World War II

Contents:
Reasons……………
Total Marks : 10

Events………………..
Total Pages : only 10

End of War…...........
Issue Date : 27-Jan-‘14

Effects……………..
Submission Date: 1-Mar-‘14
 Q: What was World War
II??
World War 2 was a long bloody
war that lasted for six years from
1939 till 1945. The countries of
the world aligned with either the
axis powers or the allies and
battled in a total war.

Q: What were the reasons of starting World War

II?
There were long and short term causes for world war two there can be a
little doubt that one of the long term causes of the war was the anger felt
in Weimar Germany that was caused by the treaty of Versailles. Officially
beginning was on 1 September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland;
other European countries felt they head to act. The Result was the six long
Years of World war II. The 1st reason was THE NAZI-SOVIT NON-
AGGRESSION PACT. This was pact sign in 1939 by Germany and the Soviet
Union that enable a one front war when Germany started World War II.
Causes of World War Two
The causes of World War Two can be divided into long term causes
and short term causes. There can be little doubt that one of the long
term causes of the war was the anger felt in Weimar Germany that
was caused by the Treaty of Versailles. Another long term cause
was the obvious inability of the League of Nations to deal with major
international issues. In the 1930’s these would have been
in Manchuria and Abyssinia. In both conflicts the League showed
that it was unable to control those powers that worked outside of
accepted international law. In the case of Manchuria it was Japan
and in Abyssinia it was Mussolini’s Italy.
 
With such apparent weakness, Hitler must have known that at the
very least he could push the boundaries and see what he could get
away with. His first major transgression was his defiance of the
Versailles Treaty when he introduced re-armament into Nazi
Germany. The expansion of all three arms of the military was
forbidden by treaty. Hitler, however, ignored these restrictions. The
world’s powers did nothing. The same occurred in 1936 when Nazi
Germany re-occupied the Rhineland. Forbidden by Versailles, Hitler
felt confident enough to ignore it. Europe’s failure to react was also
demonstrated when Austria and the Sudentenland were occupied.
Only when it became obvious that Hitler was determined to expand
east and that what was left of Czechoslovakia and region Poland
were to be his next targets, did the major powers of Europe react.
Hitler’s reference to the Munich Agreement as a “scrap of paper”
made clear his intentions. However, in 1938, very many in the UK
had supported Neville Chamberlain’s attempts at avoiding war
(appeasement) and public opinion was on his side. This only
changed when it became clear that appeasement had failed and the
public rallied to the side of Winston – the man who had insisted that
Chamberlain had taken the wrong course of action.  
World War II Timeline:
World War II (WWII) was a long and bloody war
that lasted for six years. Officially beginning on September 1, 1939 when
Germany invaded Poland, World War II lasted until both the Germans and the
Japanese had surrendered to the Allies in 1945. Find out what happened in this
timeline of World War II.

Starting of World War II:

No one wanted war. Everyone was very
much tired. Yet, when Germany attacked Poland on September 1, 1939,
other European countries felt they had to act. The result was the six long
years of World War II. Learn more about what led to Germany's aggression
and how other countries reacted.

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact:

The pact signed in 1939 by
Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled a one-front war when
Germany started World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt:
President Franklin D. Roosevelt led the United
States during both the Great Depression and World War II. Paralyzed from
the waist down after suffering a bout of polio, Roosevelt overcame his
disability and was elected president of the United States an unprecedented
four times.

Major Battles of World War II

There were numerous battles in World War II. Some of these battles lasted
only days while others took months or years. Some of the battles were
notable for the material losses such as tanks or aircraft carriers while others
were notable for the number of human losses. Although this is not a
comprehensive list of all battes of WWII, it is a list of the major battles of
World War II.
Battle of Britain:
The Battle of Britain was the intense air battle between
the Germans and the British over Great Britain's airspace from July 1940 to
May 1941, with the heaviest fighting from July to October 1940.

D-Day:
June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, was the very first day of the
massive amphibious Normandy Invasion, which brought thousands of
ships, tanks, planes, and troops across the English Channel to create the
western front of World War II.

The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki:

On August 6,
1945, the United States used its massive, atomic weapon against
Hiroshima, Japan. This atomic bomb, the equivalent of 20,000 tons of
TNT, flattened the city, killing tens of thousands of civilians. While Japan
was still trying to comprehend this devastation three days later, the United
States struck again, this time, on Nagasaki.

Navajo Code Talkers:

Most codes during WWII were broken; yet the
Navajo Code Talkers confounded the enemy by talking in a seemingly
unbreakable code.
Posters:
This collection of over 250 posters from World War II shows how
the United States encouraged citizens to support the war through enlisting,
buying bonds, and working hard at home. Some are funny, some are
patriotic, and some seem strange.
The War is Over . . . Please Come Out:
Unaware that World War II
had ended, Lt. Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese army spent 30 years hiding on
the remote Philippine island of Lubang. After years of living in a jungle
surviving on coconuts and bananas, Onoda finally surrendered in 1974.
Women and World War II:
When men went off to war, roles for
women expanded and changed. Learn more about women on the home
front, at new types of jobs, and those that helped the military.
Attack on Pearl Harbor:
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the
Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl
Harbor. After just two hours of bombing, more than 2,400 Americans were
dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged, and more than 188 U.S.
aircraft destroyed. Find out more about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Avalon Project: World War II Documents:
This wonderful site
provides hundreds of historic documents about World War II, including a
collection from the U.S. declaration of war on Japan, Germany, and Italy.
People at War:
This fantastic online exhibition from the U.S. National
Archives & Records Administration provides glimpses of a variety of
individuals and their contributions to the war effort.
Private Art: Letters To and From Home:
An extensive collection of
letters to and from an American soldier overseas - an amazing look at daily
life on the battlefield and at home. The only negative aspect is that the
letters need to be read in a small, pop-up window that makes it difficult to
navigate.
Rutgers Oral History Archive of World War II:
Over 100
complete oral history interviews to record the personal experiences of the
men and women who served on the home front and overseas.
D-Day Pictures:
A large compilation of pictures of D-Day, including
preparation, crossing the English Channel, landing on the beaches at
Normandy, and casualties.

