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was Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg (lightning war) attack using fast, coordinated tanks, planes, and infantry, overwhelming Polish defenses and marking the beginning of World War II, with the Soviet Union invading from the east two weeks later to divide the country, leading to brutal occupation and mass atrocities
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was Germany's swift conquest of France and the Low Countries using Blitzkrieg tactics, bypassing the Maginot Line via the Ardennes, overwhelming Allied defenses, trapping British forces at Dunkirk, and leading to the surrender of the French government, resulting in northern France's occupation and a collaborationist Vichy government in the south. This rapid defeat stemmed from German strategic surprise, superior mechanized tactics, and French military unpreparedness.
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was a massive evacuation of over 338,000 trapped Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, to Britain, using naval vessels and hundreds of civilian "little ships," becoming the "Miracle of Dunkirk" for saving the British Army and boosting morale despite being a colossal military setback, characterized by desperate rescues from shallow waters under fire, aided by weather and a crucial German halt order.
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was a sustained German aerial bombing campaign against the UK, primarily targeting London from September 1940 to May 1941, aiming to crush British morale and war production by bombing cities, docks, and industry, but instead strengthened resolve, resulting in widespread destruction, tens of thousands of civilian deaths, and the creation of iconic shelters like the Tube stations, ultimately failing to break the nation's spirit.
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The day the Allies accepted Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, ending World War II in Europe after nearly six years of brutal conflict, led to massive global celebrations despite the war against Japan continuing in the Pacific. The surrender followed Hitler's suicide and the collapse of the Third Reich, signifying the end of the Nazi regime and liberation for many, though it ushered in a period of reflection and the ongoing fight in the Pacific
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was a pivotal Soviet triumph in WWII (1942-43) where the Red Army encircled and forced the surrender of Germany's Sixth Army, halting Hitler's eastward expansion, inflicting massive casualties, and marking the turning point on the Eastern Front, boosting Allied morale, and beginning the Axis's long retreat
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was a major World War II military effort by the Allies to invade and liberate Italy from Axis (German and Italian Fascist) control, starting with Sicily and moving up the mainland, involving tough mountain fighting against strong German defenses like the Gustav Line, securing Rome, and ultimately leading to Germany's surrender in Italy by May 1945, tying down German forces and opening a new front in Europe.
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was the massive Allied amphibious invasion of Normandy, France, code-named Operation Overlord, marking the beginning of the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe in World War II, involving over 150,000 troops landing on five beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword) under heavy German fire, leading to huge casualties but establishing a vital beachhead and setting the stage for victory. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history, a turning point that ultimately led to Germany's defeat.
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was an ambitious but ultimately failed Allied World War II plan to seize key bridges in the German-occupied Netherlands via large-scale airborne drops ("Market") to create a route for ground forces (British XXX Corps, "Garden") to advance into northern Germany and outflank German defenses, aiming to shorten the war but instead becoming bogged down in heavy fighting, particularly at Arnhem, with heavy casualties
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was Hitler's final major German offensive on the Western Front, a surprise attack through the Ardennes Forest aiming to split Allied forces and capture Antwerp, creating a "bulge" in the American lines. Despite heavy initial losses and brutal winter conditions, American and Allied forces eventually pushed the Germans back, halting the offensive, depleting Germany's remaining war machine, and hastening the end of WWII in Europe.