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Invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, was a joint attack by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on Poland on September 1, 1939, marking the start of World War II. Germany's invasion was followed by the Soviet Union's invasion on September 17, and Poland was divided and occupied by both nations. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle in World War II fought between the Red Army and the German Sixth Army for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). This brutal, five-month-long battle, from August 1942 to February 1943, is considered one of the deadliest and most significant battles of the war. The battle resulted in a decisive Soviet victory, marking a turning point in the war's momentum on the Eastern Front. -
D-Day Invasion
D-Day, short for "designated day," refers to the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, during World War II. It was a crucial turning point, marking the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany and the liberation of Western Europe. -
Postwar occupation and division of Germany
After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones, controlled by the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France. This division led to the eventual creation of East and West Germany, marking a significant point in the Cold War. -
Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima
On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. The aerial bombings killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the only uses of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict. -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
The Berlin Blockade and Airlift was a crucial event in the early Cold War, marking the first direct confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all land and river traffic into West Berlin, aiming to force the Western Allies to withdraw from the city. -
Enactment of Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan, officially known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), was enacted in 1948. It was a US-led foreign aid initiative intended to rebuild war-torn Western Europe and prevent the spread of communism. The plan was formally implemented when President Harry Truman signed the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 into law on April 3, 1948. -
Chinese Communist Revolution
The Chinese Communist Revolution, also known as the War of Liberation, was a period of social and political upheaval in China that culminated in the establishment of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Led by the Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong, it involved a protracted civil war with the Kuomintang, the ruling party at the time. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a conflict fought from 1950 to 1953 on the Korean Peninsula, primarily between North Korea and South Korea, with the involvement of their respective allies. It's often seen as the first major military action of the Cold War. -
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was a series of armed uprisings and political changes that led to the overthrow of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in Cuba and the establishment of a communist government under Fidel Castro. It began in 1953 with the attack on the Moncada Barracks and concluded in 1959 with the collapse of Batista's regime.