Modern Era
Operation Mincemeat (1943): The Corpse That Deceived Hitler
German commanders accepted the false documents and strengthened Greece and Sardinia, helping the Allied landing in Sicily in July 1943.
Era · c. 1800 – 1945
Modern Era
Industry, science and global conflict: the century and a half that built the modern world.
Modern Era
Battle of Kasserine Pass (1943): America's First Defeat in Africa
Axis tactical victory; US forces were driven back but the Axis offensive was halted at Thala and Rommel withdrew.
Modern Era
Bombing of Hamburg (1943): Operation Gomorrah and the Firestorm
Much of Hamburg was destroyed and an estimated 34,000–42,000 civilians were killed, most of them in the firestorm of 27–28 July.
Modern Era
Tehran Conference (1943): The First Meeting of the Big Three
The Allies fixed the invasion of France for May 1944, Stalin promised to fight Japan after Germany's defeat, and the outlines of post-war Europe were sketched.
Modern Era
Allied Invasion of Sicily (1943): Operation Husky
Allied victory; Sicily was taken in 38 days and Mussolini was overthrown, though about 100,000 German and Italian troops escaped to the mainland.
Modern Era
Operation Chastise (1943): The Dambusters Raid on the Ruhr
The Möhne and Eder dams were breached and the Sorpe damaged; floods killed an estimated 1,600 people, and 8 of the 19 bombers and 53 aircrew were lost.
Modern Era
Casablanca Conference (1943): Unconditional Surrender Demanded
The Allies agreed to invade Sicily, to step up the bombing of Germany and the war on U-boats, and publicly demanded the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers.
Modern Era
Battle of Kursk (1943): The Largest Tank Battle in History
Soviet victory; the German Operation Citadel failed, and Soviet counter-offensives retook Orel, Belgorod and Kharkov, giving the Red Army the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.
Modern Era
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943): Jewish Armed Resistance
The uprising was crushed and the ghetto razed; tens of thousands of Jews were killed on the spot or deported to camps, but the revolt inspired resistance elsewhere.
Modern Era
Operation Fortitude (1944): The Deception Behind D-Day
Germany kept strong forces in the Pas-de-Calais and Norway during and after the Normandy landings, helping the Allied invasion succeed.
Modern Era
Exercise Tiger (1944): The Deadly D-Day Rehearsal at Slapton
German E-boats sank two landing ships and damaged others; around 750 US servicemen died, but the Normandy invasion plans were not compromised.
Modern Era
Kamikaze Attacks (1944–1945): Japan's Special Attack Units
Kamikaze aircraft sank dozens of Allied ships and killed thousands of sailors but could not stop the Allied advance on Japan.