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Non-Agression Pact
The Non-Agression Pact was a pact between the Soviet Union and Germany. The gist of the pact was that neither country would attack each other. Eventually Germany broke the Non-Agression Pact. Operation Barbarossa was the name given to the Operation that caused the Germans to break the Non-Agression Pact. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland in September of 1939. Hitler claimed that the invasion was a defensive action. On September 3rd Britain and France declared war. This started WWII.The Polish armies were defeated in weeks. According to Hitler, Poland would give Germany more living space, or Lebensraum. -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain began July 10. 1940, and continued until October 31. It was the largest aerial boming to that date. The battle consisted of the German air force, the Luftwaffe, and the United Kingdom. Because of Germanys failure to recieve an armistice from Britain the battle is condidered a deafeat. It is a crucial turning point in the war. -
Lend_Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act was a program that made it legal to supply Great Britain, France and other Allied nations ith weapons. It was signed on March 11, a year and a half after the start of WWII. It was also nine months before the U.S. emter the war. 17% of the war time expidentures were shipped to the Allied Powers. The total cost of what the U.S. supplied would equal 656 billion today. -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was on June 22, 1941. It was the code name for the Germans who planned to invade the Soviet Union. This would break the non-agression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany. The operation was named after a medieval Holy Roman Emperor, after Frederick Barbarossa. The invasion was authorized in December by Hitler. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad started on August 23, 1942, and continued to February 2, 1943. Many people argued that the Battle of Stalingrad could be the most stratigical battle of the entire war. It was a major turning point on the Eastern front. The Germans never recovered the will in the East and pulled forces from the West to replace the losses. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bylge started December 16, 1944, and continued until January 25, 1945l. The Battle of the Bulge was a German offensive that was launched on the Western Front in the Ardennes regions forests. The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest and largest battle fought during WWII by the United States. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima started February 19th, 1945 and continued until March 26th. It was also known as Operation Detachment. There were 22,000 Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima. Only 216 were taken prisoner, after being disabled or unconscious. -
V-E Day
V-E Day is know as Victory over Europe Day. This day marks the the formal event that Germany surrendered to the Allied Powers. It was the day that the war ended in Europe. After Germanys defeat milions of celebrated in the streets of European countries. The victory occured on Trumans 61st birthday. He dedicated the day to Roosevelt who had died the previous month on April 12th. -
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact was a treaty with 8 different commmunist states. They were located in Central and Eastern Europe. It was a reacton to West Germany joining NATO.
