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great Britain and France declare war on germany
Honoring their guarantee of Poland's borders, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Two days earlier, Germany had invaded Poland. Despite the declaration of war, there was initially only limited engagement between the German and British militaries. -
Yalta conference
Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to let Stalin annex parts of Japanese-held Manchuria in exchange for bringing his troops into the war against Japan -
invasion of poland
an initial victory for Germany that surpassed the staff's initial expectations -
invasion of belguim
intended to bring the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Armies into positions in Belgium from which they could invade France -
the battle at dunkirk
a big boost for British morale -
the battle 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
the first peacetime draft in United States' history. -
america enters WWII
helped to get the nation's economy back on its feet following the depression -
lend lease act
set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States. -
pearl harbor
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 -
germany goes to war with america
it allowed the United States to enter the European war in support of the United Kingdom and the Allies without much public opposition, while still facing the Japanese threat in the Pacific -
battle of coral sea
the world's first carrier-vs. -carrier battle, and the first naval battle in which neither side's ships sighted the others -
battle of midland
stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to begin shrinking the Japanese empire -
invasion of north africa
relieving pressure on the hard-pressed Soviet Union -
invasion Sicily & italy
led directly to the fall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the surrender of the Italian government to the Allies -
D Day
caught the Germans by surprise and initiated the end of Nazi reign over Europe -
concentration camps discovered
started the advances towards freeing jews -
V-J
marks the surrender of Japan forces, which in effect ended the Second World War -
battle of the bulge
marked the last German offense on the Western Front -
V-E
mark the end of World War II in Europe -
atomic bomb in hiroshima
killing tens of thousands of people, obliterating the cities, and contributing to the end of World War II -
atomic bomb in nagaski
killing tens of thousands of people, obliterating the cities, and contributing to the end of World War II