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| 1162 | Frederick I Barbarossa |  |
| Vatican Excommunicated by the new Pope Alexander III |
| 1177 | Frederick I Barbarossa | |
| Vatican Makes peace with Alexander II who rescinds his excommunication |
| 1181 | Frederick I Barbarossa | |
| Drives Henry the lion into exile, who takes refuge in the court of Henry II |
| 1940 | Guderian, Heinz | |
| Nov The XIX Corps is expanded for the invasion of Russia |
| 1940 | Halder, Franz von | |
| Warns Hitler about underestimating Russia |
| 1940 | Hitler, Adolf | |
| 31st July Announces Russian invasion plans to his military commanders |
| 31st July Originally intended to last 5 months |
| 17th Aug Sets Spring 1941 for an invasion of Russia which should last no longer than 5 months |
| Sep Army Groups A, B & C, are moved to the Eastern Front |
| 10th Sep A memo is issued to increase the Army from 143 to 180 Divisions |
| 18th Dec All preparations for the invasion of Russia are to be completed by 15th May 1941 |
| 18th Dec Issues Directive 21 finalizing orders for the invasion of Russia |
| 1940 | Marcks, Erich | |
| July Involved in planning the invasion of Russia |
| 1940 | Raeder, Erich | |
| Tries to convince Hitler to defeat Britain before the Americans join the British |
| 1941 | Guderian, Heinz | |
| 7th Nov Moscow Progress on Moscow is stopped due to the weather & Russian resistance |
| 21st Nov Reports to Hitler that the Russian weather has brought his forces to a standstill |
| 1941 | Halder, Franz von | |
| 3rd Feb Outlines the General Staff's invasion plans to Hitler, the OKW & OKB |
| 12th Nov Convinces Hitler that the Russian resistance is on the verge of collapse |
| 1941 | Hitler, Adolf | |
| 1st Jan Negotiations begin for passage of troops through Bulgaria to reach Greece & Russia |
| 3rd Feb "When Barbarossa commences, the world will hold its breath & make no comment" |
| 8th Feb The Bulgarian General Staff allow German troops to pass through Bulgaria |
| 28th Feb River Danube German Army Units cross the Danube from Romania & take up positions in Bulgaria |
| 27th Mar Belgrade Delayed up to 4 weeks so Yugoslavia can be invaded after a pro-Allied coup in Belgrade |
| 27th Mar Belgrade Summons chiefs to the Chancellery saying the Belgrade coup endangered Barbarossa |
| 30th Mar At a General Staff meeting orders destruction of the Red Army & the Soviet State |
| 30th April Sets the date for the German invasion of Russia, June 22 |
| 15th May The original day planned for operation Barbarossa |
| 3rd Nov Temperatures in Russia begin to drop below zero |
| 7th Nov 1st cases of frostbite are reported in the German Army |
| 1941 | Kesselring, Albrecht | |
| Ordered to provide air support for Army Group Centre under von Bock |
| 15th June In the 1st raid 2,500 enemy aircraft are destroyed |
| 15th June Kesselring's concentration of Luftflotte is completed |
| 1941 | Kleist, Paul Ludwig Ewald von | |
| 22nd June First day of Operation Barbarossa, commands the 5 divisions of the 1st Panzer Group |
| 19th Nov Rostov on Don Kleist's leading divisions begin to reach Rostov-on-Don |
| 20th Nov Rostov on Don Crooses the Don but is forced back by Timoshenko |
| 20th Nov Rostov on Don Kleist's Panzers seize a bridge over the Don, the last barrier before the Caucasus |
| 1941 | Kluge, Guenther Hans von | |
| 21st June Moscow The 4th Army reaches the outskirts of Moscow |
| 1941 | Leeb, Wilhelm Ritter von | |
| 22nd June 1st day of Operation Barbarossa, commands the Army Group North |
| 1941 | Manstein, Fritz Erich von | |
| 22nd June Serves under General Erich Hoepner |
| 1941 | Model, Otto Moritz Walter | |
| Bug Bridge Captures the Bug Bridge leading to Brest-Litovsk |
| 1941 | Rundstedt, Karl Rudolf von | |
| Appointed Commander of the Army Group South |
| 22nd June 1st day of Operation Barbarossa, commands the Army Group South consisting of 52 Divs |
| 22nd June Ukraine Responsible for capturing the Ukraine & the Caucasus |
| 1942 | Halder, Franz von | |
| Kerch The Kerch Peninsular, Kharkov, Crimea & Sebastopol are captured |
| 1942 | Nehring, Walter Kurt Josef | |
| River Dneiper Holds the Corps bridgehead on the east bank of the Dneiper River |
| 1943 | Hitler, Adolf | |
| Nov The German Armies are split at the Pripet Marshes |
| 1943 | Kleist, Paul Ludwig Ewald von | |
| Dec Crimea Soviet forces surrond 650,000 German troops in the Crimea |
| Dec Soviet forces surround the mouth of the Dneiper |
| 1943 | Nehring, Walter Kurt Josef | |
| Holds the Corps bridgehead on the east bank of the Dneiper River |
