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Germany annexed Austria, then Hitler demanded the liberation of German people in Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
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Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier, and Mussolini met in Munich and decided Hitler should have Sudetenland. The Czechs were not present and did not have a country to protect them
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Britain rearms in a highly secret radar early warning system, and reassures Poland after threats from Hitler
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Hitler and Stalin sign a non-aggression pact which included secret plans for Poland
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Britain sought no military action during these months of the war
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Despite Treaty of Munich, Hitler marched in and occupied the country
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Hitler invades and takes over Poland
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Both Britain and France declare war on Germany. Chamberlain made it public
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Hitler invaded these countries to safeguard supply routes and establish a Norwegian base
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Hitler launched blitzkrieg against Holland and Belgium. Rotterdam was also bombed
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Chamberlain resigned to get a more active prosecution of the war. Winston Churchill became the new head
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British troops were forced to retreat to the coast at Dunkirk. The troops waited to be taken off the beaches. More than 338,000 men were rescued
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Italy enters the war on the Axis side, with hopes of the rich pickings from the spoils of the war
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The French and the Germans signed an armistice with Germany, taking France, which had been devastated out of the war
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This consisted of many bombings, and attacks on the RAF. Hitler hoped to destroy the morale of the British people
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First Russian victory against Germany
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British and Americans and took control of Morocco and Algeria
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German-Italian army attacked in North Africa. First bombarded, then chased 1500 miles across the desert
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The British and American forces defeated the Axis forces in North Africa
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British and American forces invaded Sicily
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Allied troops won Sicily
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Mussolini was thrown out of office, and government of Italy surrendered to the Allied powers, and agreed to join them. Germans took control of Italian army, and used Mussolini as a puppet. No more Allied advancement was made throughout Italy
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Allied leaders met to co-ordinate plans for a simultaneous squeeze on Germany, and discuss plans for post-war settlements
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Siege of Leningrad was lifted by the Soviet Army
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Allies were able to liberate Rome from the Germans
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Germans surrender in Italy to the Allies
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German forces in Northwest Europe surrendered to Montgomery on Luneburg Heath. Admiral Donitz wanted to keep fighting the Russians, but was turned down
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Donitz offered unconditional surrender to the Allies
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Victory in Europe was celebrated
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Churchill lost election to Clement Atlee's Labour Party. They won by a landslide. Citizens did not want to resume to conditions before the war
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Japanese refuse to surrender, Americans dropped atomic bomb on island of Hiroshima
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Russia declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria
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Americans dropped atomic bomb on Nagasaki, for the Japanese did not surrender after Hiroshima
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The Japanese unconditionally surrender to the Allies
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MacArthur accepted Japan's surrender, formally ending WWII