# Dunkirk evacuation (1940)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1940-dunkirk-evacuation
Categories: battle, main-event

Hundreds of thousands of Allied troops were evacuated from northern France under Operation Dynamo. Within the broader Early 20th Century & World Wars period, mass democracy, the two world wars, Irish partition, economic crisis and the rise of Labour remade the political and social order. This event is placed at May 1940 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The rescue preserved much of the British Expeditionary Force after the collapse of the western front.

## Why it matters
The rescue preserved much of the British Expeditionary Force after the collapse of the western front.

Ruler at the time: [George VI](https://english-history.com/rulers/george-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Dunkirk evacuation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Dunkirk+evacuation&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Dunkirk evacuation](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Dunkirk+evacuation)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history)
- [The National Archives — twentieth-century resources](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/)