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Germany invades Poland and annexes Danzig; Britain and France give Hitler ultimatum
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Germany invades France, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg. Winston Churchill becomes Britain's prime minister.
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The evacuation at Dunkirk ends. 338,000 troops were rescued. Churchill declares that Britain will never surrender.
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Hitler changes the Luftwaffe's objective from destroying the Royal Air Force to bombing London. This allows the R.A.F to recover and win the battle of Britain.
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Germany invades Russia. Hitler orders "maximum cruelty" against civilians, which results in fanatic Russian resistance.
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Hitler, eager to occupy the rich Ukraine first, orders to stop army group Center's advance to Moscow and to transfer its two tank armies to army groups "North" and "South". This is perhaps Hitler's greatest mistake. The German Generals argue in vain against it.
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Hitler orders to resume the advance to Moscow, in order to take it "in the limited time before winter". Army group "Center", is given back its two tank armies, plus a third tank army and additional air units.
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The battle of Midway. Four Japanese carriers are sunk, and one American carrier. Japan's naval superiority is lost.
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The Marines land in Leyte, in the Philippines. In response, the Japanese Navy begins to use Kamikaze suicide pilots.
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A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima by U.S.
