what happened on 12 may 1940 ww2?
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May 12, 1940 (Sunday) The Battle of Sedan began. In this key battle the Germans attempted to capture the important strategic point of Sedan, which would enable them to cross the Meuse and advance into the undefended French countryside. The Battle of the Afsluitdijk began in the Netherlands.
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Invasion and Partition of Poland On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. To justify the action, Nazi propagandists falsely claimed that Poland had been planning, with its allies Great Britain and France, to encircle and dismember Germany and that Poles were persecuting ethnic Germans.
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Battle of Britain, during World War II, the successful defense of Great Britain against unremitting and destructive air raids conducted by the German air force (Luftwaffe) from July through September 1940, after the fall of France.
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The war erupted on September 1, 1939, and it did not end until September 2, 1945. With over thirty countries involved in the war, World War II absolutely reached the point of being the largest, deadliest, and most destructive nationwide war to date.
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May 27, 1940: 'Dunkirk Spirit' thwarts Hitler's invasion as little ships come to troops' rescue. A flotilla of 900 ships spent 10 days ferrying British, French and Belgian soldiers away from German aggressors in Operation Dynamo - the 'miracle' that altered the course of World War II.
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['Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia.', "The Blitz continues against Britain's major cities.", 'Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and resist German attacks.', 'Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the US enters the war.']
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World War 2 ended with the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers. On 8 May 1945, the Allies accepted Germany's surrender, about a week after Adolf Hitler had committed suicide. VE Day – Victory in Europe celebrates the end of the Second World War on 8 May 1945.
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May 8th 1945 was the date the Allies celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Reich, formally recognising the end of the Second World War in Europe. This became known as VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
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The Blitz on London from September 1940 to May 1941 and the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket attacks in 1944 caused a massive amount of damage. It is estimated that more than 12,000 metric tons of bombs were dropped on London and nearly 30,000 civilians were killed by enemy action.
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["1 April – The steelworkers' strike is called off.", '2 April – 1980 St Pauls riot in Bristol.', '4 April – Alton Towers Resort is opened by Madame Tussauds in Staffordshire.', '10 April – The UK reaches agreement with Spain to re-open its border with Gibraltar.', '18 April – Zimbabwe becomes independent of the United Kingdom.']
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The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque) was fought in Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France, during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany.
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Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe.
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['2010 A massive earthquake strikes Chile. ... ', '2002 A Muslim mob set fire to a train carrying Hindu pilgrims. ... ', '1943 Non-violent protests in Berlin prevent the deportation of 2000 jews. ... ', "1933 Germany's parliament building is set on fire. ... ", '1932 The neutron is discovered. ... ', '1994 Hou Yifan. ... ', '1934 Ralph Nader. ... ', '1932 Elizabeth Taylor.']
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The May Day bank holiday was moved to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe). Originally planned for Monday, May 4 the bank holiday was moved to Friday, May 8 to allow Victory in Europe (after World War II) celebrations to take place.
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World War II (1939-1945) World War II (1939-1945) was the largest armed conflict in human history. ... Although the war began with Nazi Germany's attack on Poland in September 1939, the United States did not enter the war until after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.
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The war in Europe concluded with an invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops, the suicide of Adolf Hitler and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945.
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Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945. It was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (after midnight, thus on 9 May Moscow Time).