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WWII begins
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. -
Italy Enters the war
Italy enters the war. Italy invades southern France on June 21. -
The Axis Unite
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact. -
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Axis Attack the Soviet Union
June 22, 1941–November 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners (except Bulgaria) invade the Soviet Union. Finland, seeking redress for the territorial losses in the armistice concluding the Winter War, joins the Axis just before the invasion. The Germans quickly overrun the Baltic States and, joined by the Finns, lay siege to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) by September. In the center, the Germans capture Smolensk in early August and drive on Moscow by October. In the south, German and Romanian troop -
Japan attacks the US
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. -
US joins the war
The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. Japanese troops land in the Philippines, French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), and British Singapore. By April 1942, the Philippines, Indochina, and Singapore are under Japanese occupation. -
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The Nazi Response
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States. -
The Soviets begin to push back the Germans
The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. The Soviets blunt the attack within a week and begin an offensive initiative of their own. -
FInal Offensive
The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border. By January 1, 1945, the Germans are in retreat -
Hitler commits suicide.
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Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
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The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
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The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
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The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
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It's over
Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.