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Adolf Hitler invades Poland.
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Britain and France declare war on German forces.
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This is a period of time spanning from September 1939 to May 1940 during which time Britain saw no military action.
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Hitler launched a lightning war against Belgium and Holland. Both countries were then occupied.
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Italy enters the war on the side of the Axis powers.
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The British RAF and German Luftwaffe face off in battle; the RAF comes out victorious.
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The Japanese attacked the US pacific fleet located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This was the start of a plan to take British, French, and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia.
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Britain and the United States declare war on Japan the day after the deadly attacks at Pearl Harbor.
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The US defeats the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway. This victory allows the US to push Japan back.
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The Russians achieve their first victory over Germany at the Battle of Stalingrad.
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British and American forces land in North Africa and take control of French Morocco and Algeria. They slowly close in on the Germans.
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The Allied troops won the island of Sicily shortly after invasion.
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The Allies launched an attack on German forces in Normandy, France. General Eisenhower led this attack of Normandy's beaches.
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The French capital, Paris, is liberated from the control of Nazi Germany.
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Italian partisans captured and executed Mussolini, leaving him hanging in public for citizens to come by and abuse.
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Adolf Hitler commits suicide, along with his mistress, Eva Braun. They both commited suicide the day after their last-minute marriage.
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The victory of the Allies iin Europe is celebrated.
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Russia declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
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The Japanese unconditionally surrender to the Allied Powers, bringing an informal end to World War II.
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US General Douglas MacArthur accepts Japan's surrender, which marks the formal end to WWII.
