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In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a large ethnic German population. The Munich Agreement, signed by Germany, Britain, France, and Italy, allowed the annexation without Czech resistance. This event weakened Czech and marked a significant step toward the outbreak of World War II.
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On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack resulted in the destruction of much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, killing over 2,400 Americans. This event led the United States to officially enter World War II, declaring war on Japan the following day.
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Island hopping was a military strategy used by the United States during World War II in the Pacific. It involved bypassing heavily fortified Japanese-held islands and focusing on capturing strategically important ones to gradually advance toward Japan. This tactic helped conserve resources and weakened Japan's defensive perimeter, eventually leading to Japan's defeat.
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Internment camps were established during World War II, imprisoning over 120k Japanese Americans, mostly from the West Coast. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government justified the camps by citing national security concerns, fearing Japanese loyalty to Japan. The internment caused significant hardship.
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The Battle of Midway took place in June 1942 and was a turning point in the Pacific War. The U.S. Navy, using codebreaking to anticipate Japan’s attack, ambushed and defeated a Japanese fleet, sinking four aircraft carriers. This victory significantly weakened Japan's naval power and shifted the balance of power in the Pacific in favor of the Allies.
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The Battle of Stalingrad, fought from 1942 to 1943, was a decisive confrontation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. After months of brutal fighting, the Soviets encircled and defeated the German Sixth Army. The battle marked a turning point in World War II, shifting the momentum in favor of the Allies.
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Los Alamos was the site of the top-secret U.S. research facility where scientists developed the atomic bomb during World War II. Located in New Mexico, it was the center of the Manhattan Project, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. The successful test of the first atomic bomb in 1945 led to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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The Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, was a meeting between Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe. They agreed on dividing Germany into occupation zones and establishing the United Nations. Tensions over Eastern Europe set the stage for the Cold War.
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The Fall of Berlin occurred in April-May 1945, when Soviet forces captured the German capital, effectively ending Nazi rule. Intense urban combat led to the surrender of German forces, and Adolf Hitler committed suicide as Soviet troops closed in. The fall marked the final defeat of Nazi Germany and paved the way for the end of World War II in Europe.
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The Potsdam Conference, held in July-August 1945, involved Truman, Stalin, and Attlee discussing the post-war order, including the division of Germany and Japan’s surrender. It also revealed growing tensions between the Soviet Union and Western Allies, setting the stage for the Cold War.
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Hiroshima was the target of the first atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945, during World War II. The U.S. dropped the bomb, named "Little Boy," on the city, causing immense destruction and killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of the year. The bombing played a key role in Japan’s decision to surrender, bringing an end to the war in the Pacific.
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