List of World War II evacuations facts for kids

During World War II, many people had to leave their homes. These movements were called evacuations. Sometimes people moved to escape danger, like bombs or fighting. Other times, people were forced to move by armies or governments. These events happened all over the world and affected millions of civilians and soldiers.

Forced Movements of People

During the war, some groups of people were made to leave their homes and move to new places. This was often not their choice.

People Forced to Work

• Many people from countries like Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were forced to move to Germany. They were made to work there against their will.

Jewish People and Camps

• Jewish people were tragically forced from their homes and moved to special camps, often in areas controlled by the Nazis.

Germans Moving After the War

• After the war ended, many Germans had to leave their homes in areas that were taken over by the Red Army (Soviet army).
• People also had to leave a place called East Prussia as the war ended.

Japanese Americans in Camps

• In the United States, many Japanese Americans were forced to live in special camps. This happened mostly in the western parts of the country during the war.

Civilians Escaping Danger

Many ordinary people, especially children, had to move quickly to get away from dangerous areas. This was often to protect them from bombing or fighting.

British Children Move to Safety

• In Britain, many children were moved from big cities to safer countryside areas. This happened during the Battle of Britain, when German planes were bombing cities.

Soviet People Evacuate

• When Germany invaded the Soviet Union (Russia and nearby countries), many people in the western parts of the Soviet Union had to quickly leave their homes to escape the fighting.

Finnish Evacuations

• People also had to leave areas like Finnish Karelia during the war.
• Some Finnish children were sent to other countries for safety.

Japanese Civilians Evacuate

• In Japan, many civilians also had to move from cities to avoid bombings during the war.

Soldiers Moving to Safety

Sometimes, whole armies or groups of soldiers had to be moved quickly to escape being captured or defeated.

Dunkirk and Other British Evacuations

• Operation Dynamo was a famous event where British and Allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, in 1940. They were surrounded by German forces.
• Operation Aerial and Operation Cycle were other British efforts to rescue Allied soldiers from western France in 1940.
• Operation Alphabet helped evacuate Allied forces from Narvik, Norway, in 1940.

Evacuations in Greece and Crete

• British and Commonwealth soldiers were also evacuated from Greece and Crete in 1941 during fierce battles.

Soviet Military Evacuations

• Soldiers were evacuated from Odessa during a long siege.
• Troops also had to leave Crimea during the fighting there.
• Evacuations happened during the very long and difficult Siege of Leningrad.

Japanese Military Evacuations

• Operation Ke was when Japanese soldiers were evacuated from Guadalcanal in 1943.
• Japanese troops also left Kiska in 1943.

Axis Evacuation in Sicily

• During the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, Italian and German soldiers were ordered to evacuate across the Strait of Messina to Italy.

German Evacuation from East Prussia

• Operation Hannibal was a large German operation in 1945 to evacuate soldiers and civilians from East Prussia as the Soviet army advanced.

Evacuation of Tallinn

• The city of Tallinn also saw evacuations during the war.

Moving Factories and Industries

During the war, it wasn't just people who moved. Sometimes, entire factories and industries were moved to safer places to keep making important supplies for the war effort.

• Many factories from the western parts of the Soviet Union were moved far to the east, to places like the Urals, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus mountains. This was done to protect them from the invading German army.