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Germany—followed by the Soviet invasion on September 17—was the immediate catalyst for World War II, forcing Britain and France to honor their guarantees to Polish sovereignty by declaring war. It marked the failure of European appeasement -
Germany—followed by the Soviet invasion on September 17—was the immediate catalyst for World War II, forcing Britain and France to honor their guarantees to Polish sovereignty by declaring war. It marked the failure of European appeasement -
was a turning point in WWII, stunning the world by defeating Allied forces in just six weeks. It ended the "Phoney War", forced the British retreat -
was significant to WWII as it saved over 338,000 Allied troops from imminent capture, preventing the collapse of the British war effort. -
marking the first major defeat of Hitler’s military and preventing a Nazi invasion of Great Britain. By maintaining air superiority, the Royal Air Force stopped Germany’s "Operation Sea -
was critical to WWII as the first peacetime draft in U.S. history, allowing for the mobilization of millions of soldiers before officially entering the conflict. Enacted September 16, 1940 -
allowing the U.S. to supply Allied nations—primarily Britain, the Soviet Union, and China—with over $50 billion in war materiel, food, and oil without immediate payment -
was a turning point that, by mobilizing unparalleled industrial capacity (“Arsenal of Democracy”), secured Allied victory against the Axis powers -
it destroyed the United States' isolationist stance, immediately forcing the nation into the global conflict as a unified combatant -
allowed President Roosevelt to prioritize the "Germany First" strategy, mobilized American industrial might directly against Europe, and ensured the eventual defeat of the Axis powers -
halted the Japanese expansion toward Australia, marked the first-ever carrier-versus-carrier battle, and served as the first naval clash where ships never sighted or directly fired on one another