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| 09/01/1945 |
British troops enter Thebes, to the
Northwest of Athens. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
