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Sept 1, 1939): Germany's attack triggered Britain France to declare war, starting WWII. It showed Hitler's aggression divided the world into Axis and Allies. -
Jul 1940): Germany's Luftwaffe tried to destroy the UK's RAF, but the RAF defended Britain. It was Hitler's first major defeat, preventing invasion keeping Britain in the war. -
December 7, 1941, Was a surprise aerial attack by the Japanese navy on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack severely damaged the U.S. Pacific Fleet and killed thousands . The bombing of Pearl Harbor was important to WWII because it led to the start of WWII. -
Nov 1942): Allied invasion of French North Africa, gaining a foothold in Europe, combat experience for US troops, securing supply routes, forcing a two-front war on Axis. -
Aug 1942): Soviet forces stopped the German Sixth Army, marking a major turning point. It shattered Germany's image and shifted momentum to the Allies. -
Jun 4, 1942): A decisive US naval victory, marking WWII's turning point in the Pacific. The US ambushed Japan's fleet, crippling their offensive power. -
1943): Established to protect artworks, archives, and monuments of historical and cultural significance during the Allied advance in Europe. -
Jul-Aug 1943): Germany's final major Eastern Front offensive failed. It was the largest tank battle, shifting the initiative to the Soviets crippling German armor. -
Jun 6, 1944): Allied forces launched the invasion of Normandy, France, to liberate Nazi-occupied Western Europe. It opened the Western Front, leading to Germany's defeat. -
Dec 1944): Germany's last major Western Front offensive aimed to split Allied forces but failed. It exhausted Germany's resources sped up the war's end in Europe. -
Apr 30, 1945): Hitler committed suicide in Berlin as defeat neared. It symbolized the end of the Nazi regime, though the war was already lost. -
Apr 1, 1945): The final, bloody Pacific battle. Allies invaded to prep for invading Japan. High casualties kamikaze attacks showed the cost of invading Japan, influencing the US to use atomic bombs. -
Apr 12, 1945): President Roosevelt died, bringing Truman to the presidency, who then made key decisions about the war's end, like using the atomic bomb. -
Aug 6, 1945): The US dropped the "Little Boy" bomb, causing immense destruction deaths, leading to Japan's surrender the end of WWII. -
Aug 9, 1945): The US used the "Fat Man" bomb, leading to devastation forcing Japan's surrender, ending WWII.