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Benito Mussolini - Italy; Adolf Hitler - Germany, Emperor Hirohito- Japan, Joseph Stalin - Soviet Union (USSR)

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Germany (1939), Italy (1940), and Japan (1940) - also, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania

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France (1939), Great Britain (1939), Soviet Union (Russia) (1941) and United States (1941)

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This was the longest continuous military campaign in WW2. It was between the German submarine force and surface units against the Royal Navy, U.S Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy, U.S. Navy, and allied merchant convoys. The allied forces pulled out the victory but lost many troops. 3,500 Allied merchant ships and 175 Allied warships were sunk and 72,000 Allied men lost their lives, this included naval and merchant seamen. Germany lost 783 U-boats and about ¾ of their 40,000 submarine force.(About 30,000 sailors died).

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Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Nazi Soviet Pact.

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The pact stated that Germany and the Soviet Union would not attack each other and that secretly the countries between them would be divided up. Germany claimed part of Lithuania and Western Poland. Soviet Union claimed the Baltic States, Eastern Poland, and part of Finland.

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German forces broke through Polish defenses and advanced to Warsaw. Warsaw was the Polish capital. Within a month of the attack, which consisted of heavy shelling and bombing, Warsaw surrendered. Hundreds of thousands of refugees fled, with hopes that their army could stop the German forces. Both jewish and non-jewish people fled. The Soviet Union was quick to annex most of eastern Poland.

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Breat Britain and France declare war on Germany

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Responding to Hitler's invasion of Poland, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. They thought that Hitler was a dangerous Fascist who would take control over Europe.

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Italy joins the war and, on June 27, invades Southern France

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The Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini declared war on Great Britain and France. The invasion of Southern France was also known as the Battle of the Alps. This was Italy's first major engagement in the war. Italy had launched a general offensive along the Alpine front and they were able to penetrate a few kilometers into France. Italy was able to capture a small town in France called Menton.

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The Battle of Britain was a huge air campaign that took place mostly in Southern England. It was between Britain's Royal Airforce and Nazi Germany's Airforce, Luftwaffe. This was the first battle in history that was only fought in the sky. Britain was victorious thanks to their strategic defense mechanisms. This was one of the greatest and significant victories of WWII.

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Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact

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The Tripartite Pact was signed in Berlin by Germany, Italy, and Japan. It was a document that formed the Axis powers and ensured that each country would have to support each other if anybody had suffered from an attack. Each country recognized the other's abilities and skills that they brought to the table. Germany and Italy had control of Europe while Japan had control of East Asia. Their aim was to pressure America to come out of their neutral state and hopefully join them/reconsider joining their enemy's side.

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The Japanese launch a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

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A naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii called Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7 early in the morning. Japanese forces performed a surprise attack with hundreds of Japanese fighter planes. They destroyed/damaged 20 American naval vessels, over 300 planes, and 8 battleships. 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,000 were wounded because of the attack(this includes civilians).

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The United States declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy soon declare war on the United States

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After the Pearl Harbor attack, America officially declared war against Japan.

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The Japanese gain control over the Philippines, French Indochina, and Singapore

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Shortly after their attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan had launched an attack on the Philippines by sending ground troops both north and south of Manila

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The Bataan Death March begins as the Imperial Japanese Army forces Filipino and American prisoners of war to march 60 tortured-filled miles.

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The Japanese military forced 76,000 prisoners of war, 10,000 Americans and 66,000 Filipinos, to endure 66 miles of walking.

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The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first time since the Japanese on Pearl Harbor that someone had relentlessly advanced into the Pacific, and the first major U.S. Navy fleet action against Japan.

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The battle of Midway was between the U.S. Navy and the imperial Japanese Navy that had been acted out six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor

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Conflicts seized after Italy surrendered to the U.S. Italy made a pledge to keep German forces off of Italian soil.

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U.S. forces stormed the beach of Normandy in what is known as one of the bloodiest battles in history.

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The American, Soviet, and British leaders met to discuss postwar affairs. It was decided that Germany would be divided into four post-war occupation zones.

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Small coastal island near Japan, invaded by Navy and Marine military forces. One of the bloodiest battles of the war.

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Largest of a chain of islands southwest of Japan. Nearly 3 months long and sustained lots of casualties on both sides.

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FDR died, Harry Truman becomes President

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When Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed, his vice president, Harry Truman took his place to become the new President of the United States, as well as the new War General.

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As Soviet Forces were nearing Hitler's bunker, he committed suicide. He committed suicide in his bunker with his wife, Eva, by swallowing a cyanide pill and shooting himself in the head.

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This was known as Victory over Europe Day. German military forces surrendered to the U.S., leaving only one Axis power in the war, Japan.

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The Potsdam Conference was held in Potsdam, Germany.. The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which were represented respectively by Premier Joseph Stalin, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and President Harry S. Truman. The Potsdam Conference resulted in divisions of Germany through reparations of each allied side's occupation zones, and divisions of European countries between the US and the USSR.

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The first atomic bomb, named "Little Boy", dropped on Hiroshima, Japan from a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay at 8:15 A.M.

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The second atomic bomb, named "Fat Man", was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan at 11:02 A.M. by a B-29 bomber named Bockscar.

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This day was known as Victory over Japan Day. Japanese forces unconditionally surrendered to the U.S. ending WWII.