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Invasion of Poland was Nazi Germany's Blitzkrieg attack using overwhelming air and tank power to quickly overwhelm Polish defenses, officially beginning World War II and prompting Britain and France to declare war
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a massive evacuation of over 338,000 Allied soldiers trapped by Germans in France, relying on naval ships and hundreds of civilian "little ships" like fishing boats, ferrying troops across the English Channel under air attack, becoming a morale-boosting "miracle of deliverance" for Britain despite leaving behind most heavy equipment
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a massive, improvised evacuation of over 338,000 trapped British, French, and Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, using Royal Navy vessels and hundreds of civilian "Little Ships" (fishing boats, yachts) under heavy German fire, saving them from capture and allowing Britain to continue fighting World War II
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a swift Nazi German victory using Blitzkrieg tactics, where forces bypassed the Maginot Line through the Ardennes, rapidly encircling Allied troops, capturing Paris, and forcing the French government to sign an armistice, dividing France and establishing the Vichy regime
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Nazi Germany's sustained bombing campaign against Britain, targeting London's infrastructure, ports, and morale with high explosive and incendiary bombs, causing widespread destruction, killing over 40,000 civilians, and leading to mass evacuations and reliance on shelters like the Underground, creating an iconic "Blitz Spirit" of defiance amidst devastation
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a decisive Soviet triumph in WWII, halting Germany's eastern advance, destroying the German Sixth Army, and marking a crucial turning point by shifting momentum to the Allies through brutal urban warfare and a massive Soviet counteroffensive (Operation Uranus) that encircled and trapped the Germans, leading to their surrender in February 1943
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a World War II Allied invasion of mainland Italy, starting after Sicily, to defeat Axis forces, secure the Mediterranean, draw German troops from other fronts (like France/Russia), and pressure Italy, resulting in tough, mountainous fighting, famous battles like Monte Cassino, and ultimately freeing Italy, though often overshadowed by D-Day and seen as a costly sideshow by some troops
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was Germany's final major offensive on the Western Front in WWII, a surprise attack through Belgium's Ardennes Forest aimed at splitting Allied forces towards Antwerp
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a bold, large-scale Allied World War II offensive in the Netherlands, combining airborne landings "Market" to seize key bridges with a ground advance "Garden" by tanks to break into Germany, aiming to end the war by Christmas, but ultimately failed due to fierce German resistance, poor intelligence, and logistical issues, particularly at the Arnhem bridge, resulting in heavy Allied casualties despite liberating towns like Eindhoven and Nijmegen
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marks the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, ending World War II fighting in Europe after nearly six years of devastating conflict