WW2

• Adolf Hitler came into power in 1933 and ruled Germany until 1945
• World War II began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
• D-Day took place on June 6, 1944, with Allied troops landing on the beaches of Normandy.
• The Holocaust refers to the systematic persecution and murder of six million Jews during World War II.
• In August 1940, Hitler ordered an invasion of Britain (Operation Sealion).
• On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, leading to America joining the war against Germany.
• Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8, 1945, ending the European phase of the war.
• Germany had been rearming since 1933, but it wasn’t ready for war in 1939.
• Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
• Japanese forces continued fighting until August 14, 1945, when they accepted defeat.
• Hitler wanted Lebensraum - living space - for Germans in Eastern Europe.
• France was invaded by Germany in June 1940.
• The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the most important battles of World War II.
• Hitler's plan was to invade Russia through Poland, which would give him access to oil reserves in the Caucasus Mountains.
• The Battle of Britain took place from July to October 1940.
• Operation Barbarossa began with an invasion of Russia in June 1941.
• The German army suffered heavy losses during the battle, including over 300,000 soldiers killed or captured.
• Stalin ordered his troops not to retreat from Stalingrad, even if it meant certain death.