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German Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Western Poland on September 1st, 1939 to gain "Lebensraum". -
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Battle of the Atlantic
Germany begins attacks on Allied navies and shipping in the Atlantic in order to starve off the European Allies. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese struck against the US at the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. -
Bataan Death March
After the Japanese Invasion of the Philippines, the Japanese forced American and Filipino prisoners of war to march to camps to be imprisoned. -
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Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater. This battle took place in the Coral Sea, between the US (and Australia) vs. the Japanese Empire. This battle marked the first time the Japanese advance had been checked during the war, which set up the US victory at Midway. -
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Battle of Midway
The Japanese try to launch a strike on Midway to take the US out of the war permanently, but are caught by a surprise attack set up by the US. The US had intercepted Japanese radio signals and found out they were going to attack Midway, so dispatched all available carriers in the Pacific at that time. -
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Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal was a decisive battle/campaign in the Pacific Theater. This battle took place over a period of six months and resulted in a major Allied victory. This battle, once won by the Allies, marked the beginning of Allied offensive operations in the Pacific. -
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Allied Invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch)
Operation Torch was the invasion of North Africa by Allied troops in order to surround Axis troops. Operation Torch marked the beginning of US land operations in Europe, which would ultimately lead to the opening of the Western Front. Operation Torch was a major Allied success, which led to the encirclement and destruction of the Axis Africa Corps. -
Invasion of Normandy
On June 6th, 1944, Allied forces invaded Normandy, France and set up an official Western Front in Europe against the Axis powers. -
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Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle in the Western Front of World War 2. This battle resulted in a decisive Allied victory and the last German offensive of World War 2 on the Western Front. The Germans tried to cut through the Ardennes and cut off Allied Forces in the Benelux countries, which, ultimately, was a major failure. -
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Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a decisive battle in the Pacific Theater. The US invaded the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, which they in turn took over after over a month of grueling battle. The occupation of Iwo Jima meant the US could launch bomber strikes much faster onto the Japanese home islands. -
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Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa was a decisive battle in the Pacific Theater. This battle took place on the Japanese island of Okinawa between the US (including other allies for naval support) and the Japanese Empire. The battle ended in a victory for the US and gave the US a base closer to the Japanese home islands than ever before. -
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Liberation of the Buchenwald and Dachau concentration camps
The Liberation of Buchenwald was one of the first Allied discoveries of German atrocities during World War 2. Buchenwald concentration camp was completely liberated on April 11, 1945 by American forces. The Liberation of the Dachau concentration camp was a major discovery of German atrocities committed during World War 2. Dachau concentration camp was liberated by US forces on April 29, 1945. -
VE Day
VE (Victory in Europe) Day, marked the end of the European theater of World War 2. This was the end of over 5 years of war in Europe, which marked the beginning of restorations in post-war Europe. -
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Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6th, 1945, the US bombed Hiroshima with an atomic bomb. On August 9th, 1945, the Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki was the last atomic bombing during the war and the last atomic bomb ever used in warfare. The US dropped this second atomic bomb in reaction to the Japanese not surrendering after the first bombing of Hiroshima.