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Germany Invades Czechoslovakia
German troops marched into Czechoslovakia. They took over Bohemia, and established a controlled territory or protectorate over Slovakia. -
The Soviet Nazi Pact
In April 1939, Russia, Britain and France met to form an alliance to defend Poland - but by August 1939, Russia had swapped sides and made a pact with Germany. Through the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Stalin and Hitler agreed not to go to war with each other and to split Poland between them. -
The Invasion of Poland
When Hitler invaded Poland, he was confident that Britain and France would continue their policy of appeasement and broker a peace deal. -
The Phony War (Sitzkrieg)
Early months of World War II, marked by no major hostilities. The term was coined by journalists to derisively describe the six-month period during which no land operations were undertaken by the Allies or the Germans after the German conquest of Poland in September 1939. -
Canada Enters the War
Eight days after Germany’s invasion of Poland, Canada’s Parliament voted to declare war on Germany, which the country did the next day. The vote was nearly unanimous, a result that rested on the assumption that there was to be a “limited liability” war effort that would consist primarily of supplying raw materials. -
Invasion of Norway and Denmark
German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities. -
End of the Phony War
The period was characterised by inaction from the western allied forces during World War II, following Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany, because of the terms of the Anglo-Polish military alliance and the Franco-Polish military alliance. -
The Invasion of France
Germany occupied northern France and all of France's Atlantic coastline down to the border with Spain. A new French government was established in the town of Vichy, which was in the unoccupied southern part of France. -
Fall of France
The collapse of France, just six weeks after Hitler's initial assault, ripped up the balance of power in Europe. France's army seemed a powerful bulwark against possible Nazi aggression towards other European nations.The defeat of this powerful army in six weeks in 1940 stands as one of the most remarkable military campaigns in history. -
Invasion of Holland and Belgium
Allied forces have landed behind enemy lines in Holland at the beginning of a massive operation designed to bring an end to the war in Europe. -
The Miracle at Dunkirk
More than 300,000 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk and the surrounding beaches in May and June 1940. At the time the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said it was "a miracle of deliverance". -
End of the Invasion of France
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The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF from July to September 1940. Their ultimate failure was one of the turning points of World War Two and prevented Germany from invading Britain. -
End of the Battle of Britain
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Operation Barbarossa
The code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The failure of German troops to defeat Soviet forces in the campaign signaled a crucial turning point in the war. -
Attack on Pearl Harbour
The Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed.
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