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Hitler went ahead with his plans to unify all German-speaking people. He annexed Austria then demanded the liberation of German people in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlain flew to Germany to attempt a settlement before war broke out.
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Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier of France and Mussolini of Italy met in Munich and agreed that Hitler should have the Sudetanland of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were not represented at the meeting and realising that no country would come to their aid were forced to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany. Hitler assured those at the meeting that this was the extent of his ambitions for expansion. Chamberlain returned to England with a piece of paper signed by Hitler, proclaiming 'peace in our time.'
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Despite the assurances given by Hitler in the Treaty of Munich (Sept 1938), he marched into Czechoslovakia and occupied the country.
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Britain had begun re-arming and a highly secret radar system was installed along the east coast. Conscription was introduced and assurances were given to Poland, who was being threatened by Hitler.
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Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact.
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Adolf Hitler invaded Poland.
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Britain and France declared war on Germany. Neville Chamberlain broadcast the announcement that the country was at war.
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Hitler invaded and occupied Denmark and Norway to safeguard supply routes of Swedish ore. He also wanted to break the British naval blockade on Germany
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Hitler launched his blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was bombed almost to extinction. Both countries were occupied.
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The months following Britain's declaration of war are referred to as the 'phoney war' because Britain saw no military action. May 1940 is when the "phoney War" ended.
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The troops waited, under fire, to be taken off the beaches. A call went out to all owners of sea-worthy vessels to travel to Dunkirk to take the troops off the beaches of Dunkirk. More than 338,000 men were rescued.
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Italy entered the war on the side of the Axis powers. Italy's motive for entering the war was the hope of rich pickings from the spoils of war.
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France was out of war and into German occupation.
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- During July Hitler sent his Luftwaffe bombers to attack British ports. His aim was also to assess the speed and quality of response by the RAF.
- During August the attacks on shipping continued but bombing raids were concentrated on RAF airfields.
- The Blitz - From September 7th the city of London was heavily bombed. Hitler hoped to destroy the morale of the British people.
- Night Bombing - With the failure of daylight bombing raids Hitler began a series of nightly bombing raids on Lon
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The Japanese, who were already waging war against the Chinese, attacked the US pacific fleet at Pearl Harbour as a preliminary to taking British, French and Dutch colonies in South East Asia.
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Britain and the United States declared war on Japan.
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The Japanese captured Singapore from the British, taking some 60,000 prisoners.
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The USA defeated the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. Following this victory, the US navy was able to push the Japanese back.
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The British and American forces managed to defeat the Axis forces in North Africa
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The allies launched an attack on Germany's forces in Normandy, Western France. Thousands of transports carried an invasion army under the supreme command of general Eisenhower to the Normandy beaches. The Germans who had been fed false information about a landing near Calais, rushed troops to the area but were unable to prevent the allies from forming a solid bridgehead. For the allies it was essential to first capture a port.
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The French capital of Paris was liberated from the Germans.
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Italian partisans captured Mussolini and executed him.
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The German leader, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bombproof shelter together with his mistress, Eva Braun, who he had, at the last minute, made his wife.
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German forces in north west Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Montgomery on Luneburg Heath. Admiral Donitz, whom Hitler had nominated as his successor, tried to reach agreement to surrender to the Western allies but to continue to fight the Russians. His request was refused.
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Victory in Europe was celebrated.
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The Japanese generals refused to surrender. The US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
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The US dropped an atomic bomb on the port of Nagasaki as the Japanese had not surrendered following Hiroshima.
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US General, Douglas MacArthur, accepted Japan's surrender thus formally ending the second world war.