The Bataan Death March

On April 9, 1942, the Battle of Bataan ended with the surrender of 72,000
American and Filipino soldiers to the Japanese. The attempt to transfer
these POWs resulted in the bloody Bataan Death March.
 Treaty of Versailles
In 1919, Lloyd George of England, Orlando of Italy, Clemenceau
of France and
Woodrow Wilson
from the US met
to discuss how
Germany was to
be made to pay
for the damage
world war one
had caused.

Woodrow Wilson
wanted a treaty based
on his 14-point plan
which he believed
would bring peace to
Europe.

Georges Clemenceau wanted revenge. He wanted to be sure that

Germany could never start another war again.

Lloyd George personally agreed with Wilson but knew that the British
public agreed with Clemenceau. He tried to find a compromise
between Wilson and Clemenceau.

 The main terms of the Treaty of Versailles were:

1. War Guilt Clause - Germany should accept the blame for

starting World War One

2. Reparations - Germany had to pay �6,600 million for the

damage caused by the war

3. Disarmament - Germany was only allowed to have a small

army and six naval ships. No tanks, no air force and no
submarines were allowed. The Rhineland area was to be de-
militarized.
 4. Territorial Clauses - Land was taken away from Germany
and given to other countries. Anschluss (union with Austria) was
forbidden.

Hitler's Actions 

Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany

in January 1933. Almost immediately he
began secretly building up Germany's army
and weapons. In 1934 he increased the size
of the army, began building warships and
created a German airforce. Compulsory
military service was also introduced.

Although Britain and France were aware of

Hitler's actions, they were also concerned
about the rise of Communism and believed
that a stronger Germany might help to
prevent the spread of Communism to the West. 

In 1936 Hitler ordered German troops to enter the Rhineland. At

this point the German army was not very strong and could have
been easily defeated. Yet neither France nor Britain was prepared
to start another war. Hitler also made two important alliances
during 1936. The first was called the Rome-Berlin Axis Pact and
allied Hitler's Germany with Mussolini's Italy. The second was
called the Anti-Comitern Pact and allied Germany with Japan.

Hitler's next step was

to begin taking back
the land that had
been taken away
from Germany. In
March 1938, German
troops marched into
Austria. The Austrian
leader was forced to
hold a vote asking
the people whether
they wanted to be part of Germany.
The results of the vote were fixed and showed that 99% of Austrian
people wanted Anschluss (union with Germany). The Austrian
leader asked Britain, France and Italy for aid. Hitler promised that
Anschluss was the end of his expansionist aims and not wanting to
risk war, the other countries did nothing.

 Hitler did not keep his word and six months later demanded that the
Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia be handed over to Germany.

Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Britain, met with Hitler three

times during September 1938 to try to reach an agreement that
would prevent war. The Munich Agreement stated that Hitler could
have the Sudetenland region of
Czechoslovakia provided that he
promised not to invade the rest of
Czechoslovakia.

Hitler was not a man of his word and in

March 1939 invaded the rest of
Czechoslovakia. Despite calls for help
from the Czechoslovak government,
neither Britain nor France was prepared
to take military action against Hitler.
However, some action was now
necessary and believing that Poland
would be Hitler's next target, both Britain
and France promised that they would
take military action against Hitler if he invaded Poland. Chamberlain
believed that, faced with the prospect of war against Britain and
France, Hitler would stop his aggression. Chamberlain was wrong.
German troops invaded Poland on 1st September 1939.

Failure of the League of Nations

In theory the League of Nations was a good idea and did have
some early successes. But ultimately it was a failure.
The main reasons for the failure of the League of Nations can be
summarized into the following points:

1. Not all countries joined the League. 

Although the idea for the League of Nations had come from
Woodrow Wilson, there was a change of government in the
United States before the signing of the treaty and the new
Republican government refused to join. As a punishment for
having started World War One, Germany was not allowed to
join and Russia was also excluded due to a growing fear of
Communism. Other countries decided not to join and some
joined but later left.
 

2. The League had no power. 

The main weapon of the League was to ask member
countries to stop trading with an aggressive country.
However, this did not work because countries could still
trade with non-member countries. When the world was hit
by depression in the late 1920s countries were reluctant to
lose trading partners to other non-member countries. 
 

3. The League had no army. 

Soldiers were to be supplied by member countries.
However, countries were reluctant to get involved and risk
provoking an aggressive country into taking direct action
against them and failed to provide troops. 
 

4. Unable to act quickly. 

The Council of the League of Nations only met four times a
year and decisions had to be agreed by all nations. When
countries called for the League to intervene, the League had
to set up an emergency meeting, hold discussions and gain
the agreement of all members. This process meant that the
League could not act quickly to stop an act of aggression.
PHOTO GALLERY