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Invasions of Poland by USSR and Germany, beginning World War II. Most of Poland is taken in days.
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Invasions of Poland by USSR and Germany, beginning World War II. Most of Poland is taken in days.
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Germany invades Denmark, Norway, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg. All fall within weeks.
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Battle of Britain. Germany suffers its first defeat in the skies over England, and abandons invasion plans.
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Germany invades the USSR, opening what becomes known as the Eastern Front.
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the Imperial Japanese Navy attacks the US Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. US enters the war, opening the Pacific Theatre.
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Battle of Midway. The US Navy sinks four Japanese aircraft carriers in the fight that proves to be the turning point in the Pacific war.
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Battle of Stalingrad. Germany's entire Sixth Army is lost, and the war begins turning in favor of the Allies.
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Several failed assassination attempts on Hitler's life. Hitler has become too unstable to think rationally. Succession of major military losses follows.
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the Allied Expeditionary Force under Dwight Eisenhower lands on the coast of northern France on what will later be called "D-Day". The "Second Front" that Stalin has been demanding for three years is now open.
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Hitler commits suicide, shortly before the fall of Berlin and surrender of German forces in Europe.
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USA develops the atomic bomb, and successfully uses it in August to force the surrender of Japan.