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| 12/02/1940 |
Germany and Russia agree
new trade pact, that provides for the delivery of vital war
materials (grains, oil, strategic minerals) by the Russians,
in return for German manufactured goods. |
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| 06/03/1940 |
A Finnish delegation arrives
in Moscow. |
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| 12/06/1940 |
The Soviet Union issues
an ultimatum to Lithuania, demanding that the Red Army be allowed
to occupy the country. |
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| 15/06/1940 |
New Russo-German frontier agreement
announced. The Red Army advances across the Lithuanian border. |
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| 16/06/1940 |
The Red Army occupies Latvia. Tens
of thousands of "hostile' natives and their families are
rounded up and deported to NKVD prison camps around the Soviet
Union. Estonia is also occupied by the Soviet Union. |
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| 28/06/1940 |
Following an ultimatum to the Romanian
government, the Red Army occupies Bessarabia and the northern
part of Bukovina. |
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| 05/07/1940 |
Romania announces its alignment
with the Axis powers. |
| 21/07/1940 |
Hitler orders preliminary planning
for invasion of Russia. |
| 23/07/1940 |
The Soviets officially absorbs Lithuania,
Latvia and Estonia into the Soviet union, as per the Soviet-German
non-aggression pact. |
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| 28/07/1940 |
The Slovakian President and Premier
meet Hitler and von Ribbentrop at Berchtesgarden. |
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| 31/07/1940 |
Hitler formally announces to his military
commanders that he has decided to invade Russia. |
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| 01/08/1940 |
Russian Foreign Minister Molotov reaffirms
Soviet neutrality and the Russo-German pact while verbally attacking
both Britain and the USA. |
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| 26/08/1940 |
Hitler orders an initial
redeployment of two Panzer and ten Infantry divisions from western
Europe to Poland in preparation for the invasion of Russia. |
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| 30/08/1940 |
In an effort to avert war
between her allies Romania and Hungary and to secure his southern
flank prior to attacking the Soviet Union, Germany and Italy
under the second Vienna Award compel Romania to cede large chunks
of her territory to Hungary and Bulgaria, in exchange for a
German guarantee of security for the rump Romanian state. |
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| 03/09/1940 |
Romania is forced to cede Transylvania
to Hungary and Dobrudja to Bulgaria under the Vienna award. |
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| 06/09/1940 |
King Carol of Romania abdicates
the throne to his son, Michael and appoints Marshal Antonescu
head of state. |
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| 07/10/1940 |
German troops enter Romania
to ‘help restrain the Army’. |
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| 12/10/1940 |
A German military mission is set up
in Bucharest, Romania, for the purpose of aiding in the training
of the Romanian Army. |
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| 22/10/1940 |
British Ambassador in Moscow Sir Stafford
Cripps tries to woo Russians with three-point co-operation plan. |
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| 12/11/1940 |
Soviet Foreign Minister
Molotov arrives in Berlin to discuss the mutual spheres of interest,
especially the presence of German troops in Finland. The talks
show serious disagreements between the participants. |
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| 20/11/1940 |
Hungarian Premier and Foreign Minister
in Vienna agree to join Tripartite. |
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| 23/11/1940 |
The Romanian leader Antonescu agrees
to joins the Tripartite pact. |
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| 24/11/1940 |
Slovakian Prime Minister joins the
Tripartite pact in Berlin. |
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| 27/11/1940 |
Romanian extremists, ‘Iron Guard’,
begin a murder campaign with 64 ‘executions’. |
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| 29/11/1940 |
German High Command issues draft plan
for invasion of Russia. [View Battle Plan]
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| 05/12/1940 |
The German draft plan for the Invasion
of Russia Operation 'Otto' is presented to Hitler. |
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| 13/12/1940 |
Twenty four German divisions begin
their redeployment to Romania, through Hungary as part of Directive
No. 20, Hitler's order for the preparation of Operation 'Marita',
the attack on Greece. |
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| 18/12/1940 |
Hitler issues Directive
No. 18, confirming plans for Operation 'Barbarossa', [View
Battle Plan] previously
Operation 'Otto', the attack against the Soviet Union. The
aim of this new plan was to destroy the Red Army in western
Russia,
before moving against Moscow. All preparations were to be completed
by the 15th May 1941.
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