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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. -
The Invasion of Poland
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of World War II. -
Great Britain and France Declare War on Nazi Germany
Germany represented a direct threat to British security and the security of its empire. Accepting German domination of Europe had grave implications for British status and survival. Britain went to war in 1939 to defend the balance of power in Europe and safeguard Britain's position in the world. -
The Invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands & France
The goal of the Germans was to conquer France. They wanted to bypass the French defence line at the eastern border by going through the Netherlands and Belgium. Their occupation of the Netherlands would also prevent England from setting up a base of operations on the European mainland. -
The Battle & Great Escape at Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation was an important event for the Allies. If the BEF had been captured, it would have meant the loss of Britain's only trained troops and the collapse of the Allied cause. -
Selective Service & Training Act
The Selective Service Act, signed by Pres. Woodrow Wilson on May 18, 1917, created the Selective Service System, which managed the induction of some 2.8 million men into the armed forces over the next two years and abolished the much maligned bounty system. -
Lend-Lease Assistance Act
This system served a dual purpose: 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
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a pivotal moment in world history that dramatically altered the course of the 20th century. It not only catalyzed the United States' entry into World War II but also reshaped global power dynamics, forging new alliances and leading to significant technological and military advancements. -
America Enters World War 2
It also affected the lives of Americans on the home front. Much of this impact was associated with mobilizing for the war. People moved to new places across the country to work and to train and their lives changed. Factories re-tooled and ran around the clock to produce weapons and other military supplies. -
Germany and Italy Declare War on the United States
On December 11, 1941, Italy declared war on the United States. The declaration followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor four days earlier, and was made the same day as Germany's declaration of war against the United States. Germany and Italy declared war after America declared war on Japan for bombing Pearl Harbor. Germany and Italy then joined Japan in the fight against America as fellow Axis Powers. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
It was the world's first carrier-vs. -carrier battle, and the first naval battle in which neither side's ships sighted the others. This in itself marked the coming of a new mode of naval warfare that had been predicted by airpower advocates as much as a decade prior. -
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 Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942 was intended to draw Axis forces away from the Eastern Front, thus relieving pressure on the hard-pressed Soviet Union. -
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
The war would not be over by Christmas. But D-Day had opened another major front, where the bulk of America's rapidly expanding army could at last be brought to bear. It led to the liberation of France, denying Germany any further exploitation of that country's economic and manpower resources.