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1939

November

26
- The shelling of MainilaOn 26 November 1939 Moscow blamed Finland for shelling Soviet troops at Mainila, though the shots came from the Soviet side. It cut relations on 29 November.
30
- Key eventThe Soviet Union invades FinlandOn 30 November 1939 the Red Army attacked Finland without a declaration of war, and Soviet aircraft bombed Helsinki. The Winter War had begun.

December

01
- The Finns fall back to the Mannerheim LineIn early December 1939 Finnish covering forces delayed the Red Army's march across the Karelian Isthmus and by 6 December fell back to the Mannerheim Line.
02
- The Red Army takes PetsamoOn 2 December 1939 the Red Army took Petsamo, Finland's only port on the Arctic Ocean. A handful of Finns fell back south, barring the way into Lapland.
05
- The Red Army attacks the Mannerheim LineIn early December 1939 the Red Army reached the Mannerheim Line. Its attacks on the Taipale and at Summa broke down with heavy losses.
07
- The Battle of Suomussalmi beginsOn 7 December 1939 the Soviet 163rd Division reached Suomussalmi, burnt by the Finns. The Finnish command sent Colonel Hjalmar Siilasvuo's brigade there.
- The Battle of Kollaa beginsOn 7 December 1939 the Soviet 56th Rifle Division attacked Finnish positions on the Kollaa river in Ladoga Karelia. The Finns held them to the end of the war.
12
- The Battle of TolvajärviOn 12 December 1939 Finns under Paavo Talvela and Aaro Pajari routed the Soviet 139th Division at Tolvajärvi, their first great victory of the Winter War.

1940

January

February

March

April

May

24
- The Allies decide to leave NorwayOn 24 May 1940 London decided, in secret from the Norwegians, to withdraw its troops from northern Norway. Defeat in France made the fight for Narvik pointless.

June

1941

March

04
- The Lofoten raidOn 4 March 1941 British and Norwegian commandos destroyed fish-oil plants in the Lofotens and seized Enigma cipher material from the trawler Krebs.

June

August

30
- The first Shetland Bus voyageOn 30 August 1941 the boat Aksel sailed from Shetland for occupied Norway – the first voyage of the secret transport service known as the Shetland Bus.

December

1943

February

28
- Operation GunnersideDuring the night of 27–28 February 1943 Norwegian SOE commandos blew up the heavy water plant at Vemork. Not a shot was fired, and all evaded pursuit.

April

15
- Finland and peace with the USSRIn April 1943 Finland turned down an American offer to mediate peace talks with the USSR and announced it would continue its “defensive war”.

August

September

30
- Key eventThe rescue of the Danish JewsIn late September 1943 Danes began hiding Jews from a round-up and ferrying them by boat to Sweden. More than 7,000 were saved; about 470 were deported.

November

16
- The raid on VemorkOn 16 November 1943 American bombers attacked the Vemork power station and heavy water plant and the works at Rjukan. More than 20 Norwegians were killed.

1944

January

19
- Operation Outward in SwedenOn the night of 19–20 January 1944 two trains collided at Laholm in Sweden. A British balloon from Operation Outward contributed to the accident.

February

March

21
- Finland rejects the Soviet termsOn 21 March 1944 Moscow announced that Finland had not accepted its peace terms. That same day Helsinki agreed to send a delegation to Moscow.

June

September

November

12
- Key eventThe sinking of the TirpitzOn 12 November 1944 RAF Lancasters with Tallboy bombs sank the battleship Tirpitz off Tromsø. Between about 950 and over 1,200 sailors were killed.

1945

March

April

27
- The end of the Lapland WarOn 27 April 1945 the last Germans left Finland for Norway and a Finnish patrol planted a flag on the Three-Country Cairn. So ended the Lapland War.

May

09
- The surrender on BornholmOn 9 May 1945 a Soviet landing party accepted the surrender of the German garrison of the Danish island of Bornholm, a day after air raids on Rønne and Nexø.

August

20
- The trial of QuislingOn 20 August 1945 the trial of Vidkun Quisling, charged with treason and complicity in murder, opened in Oslo. On 10 September he was sentenced to death.