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Invasion of Poland
Was an invasion of Poland by Germany that marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week after the signing of the Molotov between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviets invaded Poland on 17 September following the Molotov agreement that terminated the Soviet and Japanese Battles of Khalkhin Gol in the east on 16 September.The campaign ended on 6 October -
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Axis victories and expansion
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German offensive to the east
Was a strategic offensive by the Soviet Red Army against the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front World War II. It lasted from 13 January to 25 April 1945, though some German units did not surrender until 9 May. The Battle of Königsberg was a major part of the offensive, which ended in victory for the Red Army. -
Invasion of the URSS
Undertaken on June 22, 1941, it was the code name given by Adolf Hitler to the plan to invade the Soviet Union by the Axis Forces during World War II. This operation opened the Eastern Front, which became the theater of one of the largest operations of the war, scene of the biggest and most brutal battles of the conflict in Europe. The name of the operation is a tribute to Federico I Barbarroja whose name is linked to the German nationalism of the 19th century. -
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Allied victories and conquests
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American victory at Midway
World War II naval battle, fought almost entirely with aircraft, in which the United States destroyed Japan’s first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots. Together with the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Battle of Midway ended the threat of further Japanese invasion in the Pacific. -
Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stage of World War II, the United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, with the consent of the United Kingdom, as required by the Quebec Agreement. The two bombings killed 129,000–226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in the history of armed conflict. -
Germany surrenders
On May 7, 1945, Germany officially surrendered to the Allies, bringing an end to the European conflict in World War II. General Alfred Jodl, representing the German High Command, signed the unconditional surrender of both east and west forces in Reims, France, which would take effect the following day. As a result, May 8 was declared Victory in Europe -
Japan surrenders
was announced by Hirohito on August 15 and formally signed on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a close.