1 XXXVI Corps and Finns unite at Allakurtti.
September 2 Von Brauchitsch and Halder visit Army Group North headquarters.
September 6 Soviets re-occupy Yelnia. Hitler issues his Directive 35.
September 7 XIII, XLIII, and XXXV Army Corps capture Chernigov.
September 7 Sensing impending doom at Kiev, Kirponos requests permission to give up Desna Line.
September 8 Finns reach Svir River; XXXIX Panzer Corps captures Shlisselburg encircling Leningrad.
September 8–20 Mountain Corps Norway’s third attack across Litsa River.
September 9 Zhukov arrives in Leningrad; XLI Panzer Corps renews assault toward Krasnogvardeysk.
September 9 Stalin approves Desna move; von Rundstedt orders Eleventh Army to attack Crimea.
September 10 Stavka instructs forces before Moscow to transition to defense.
September 10 Sixth and Second Armies (Army Group Center) link up; 3rd Panzer Division reaches Romny; XLVIII Panzer Corps shifted to Kremenchug.
September 11 Stalin fires Budenny, Timoshenko becomes commander of Southwest Direction.
September 12 Von Schobert killed at Berislav.
September 13 XXIV Panzer Corps takes Lokhvitsa; XLVIII Panzer Corps fighting for Lubny.
September 14 Amphibious assault on Muhu Island.
September 14 3rd and 16th Panzer Divisions link up at Lokhvitsa, completing Kiev encirclement.
September 15 German forces assault Saaremaa Island.
September 16 XLI Panzer Corps occupies Strelnya, 8th Army cut off from Leningrad.
September 16 XXIX Corps’ final assault on Kiev begins.
September 17 Stalin permits evacuation of Kiev; von Manstein takes over Eleventh Army.
September 20 Kirponos killed escaping Kiev.
September 22 German High Command issues directive on starvation of Leningrad.
September 23 Soviet 9th and 18th Armies begin Sea of Azov battle.
September 24 Kiev fighting dies down; LIV Corps begins first assault at Perekop (until 28th).
September 25 Frontlines around Leningrad essentially solidify for duration of siege.
September 25 Von Rundstedt orders First Panzer Group to counterattack behind Soviets at Melitopol.
September 29 Oktyarbrsky suggests to Stalin that Odessa be abandoned.
September 30 and October 2 Army Group Center begins Operation Typhoon.
October 1 Finnish VII Corps takes Petrozavodsk.
October 1 First Panzer Group attacks toward Melitopol.
October 2 Rumanians renew assault on Odessa.
October 5 Panzer Groups become Panzer Armies.
October 7 7th and 10th Panzer Divisions close Viazma Kessel. Beginning of rasputitsa and first snowfalls.
October 7 XIV Panzer Corps and LSSAH meet at Berdyansk and close Melitopol pocket.
October 8 XLVII Panzer Corps and LIII Army Corps close Bryansk Kessel.
October 8, 9, and 19 Soviets issue various directives on defense of Moscow.
October 10 Hoth replaces relieved (“ailing”) von Stülpnagel.
October 11–16 First battle of Mozhaisk line ends in stalemate. Town of Mozhaisk falls on 19th.
October 12 Attack of Hiiumaa Island.
October 13 Kaluga falls to German forces.
October 14 1st Panzer Division enters Kalinin.
October 15 Soviets abandon Odessa at night.
October 16 XXXIX Panzer Corps begins attack toward Tikhvin.
October 18 LIV Corps launches second attack at Perekop (through 26th).
October 21 OKH orders Army Group South to Stalingrad and Maikop.
October 24 Sixth Army takes Kharkov.
October 26 Von Leeb visits the Führer’s Headquarters.
November 8 Tikhvin falls to German forces.
November 9 Timoshenko briefs Stalin on Rostov attack plan.
November 12 52nd Army counterattacks at Volkhov.
November 13 Halder hosts conference of Ostheer chiefs of staff at Orsha.
November 14 and 16 Zhukov launches pre-emptive attacks against Army Group Center.
November 15 Von Bock’s left wing begins Operation Volga Reservoir.
November 15 Finnish Group “F” links up on Kandalaksha axis.
November 16 Eleventh Army reaches Kerch.
November 18 Guderian launches final assault south of Moscow.
November 19 4th Army launches attack to recapture Tikhvin.
November 20 III Panzer Corps reaches Rostov.
November 22 Klin falls to German forces.
November 25 17th Panzer Division reaches Kashira – Guderian’s farthest advance.
November 25 56th Army launches counterattack at Rostov.
November 27 Timoshenko counteroffensive opens along entire First Panzer Army salient.
November 28 Von Kleist orders III Panzer Corps out of Rostov.
November 30 Von Rundstedt approves retreat to Mius River.
December 1 Von Rundstedt resigns; von Reichenau named replacement.
December 2 Hitler visits Army Group and Panzer Army headquarters.
December 5 Soviets initiate general winter counteroffensive.
December 6 Finnish II Corps and Group “O” take Medvezh’yegorsk.
December 7 German forces evacuate Tikhvin.