Battle of Dunkirk
Hitler orders the left wing to stop, it is forbidden to cross the Aa
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1940 in Germany — Page 5
Explore 575 historical events and records for Germany in 1940.
Historical records for Germany in 1940
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 575 unique records.
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May
Battle of Dunkirk
"Dunkirk is to be left to the Luftwaffe". A "Fuhrer order" is issued from Rundstedts HQ forbidding the left to cross the Aa
Battle of Dunkirk
Explains to Hitler his concerns about the Allied counter-attack at Arras. A "Fuhrer order" is issued from Rundstedts HQ forbidding the left to cross the Aa
Battle of Dunkirk
Halts his forces behind Dunkirk to allow the Luftwaffe the finishing blow
Capture of Boulogne-sur-Mer
Ordered to halt by the German High Command & not to advance on Dunkirk. Guderains tanks capture Boulogne-sur-Mer
Evacuation
Orders Guderains tanks to make no further advance, allowing the evacuation of the BEF
Invasion of France
Times the 2nd phase of the invasion of France for 31st May at a Council of War
Luftwaffe
"Dunkirk is to be left to the Luftwaffe"
Luftwaffe
Halts his forces behind Dunkirk to allow the Luftwaffe the finishing blow
Manstein Plan
The Panzer Divisions halt on Hitler's orders enabling British troops to escape to Dunkirk
Operation Dynamo
Orders Guderains tanks to make no further advance, allowing the evacuation of the BEF
Siege of Charleville
A "Fuhrer order" is issued from Rundstedts HQ forbidding the left to cross the Aa
Operation Yellow
Goering holds back the Army outside Dunkirk, Kesselring objects to this strategy
Battle of Dunkirk
The "halt order" is lifted & the Panzers resume their advance
Battle of Dunkirk
The "halt order" is lifted & the Panzers resume their advance
Evacuation
The evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk begins
Operation Dynamo
The evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk begins
Commander of 5th Panzer Division
Appointed Commander of the 5th Panzer Division
Medal
Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, 1st divisional commander so honoured
Battle of Narvik
Withdraws German troops after Allied forces retake the town.
Operation Alphabet
Withdraws from Narvik as Allied troops take the town.
Operation Yellow
The Battle for Flanders is successfully concluded
Operation Yellow
The 7th cuts the main Lille-Armentieres Road
Result of Surrender of Belgian Army
The Belgian Army lays down its arms, forcing Allied forces in Belgium to withdraw.
Surrender of Belgian Army
The King of the Belgians surrenders the Belgian Army to the Germans
Withdrawal from Narvik
Withdraws German mountain troops from the town after Allied attack.
Withdrawal from Narvik
Dietl withdraws German mountain troops from Narvik after Allied forces retake the town.
British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
Allied craft are hit but 47,300 of the BEF are evacuated
Evacuation
Allied craft are hit but 47,300 of the BEF are evacuated
First Army
The French First Army surrenders
Result of Surrender of French First Army
German terms are presented to the surrounded French force, leading toward its capitulation.
Result of Surrender of French First Army
The French First Army ceases organised resistance and passes into German control.
Surrender of French First Army
Offers the French their terms of surrender
Surrender of French First Army
The French First Army surrenders
Battle of France
Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and surround the Allied units that had advanced into Belgium
Battle of France
In the Battle of France commands Panzergruppe von Kleist, consisting of XLI Panzer Corps and XIX Panzer Corps (under Heinz Guderian), the two southernmost armoured corps in the drive to the English Channel
Belgium and Netherlands Operations Monitored
Jodl's operations staff monitors the rapid campaigns through Belgium and the Netherlands.
Bombing of Rotterdam
Rotterdam is reduced to a blazing ruin for the German invasion of France
British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
Operation Yellow is launched to lure the BEF out of France
Colonel
Appointed Colonel General
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.