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As Europe fought internally, America was still recovering from the Great Depression and the lives lost in WWI. This contributed to America's initial call for neutrality at the beginning of WWII and the eventual signing of the Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936, 1937, and 1939. All these were to limit the U.S involvement in foreign wars
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Following a non-aggression agreement with the Soviet Union, Hitler invades Poland.
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In response to Hitler invading Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany. This announcement of entering the war was broadcast on the radio for all of Britain to hear, following air raid sirens to show that the British people will not be so easily scared. Winston Churchill is made First Lord of the Admiralty on the British War Cabinet.
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After the disastrous Norwegian campaign and the loss of political support, Chamberlain resigns as Prime Minister and Winston Churchill replaces him.
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After being pushed to the beaches of Dunkirk, commander-in-chief General Gort called for all men with sea vessels to come help transport troops of the beaches. More than 338,000 men were rescued.
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Siding with the Axis powers, Italy declares war on Great Britain and France. In response, all Italians that lived in Britain for less than 20 years were immediately interned.
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Once France and Britain declared war, German forces steam rolled through neutral Holland. There on the border, German forces were able to easily get into France through the Ardennes Forest because France believed it to be impassable for tanks. Within days, German forces had the French government surrender, signing the Franco-German Armistice on June 22, 1940 on the same railway Germany had to sign the Armistice of 1918 of WWI.
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For months, German forces conducted air raids to lower British morale and weaken their Royal Air Force. However the British never wavered and on October 31, the raids ended.
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The Axis Powers has formed. Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact to become allies in the war. This pact, "also recognized the two spheres of influence. Japan acknowledged “the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe,” while Japan was granted lordship over “Greater East Asia”. They also believed this signing of powers would intimidate the US into thinking twice before joining the Allied Powers. Hungary later joined the Axis powers in November.
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In Operation Barbarossa, Germany sent 3 million soldiers and 3,500 tanks into Russia. Germany thought they could finish Russia off before winter. Russia was caught off guard because of the treaty signed in 1939 and Stalin signed a mutual assistance treaty with Britain and began its eastern front defense against Germany. Hitler never conquered Russia and there were over 20 million casualties. The US was supplying Britain with war supplies through the 'Lend-lease act' offered Russia similar aide.
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Pearl Harbor, a U.S Naval Base, was attacked just around 8 am by hundreds of Japanese fighter jets. This attack costed 2,400 american lives and resulted in FDR declaring war on Japan, an Axis Power allied with Germany and Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6cz9gtMTeI
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Japan, who was already attacking China and other Asian countries and territories, attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. In response, the U.S officially entered the war.
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Russians won their first victory over the Germans. Known as one of the bloodiest and longest battles in modern warfare. The engagement lasted from August 1942 until February 1943, about 2 million casualties and tens of thousands of Russian civilians were killed. Ultimately, this battle turned the tides in favor of the Allied Forces.
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Established through President Roosevelt, a policy was made that any american with Japanese ancestry would be taken to isolation camps. 117,000 people, 2/3 were american, were rounded up. This was all a result of fear of imperial pride in their Japanese heritage and would try and spy on american military plans or insight conflict inside the U.S. The last camp closed March 1946 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU-k0uG8pAw
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The US defeated the Japanese Navy, pushing them back from advancing further into the pacific. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-au50GxIXw
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To control the image of war, the U.S. government created the Office of War Information to create propaganda.
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Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt meet to set up a plan to finish German forces. Stalin calls for a second French front and nothing further east. To keep Russia's trust, Roosevelt agrees and Churchill is outvoted. This sets up the stage for post-war eastern Europe.
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Mussolini is thrown out of office and a new Italian government is formed. Hitler takes control of the Italian military and frees Mussolini from imprisonment. He sets Mussolini as head of state in Northern Italy so that Allied forces in the south cannot push through.
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Siege was lifted by the Soviet army.
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On the shores of Normandy, Allied forces attacked germans in France. 156,000 American, British, and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, a 50-mile stretch of beach that was heavily fortified. This resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Germany. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KY1pDLulF4
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After Germans forced prisoners to evacuate Auschwitz and other subcamps, known as the "Death March," thousands of prisoners were shot or died of starvation on this march. Soon after, the rest of the prisoners were evacuated and Auschwitz, the largest and deadliest of the concentration camps, closed.
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After 4 terms as the president of the United States, Roosevelt dies from a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Truman becomes president and continues fighting in WW2. It isn't until Roosevelt's death that Truman discovers that the government has been working on the atomic bomb.
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After Japanese Generals refuse to surrender, the U.S. drops the first atomic bomb on the Japanese island of Hiroshima.
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Japan still refuses to surrender after the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the U.S. drop a second Atomic bomb, this time on Nagasaki.
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Japan surrenders aboard the U.S.S Missouri in the Tokyo Bay, ending WWII. The U.S. government allows the Japanese government to keep Emperor Hirohito as a sovereign ruler.
