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The Invasion (Blitzkrieg) of Poland
The assault on Poland demonstrated Germany's ability to combine air power and armor in a new kind of mobile warfare. -
Great Britain and France Declare War on Nazi Germany
Britain went to war in 1939 to defend the balance of power in Europe and safeguard Britain's position in the world. -
The Invasion (Blitzkrieg) of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands & France
This envisaged a rapid German attack into the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg to prevent the Allied army having a clear route into Germany, especially the vital industrial heartland of the Ruhr. -
The Battle & Great Escape at Dunkirk
Dunkirk was significant in that the British expeditionary force managed(or was allowed) to escape. While a lot of materiel was lost, it formed the basis for the successful British resistance in North Africa later in the war and the British contingent for the invasion of Europe. -
The Battle of Britain
It was one of Britain's most important victories of the Second World War because it showed Germany could be defeated, it allowed Britain to carry on fighting the war, and ultimately ensured the Allies had a base from which to launch the liberation of Europe on D-Day in June 1944. -
Selective Service & Training Act
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history. -
Lend-Lease Assistance Act
it enabled Roosevelt to send material support to the anti-Nazi allies while allowing the U.S. to avoid direct involvement in the widening war -
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
This unprovoked attack brought the United States into World War II, as it immediately declared war on Japan. Pearl Harbor was, and still is, the most important American naval base in the Pacific and home to the US Pacific Fleet. -
America Enters World War II
America led the world in arms production, making more than enough to fill its military needs. At the same time, the United States was providing its allies in Great Britain and the Soviet Union with critically needed supplies. Many Americans volunteered to defend the nation from enemy bombing or invasion. -
Germany and Italy Declare War on the U.S.
four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States declaration of war against the Japanese Empire, Nazi Germany declared war against the United States, in response to what was claimed to be a series of provocations by the United States government -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
it was the first time in World War 2 that the Japanese experienced failure in a major operation; and. the battle stopped the Japanese sea-borne invasion of Port Moresby. -
The Battle of Midway Island
This critical US victory stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire through a years-long series of island-hopping invasions and several even larger naval battles. -
The Invasion of North Africa
The battle for North Africa was primarily a struggle for control of the Suez Canal and access to oil from the Middle East and raw materials from Asia, but also an effort to drive Italy out of the war as a prelude to invasion of southern Europe and a planned bombing campaign against Germany. -
The Invasion of Sicily & Italy
The conquest of Sicily took a little more than a month and it led directly to the fall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the surrender of the Italian government to the Allies. -
The D-Day Invasion of France
It led to the liberation of France, denying Germany any further exploitation of that country's economic and manpower resources. -
Nazi Concentration Camps Discovered
In March 1933, the first concentration camp, Dachau, opened outside of Munich, Germany. It was used primarily for political prisoners and was the longest running camp in operation, until its liberation in April 1945 -
The Yalta Conference
The meeting was intended mainly to discuss the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe, especially focusing on German reparations and post-war occupation as well as Poland. -
V-E (Victory in Europe) Day
On Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, including the United States. On May 8, 1945 - known as Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day - celebrations erupted around the world to mark the end of World War II in Europe. -
The Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima
At 8.15 on the morning of 6th August 1945, the Japanese city of Hiroshima was devastated by the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon of war. The bomb, nicknamed `Little Boy’, was dropped from the USAAF B29 bomber `Enola Gay’ and exploded some 1,800 feet above the city. -
The Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki
a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address on August 15, citing the devastating power of “a new and most cruel bomb.” -
V-J (Victory over Japan) Day
V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marks the end of World War II, one of the deadliest and most destructive wars in history. When President Harry S. Truman announced on Aug. 14, 1945, that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, war-weary citizens around the world erupted in celebration. -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge marked the last German offense on the Western Front. The catastrophic losses on the German side prevented Germany from resisting the advance of Allied forces following the Normandy Invasion. Less than four months after the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany surrendered to Allied forces.