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Germany invades Poland.
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Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
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Soviet Union invades eastern Poland.
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The ‘Phoney War’
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Soviet Union invades Finland.
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Germany begins occupation of Denmark and invades Norway.
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Germany invades Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg.
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British Prime Minister, Chamberlain, resigns, replaced by Winston Churchill.
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German army enters Paris.
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Start of Battle of Britain
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Germany, Italy and Japan sign Tripartite Pact.
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German Afrika Korps begins offensive in N. Africa.
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Soviets and Japanese sign neutrality pact.
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Germany invades Soviet Union.
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Germans attack Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union.
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Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
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Japanese declare war on USA.
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Allies (except Soviets) declare war on Japan.
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Singapore falls to Japanese.
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Darwin bombed by the Japanese
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Battle of Midway between Japan and the USA
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Period: to
• July – January 1943 – Australians fight the Japanese at Kokoda
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Battle of El Alamein begins, in which allied troops led by Australians defeat the Germans
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German surrender at Stalingrad.
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Surrender of Axis forces in North Africa.
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Allied landings in Sicily.
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Mussolini's Italian Fascist government overthrown.
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Italy signs armistice.
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Soviets advance into Poland.
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Rome captured by Allies.
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Operation Overlord (D-Day) - Allied invasion of Normandy.
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• July 20th - German assassination attempt on Hitler fails.
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Allies liberate Paris.
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Surrender of Axis forces in Greece.
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French capture Strasbourg.
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German attack through Ardennes - Battle of the Bulge begins.
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Soviets liberate Auschwitz.
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US landings on Iwo Jima.
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Soviets enter Berlin.
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Mussolini captured by partisans and executed.
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Hitler commits suicide.
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Hitler commits suicide
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German unconditional surrender
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Atomic bomb dropped on hiroshima
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Japanese Surrender