Today in World War II History—February 2, 1940 & 1945

German troops in retreat in the Upper Silesia region, Germany (now Poland), 2 Feb 1945. (German Federal Archive: Bild 183-H26408)
80 Years Ago—February 2, 1940: Italy bans Jews from serving as engineers, professors, or journalists, and from serving Gentiles as doctors or lawyers.

Carl Goerdeler, 1925 (German Federal Archive: Bild 146-1993-069-06)
75 Years Ago—Feb. 2, 1945: Soviet 1st Byelorussian Front reaches the Oder River near Frankfurt-an-der-Oder.
Germans execute resistance leader Carl Goerdeler, who would have been chancellor in the new government if the July 20 coup had succeeded.