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it triggered Britain and France to declare war on Germany, officially starting the war, and demonstrated Hitler's aggressive expansionism and new "blitzkrieg" tactics, proving appeasement failed and setting the stage for the global conflict -
it formally started World War II in Europe, shifting from appeasement to direct military confrontation against German aggression, fulfilling their defense pact with Poland, and kicking off a global conflict that would eventually involve the Axis and Allies -
it enabled the swift defeat of France by bypassing the Maginot Line, securing vital air/sea bases for attacking Britain, and strategically outflanking Allied forces, demonstrating the devastating effectiveness of Blitzkrieg tactics and dramatically shifting the balance of power in Western Europe -
it saved over 338,000 Allied troops, preventing Britain's military collapse and allowing it to continue fighting, fostering the "Dunkirk spirit" of national unity and defiance, and boosting morale after a devastating defeat in France, giving Britain a second chance to regroup and fight on against Hitler. -
Britain's RAF victory prevented a German invasion, denying Hitler control of the English Channel, boosting Allied morale, and allowing Britain to remain a base for future operations, including D-Day, ultimately forcing Germany to fight a two-front war that proved disastrous for them -
The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 was crucial for World War II because it established the first peacetime draft in U.S. history -
The Lend-Lease Act was crucial to WWII because it allowed the U.S. to become the "arsenal of democracy," supplying vital war materials (weapons, food, vehicles) to Allies like Britain, the Soviet Union, and China, helping them resist Axis powers before the U.S. officially entered the war, effectively keeping the fight alive against Nazi Germany and Japan by bolstering Allied military strength and logistics, especially for the Soviets