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At the time before WWI, there were multiple alliances between major military powers. These mutual defense alliances were agreements between countries that would defend the other countries if they were attacked. The following alliances were Russia and Serbia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, France and Russia, Britain and France and Belgium, Japan and Britain.
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A Serbian-nationalist terrorist group called the Black Hand sent groups to assassinate the Archduke of Austria-Hungary. In June of 1914, an assassin named Gavrilo Princip killed Ferdinand and his wife. This caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, and Russia declared war on Austria. The sequence of events began to unfold because of the mutual defense alliances that were established. This is explained in [Simple History][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEGVcSpfM9k]
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Germany invades Belgium which marks the start of WWI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3UjJ5kxiLI
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Germany truces with the Allies.
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The Treaty of Versailles is signed by the Germans in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in France. The Treaty was harsh to Germany as they were forced to accept the responsibilities of the war damages of the Allies and Germany had to pay reparations, or a large amount of money, which left the Germans in economic ruins.
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As Germans were desperate for economic change and restoration of their nation, Germany turned to Hitler. Adolf Hitler became chancellor and then Hitler proclaimed himself as the "Fuhrer" or leader/ dictator of Germany. Hitler looked to expand his empire of Nazis.
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German invades Poland which marks the start of WWII.
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Following Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945, Germany surrenders in defeat to the Allies.
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The United States drops the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima leveling the city and drops another bomb on Nagasaki on the 9th of August.
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The atomic bombing of Japanese cities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 began an arms race(proxy war) between the United States and the Soviet Union known as the Cold War. The Soviet Union starts to take control over countries in eastern Europe installing Communist governments. This was a war of the democratic nations of the west versus the Communist east.
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The Soviet Union disagreed on many things with the Allies so Germany was eventually divided into East (Communist) and West Germany (Democratic). As a result, the Berlin wall was built.
