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In the Soviet Union Josef Stalin took over as leader of the Communist Party. Stalin, "the man of steel", introduced a strict Five-Year Plan, an agricultural and economic policy that caused the death of millions of Soviet workers.
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Hitler invades Poland on 1 September. Britain and France declare war on Germany two days later.
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Rationing starts in the UK.
German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland and France.
Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
British victory in Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone invasion plans. -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and US enters the war. Hitler began to invade Russia an operation called "Operation Barbarossa".
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Germany had a hude setback in Stalingard. Massive Jewish murde begins in Auschwitz.Singapore falls to the Japanese in February - around 25,000 prisoners taken.
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Surrender at Stalingrad marks Germany's first major defeat.Surrender at Stalingrad marks Germany's first major defeat.British and Indian forces fight Japanese in Burma.
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D Day: The Allied invasion of France. Paris is liberated in August.Allies land at Anzio and bomb monastery at Monte Cassino.Soviet offensive gathers pace in Eastern Europe.
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Auschwitz liberated by Soviet troops.
Russians reach Berlin: Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders on 7 May.
After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders on 14 August -
All jew were freed and all camps were shut down for good.