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In response to German aggression, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany.
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Britain went to war in 1939 to defend the balance of power in Europe and safeguard Britain's position in the world.
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it marked the beginning of a rapid German offensive on the Western Front, allowing them to quickly bypass the heavily fortified Maginot Line and effectively conquer France
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it allowed the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to evacuate a large number of troops from the beaches of France, effectively saving them from capture and bolstering British morale at a critical point in the war
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established the first peacetime draft in US history
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it marked the first major defeat for Nazi Germany, preventing them from invading Britain and effectively stopping Hitler's plans to conquer the British Isles, thus allowing Britain to remain in the war and contribute to the Allied victory
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it allowed the United States to provide crucial military supplies to Allied nations, like Great Britain and the Soviet Union, without officially entering the war
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it effectively forced the United States to enter the war
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it provided a massive influx of manpower, industrial capacity, and resources to the Allied forces
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it officially brought the U.S. into the global conflict of World War II
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it marked the first time the Japanese advance in the Pacific was checked, preventing their invasion of Port Moresby and effectively stopping their seemingly unstoppable momentum following Pearl Harbor
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it marked the first major US victory against Japan in the Pacific theater, significantly weakening their naval power by destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers while only losing one American carrier, effectively halting further Japanese expansion and allowing the US to take the offensive in the Pacific war, ultimately shifting the tide of the conflict in America's favor.
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it marked the first major Allied amphibious assault against Axis forces in the region
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they marked crucial steps in the Allied invasion of North Africa and then mainland Italy, respectively, effectively opening a "second front" against the Axis powers by securing vital footholds in the Mediterranean, ultimately leading to the downfall of Mussolini's regime and pushing the war further into Europe.
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it marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Western Europe, effectively opening a second front against Nazi Germany, leading to the liberation of France and ultimately contributing significantly to the Allied victory by putting immense pressure on German forces on both the Eastern and Western fronts
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Conditions in the camp during the bitterly cold winter of 1941-1942 were lethal. The SS routinely shot prisoners too weak to work either on the edge of the camp grounds or in the Krepiecki Forest north of Lublin.
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it marked the last major German offensive on the Western Front
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it set the stage for the post-war world by outlining the division of Germany into occupation zones, the establishment of the United Nations, and the future of Eastern Europe
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it marked the official end of fighting in Europe, signifying the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces, bringing a close to the major theatre of the war and allowing for a shift in focus to the Pacific front against Japan
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it marked the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare, causing immense destruction and effectively forcing Japan's surrender, thus bringing the war to an abrupt end
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it marked the second use of a nuclear weapon against Japan, further pressuring them to surrender and effectively ending the war, while also demonstrating the devastating power of atomic bombs
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signified the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allied forces