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In 1895, at age six, two important events happened in the life of young Adolf Hitler. First, the unrestrained, carefree days he had enjoyed up to now came to an end as he entered primary school. Secondly, his father retired on a pension from the Austrian civil service.
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Born on June 12, 1929, Anne Frank was a Jewish teenager from Frankfurt, Germany who was forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust. She and her family, along with four others, spent over two years during World War II hiding in an annex of rooms on Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, today known as the Anne Frank House.
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Evacuation took place in several waves. The first came on 1 September 1939 - the day Germany invaded Poland and two days before the British declaration of war. Over the course of three days 1.5 million evacuees were sent to rural locations considered to be safe.
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Telegram from Adolf Hitler in Berlin to the Reich Foreign Minister, Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop in Moscow:
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'The colour of your ration book was very important as it made sure you go the right amount of food. Buff-coloured ration books - Most adults had this colour Green ration books - Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 5. They had first choice of fruit, a daily pint of milk and a double supply of eggs. Blue ration books - Children between 5 and 16 years of age. It was felt important that children had fruit, the full meat ration and half a pint of milk a day.
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January 8, 1940 - Rationing begins in Britain.
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March 12, 1940 - Finland signs a peace treaty with Soviets. March 16, 1940 - Germans bomb Scapa Flow naval base near Scotland.
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April 9, 1940 - Nazis invade Denmark and Norway.
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May 10, 1940 - Nazis invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister. May 15, 1940 - Holland surrenders to the Nazis. May 26, 1940 - Evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk begins. May 28, 1940 - Belgium surrenders to the Nazis.
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June 3, 1940 - Germans bomb Paris; Dunkirk evacuation ends. June 10, 1940 - Norway surrenders to the Nazis; Italy declares war on Britain and France. June 16, 1940 - Marshal Pétain becomes French Prime Minister. June 18, 1940 - Hitler and Mussolini meet in Munich; Soviets begin occupation of the Baltic States. June 22, 1940 - France signs an armistice with Nazi Germany. June 28, 1940 - Britain recognizes General Charles de Gaulle as the Free French leader.
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July 1, 1940 - German U-boats attack merchant ships in the Atlantic. July 5, 1940 - French Vichy government breaks off relations with Britain. July 10, 1940 - Battle of Britain begins. July 23, 1940 - Soviets take Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
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August 3-19 - Italians occupy British Somaliland in East Africa. August 13, 1940 - German bombing offensive against airfields and factories in England. August 15, 1940 - Air battles and daylight raids over Britain. August 17, 1940 - Hitler declares a blockade of the British Isles. August 23/24 - First German air raids on Central London. August 25/26 - First British air raid on Berlin.
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It was dangerous living in a big city during the war. Cities were the target of enemy aircraft that flew over at night and dropped bombs.
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September 3, 1940 - Hitler plans Operation Sea Lion (the invasion of Britain). September 7, 1940 - German Blitz against Britain begins. September 13, 1940 - Italians invade Egypt. September 15, 1940 - Massive German air raids on London, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester. September 16, 1940 - United States military conscription bill passed. September 27, 1940 - Tripartite (Axis) Pact signed by Germany, Italy and Japan.
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October 7, 1940 - German troops enter Romania. October 12, 1940 - Germans postpone Operation Sea Lion until Spring of 1941. October 28, 1940 - Italy invades Greece.
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November 5, 1940 - Roosevelt re-elected as U.S. president. November 10/11 - Torpedo bomber raid cripples the Italian fleet at Taranto, Italy. November 14/15 - Germans bomb Coventry, England. November 20, 1940 - Hungary joins the Axis Powers. November 22, 1940 - Greeks defeat the Italian 9th Army. November 23, 1940 - Romania joins the Axis Powers.
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December 9/10 - British begin a western desert offensive in North Africa against the Italians. December 29/30 - Massive German air raid on London.
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The attack at Pearl Harbor was the idea of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander in Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, who argued that it would “give a fatal blow to the enemy fleet” (Rhodes 392). In October 1941, the attack was approved by the Japanese naval general staff. Commanded by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, the Japanese fleet included six aircraft carriers, 24 supporting ships, and a group of submarines.
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"Most of the 110,000 persons removed for reasons of 'national security' were school-age children, infants and young adults not yet of voting age."
- "Years of Infamy", Michi Weglyn -
Before the war a woman's place was considered to be in the home. Her role in life was to be a good housewife and mother and she was trained for this from childhood. A girl would learn to cook and clean, knit and sew. Education was thought to be more important for boys, whose role it would be to work and support a family in future years. Some women did work, but usually in clean and gentle occupations or in domestic service for more wealthy families.
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