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Germany made an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy, but Italy secretly made an alliance with France. The Triple Entente was formed between France, Britain, and Russia in 1907. Germany was then surrounded by the powerful alliances which made them feel threatened.
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Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo. This event sparked World War I.
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For the first time, the Germans fire large amounts of chlorine gas at French lines. They fail to take advantage of the breach though.
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Congress authorizes a declaration of war against Germany. The US enters the war on the side of Britain and France.
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Hitler and his Nazi Party had a political takeover over Germany. Their aggressive foreign policies influenced their actions near the start of World War II.
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German troops invade Poland on the ground while Hitler's air force bombs them from the sky.
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President Franklin D. Roosevelt requests a new defense spending where there would be an enlarged army and expanded air fleet.
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Japanese fighter planes attack the American base at Pearl Harbor, killing 2,555 US servicemen and 68 civilians.
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Four of the Allied powers: the US, Great Britain, China and the Soviet Union, signed a charter to create the United Nations. It is an organization that worked for peace.
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The US helped Europe by giving 13 billion dollars worth of food and other goods to their 18 nations because the country was in ruins after the war.