Learn about WWII History

Explore the critical events related to the war and the personal stories of those who lived through that challenging time.

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Alfredo Malgeri
Alfredo Malgeri

Alfredo Malgeri was the commander of the Guardia di Finanza (Financial Guard) in Milan. He played an important role in t...

#Biography

​Alexander Schmorell
​Alexander Schmorell

​​Alexander Schmorell was born in Russia but grew up in Germany. In the summer of 1942, he and Hans Scholl produced and ...

#Biography

The German-Soviet Pact
The German-Soviet Pact

The German-Soviet Pact, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was a non-aggression treaty signed on August 23, 1939...

#Story

Missak Manouchian
Missak Manouchian

Missak Manouchian was a key leader in the French Resistance during World War II, noted for his leadership of the FTP-MOI...

#Biography

Albert André
Albert André

​​At 22 years of age, Albert Andre (resistant name Jacque Paris (1919-03-01)) and his family were residents of in the se...

#Biography

The Landing in Sicily
The Landing in Sicily

​​The landing in Sicily on 10 July 1943 was the first major Allied landing operation on European soil. Given the concent...

#Storyline

The liberation of the Nazi Camps
The liberation of the Nazi Camps

Towards the end of the Second World War, Allied troops uncovered camps in Nazi Germany and the areas it had occupied. Th...

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George S. Patton in Sicily
George S. Patton in Sicily

George Smith Patton Jr. (1885-1945) was one of the protagonists of the Sicilian campaign in 1943. The rapid advance of h...

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Bernard Montgomery in Sicily
Bernard Montgomery in Sicily

At the time of the invasion of Sicily in 1943, Bernard Montgomery (1887 to 1976) was the commanding General of the Briti...

#Story

Partisans in Sicily
Partisans in Sicily

​​Sicily did not take a timely part in the Resistance movement, but it nevertheless contributed to it through the many S...

#Story

Bombings in Sicily
Bombings in Sicily

During the three years of war, Sicily suffered hundreds of aerial bombardments. Civilian victims numbered over 6,000 and...

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The italo-americans in the US army
The italo-americans in the US army

The contribution of the Italian-American soldiers during Operation Husky (the Sicily Landings) was characterised by the ...

#Story

Mafia's role: legend and truth
Mafia's role: legend and truth

In the years since the Sicily Landings, a thesis has been consolidated, refuted by historiography, that the Allied landi...

#Story

The armistice in Cassibile
The armistice in Cassibile

The signing of the Cassibile armistice sanctioned the end of hostilities by the Italian government towards the Allied fo...

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1st Division from Sicily to Normandy
1st Division from Sicily to Normandy

The contribution of the US 1st Infantry Division was crucial in many of the campaigns undertaken by the Allied Army duri...

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The German evacuation
The German evacuation

Operation Lehrgang , deployed between 10 and 17 August 1943, led to the evacuation of Axis troops and war vehicles from ...

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The Canadians in Sicily
The Canadians in Sicily

​​Among the Allies employed in Operation Husky were the 25,000 Canadians attached to the British 8th Army. Having landed...

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The San Fratello line
The San Fratello line

The San Fratello line represented the last defensive line organised by the Axis forces to slow down the Anglo-American a...

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The battle in Gela
The battle in Gela

The Battle of Gela, in which US troops took the lead, represented the first and essentially the only attempt by Axis tro...

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The airborne troops
The airborne troops

Several phases of Operation Husky employed the use of airborne troops. However, the launches, at least in the first hour...

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The conquest of the Pelagie Islands
The conquest of the Pelagie Islands

Operation Corkscrew, the conquest of the Pelagie archipelago and the island of Pantelleria, was the predecessor of Opera...

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Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat was an effective diversion capable of drawing the Axis forces away from Sicily, the place where the ...

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The bombings of Messina and Palermo
The bombings of Messina and Palermo

The Anglo-American bombing of the cities of Sicily was an important part of Operation Husky. The damage caused in some c...

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Salvatore Aldisio
Salvatore Aldisio

Salvatore Aldisio was a leading Sicilian Catholic politician, who during the war was among the founders of the Christian...

#Biography