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Battle of France
Interesting Facts - The Germans pushed British and French forces back to the sea in operation dynamo. The battle was organized in two separate operations. These were called Case Yellow and Case Red. Approximately 120,000 soldiers were wounded and 1.5 million captured. The British and French launched operation overlord, which proved to be a huge success and caused the Germans to retreat.
Importance - the Battle of France showed what countries needed to do to fight against "modern warfare" -
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Battle of France
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Battle of Britain
Interesting Facts - the British only lost 1,000 planes while the Nazi's lost about 1,800. The Germans believed that the only way to defeat the British was by bombing civilian targets (crushes morale). At one point, London was bombed 57 nights in a row. The British government went underground where they continued to operate. Hitler finally stopped the bombings when he needed to invade Russia.
Importance - The British defeated the Germans even though they were severely outnumbered. -
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Battle of Britain
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Battle/Siege of Leningrad
Interesting Facts - The Siege of Leningrad is known as the "900-day siege." The siege actually lasted only 872 days. The German blockade and siege took around 650,000 Leningrader lives, with most people dying from starvation, disease, and artillery. The Soviet's stepped in and pushed German forces out of Leningrad and off of Soviet soil. The Soviet Union awarded Leningrad with the "Order of Lenin" in 1945.
Importance - it inspired Soviet war efforts due to Leningrad's dwindling population -
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Battle/Siege of Leningrad
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Battle of Stalingrad
Interesting Facts - There was lots of fighting on the streets and in buildings. Almost every party of the city was bombed to rubble. He wanted to capture Stalingrad for the most part because he thought it would be humiliating for Stalin. During the battle, the entire German sixth army was destroyed. It was the major turning point in the war. It is one of the deadliest battles in history, with over 2 million casualties.
Importance - it is believed to be the turning point in World War II -
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Battle of Stalingrad
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Operation Torch
Interesting Facts - Operation Torch was the first time the British and Americans jointly worked on an invasion time. It was the first major airborne assault by the US. Approximately 2,000 people died. The plan was to invade North Africa, then make their way up to Sicily, and then move onto mainland Italy. At the time of the invasion, it was the largest amphibious invasion in history.
Importance - It was the first big success for the allies and the first time the US and Britain jointly worked. -
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Operation Torch
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D-Day
Interesting facts about D-Day - The Allies invaded Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. The code name for the invasion was "operation overlord". The invasion was originally planned to take place on June 5, 1944, but bad weather forced the allies to postpone it. More than 5,000 ships and over 13,000 supported operation overlord. D-Day is the largest amphibious invasion in history.
Importance - D-Day was the successful allied invasion of Europe that finally was able to weaken and defeat Germany. -
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D-Day
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Battle of the Bulge
Interesting Facts - Hitler's generals advised him not to attack. German troops stole US army uniforms and caused havoc behind allied lines. Fuel shortages for the Germans helped the allies and "doomed" the Germans. Most of the battle was fought in arctic conditions and disallowed flight by aircraft. When the conditions cleared up, the allies took flight and wrecked havoc on the German advance.
Importance - it was the last major Nazi offensive in WWII and came with high cost of Nazi Soldiers. -
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Battle of the Bulge
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Battle of Berlin
Interesting Facts - Near the end of the battle, Hitler took his own life. Germans were not allowed to carry anything white because the Nazi's were completely against surrendering. Approximately 150,000 Polish soldiers fought alongside the Soviet Union. The battle resulted in many Germans being left without shelter, food, or clean water. The Soviet capture of Berlin left Germany split into two following the war.
Importance - Hitler has killed himself and the war is now over for Germany. -
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Battle of Berlin
