1-27 January: the Germans launch their last major offensive of the war to relieve their besieged garrison at Budapest, though initially successful, the Soviets manage to wear down the Germans with defense in depth and superior numbers. The Germans are pushed back to their 1 January starting positions

17 January: Soviets capture Warsaw.

31 January: Soviet forces under General Zhukov advance to within 50 miles of Berlin

3 February: Allied armies advance along the entire Western Front in the last great offensive of the war

7 February: Soviets breach the Oder line, the last German defensive line in the East.

13 February: Soviet forces capture Budapest and 100,000 German and Hungarian troops

7 March: Remagen bridge is captured intact by the Americans, considerably easing the crossing of the Rhine River into the heart of Germany

1 April: American forces surround 325,000 German troops in the Ruhr

9 April: Soviets capture all of German East Prussia

12 April: US President Roosevelt dies

13 April: Soviet forces capture Vienna.

16-30 April: Soviet forces surround and capture Berlin in brutal house-to-house fighting; Adolf Hitler commits suicide during the struggle

2 May: German forces in Italy surrender

4-5 May: German forces in the West surrender

7 May: Norwegian Resistance forces seize control of Norway from the Germans, who surrender the following day

8 May: German Army Group North surrenders to the Soviets

11 May: V-E Day: the war in Europe ends as the last major German military force surrenders to the Soviets in Czechoslovakia

The Second World War in Europe Crossing the Big Red Line by Joe Miranda

1939: The Struggle Begins
1940: Germany is Supreme
1941: Axis High Point
1942: Germany Bled White
1943: Beginning of the End
1944: The Final Struggle
1945: Allied Total Victory