World War Two in Western Europe

Western Europe, or the Western Front, was a military theatre in World War Two that spanned the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Much of the combat that took place in this region can be seperated into two phases.

The first of these phases saw France, Belgium and the Netherlands fall into enemy hands after their defeat in the Low Countries and northern areas of France. This continued into an air war between Germany and Britain and resulted in the Battle of Britain, which is considered to be the first major military battle fought entirely by air forces.

The second phase is perhaps better known, and saw the Allied troops land in Normandy in June 1944. From here, they swept across France and into Germany, eventually forcing the Germans to surrender.

Click on the links below to ecxplore the key battles, operations and weapons used during World War Two in Western Europe: