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Period: to
Italy invades and conquers Ethiopia.
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Japan invades China.
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Germany marches into Austria and takes it over.
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Germany takes over Czechoslovakia.
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Germany invades Poland
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Period: to
The Second World War
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The Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, declares war on Germany.
France, Australia and New Zealand also declares war on Germany. -
South Africa declares war on Germany.
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Canada declares war on Germany.
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The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
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The Soviet Union invades Finland.
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Germany invades Norway and Denmark.
Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9. -
Germany attacks western Europe - Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium.
Luxemburg surrenders to the Germans. -
Winston Churchill becomes the new British Prime Minister, replacing Neville Chamberlain.
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The German army enters France
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Holland surrenders to the Germans.
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The Local Defence Volunteers (Dad's Army) is created in Britain.
It was later called the Home Guard. -
The evacuation of 340,000 soldiers of the British and French armies from the beaches of Dunkirk.
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Belgium surrenders to the Germans.
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The last of the 338,000 British, French and Belgian forces evacuated from Dunkirk.
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Norway surrenders to the Germans
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Italy enters the war and declares war on Britain and France
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The German army enters and took over Paris.
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Italy invades southern France.
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German troups conquer most of France.
France surrenders to the Germans. -
(until the Liberation on 9 May 1945) German troops take over the Channel Islands, the only British soil occupied by Germany
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RAF Bomber Command start night raids on Germany
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Battle of Britain begins
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The London Blitz starts
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Italy invades British-controlled Egypt from Italian-controlled Libya.
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Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact.
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Italy invades Greece.
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Slovakia (November 23), Hungary (November 20), and Romania (November 22) join the Axis.
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Bulgaria joins the Axis.
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Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece.
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German air raid damages the House of Commons in London.
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Germany invades Russia.
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The Japanese attack the USA Naval Base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
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The flag United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II.
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Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. United States formally declares declares war on Germany and Italy.
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Hong Kong surrenders to Japan.
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Japan captures Manila in the Philippines
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The flag Japan captures Singapore
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The Battle of the Coral Sea between the US and Japanese navies.
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Anglo-Americans start bombing Germany.
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British and U.S. troops win back North Africa.
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Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States.
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Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in occupied Poland.
The largest single revolt by Jews against the Nazis during WW2. -
The Dam Buster Raid.
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Italy surrenders.
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Italy swaps sides and declares war on Germany.
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Rome is freed by the Allies.
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British and U.S. troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans.
This day is known as D-Day. -
The first of Germany's terror weapons, the V1 (doodlebug), falls in England at Swanscombe in Kent.
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Warsaw Uprising in occupied Poland, the largest ever civilian revolt in history, by the Polish population against the Nazis.
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Allied forces land in flag southern France near Nice.
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Allied troops reach flag Paris.
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U.S. troops enter Germany.
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U.S. troops land in the Philippines.
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The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border.
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The Soviets liberate Warsaw and Krakow in Poland.
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The Soviets capture Budapest, capital city of Hungary.
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The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin.
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Hitler commits suicide.
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Germany surrenders to the western Allies.
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Winston Churchill announces VE Day - Victory in Europe.
British people wave flags, sing and dance in the streets. WW2 ends in Europe -
Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
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The first atomic bomb is dropped by The United States on Hiroshima killing 78,000 citizens
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The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
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The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
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Japan surrendered to the Allies after almost six years of war.
V-J Day (Victory in Japan) -
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.