WORLD WAR II (1939-1945)

1.INTRODUCTION:
World War II is also called the “War of Surprises” because new technologies were emerging at that time. It
was a huge war that happened all over the world from 1939 to 1945. The main groups fighting were the
Axis (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France, Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet
Union). It was like a big sequel to World War I because it dealt with a lot of the same issues. Sadly, between
40 to 50 million people died, making it the deadliest and biggest war ever. It was the last phase of the
interwar period.

2. BACKGROUND: (1931-1939)

 Second Italo-Ethiopian War (Second Italo-Abyssinian War) 1935 to 1936: Italy attacked Ethiopia
in 1935 without warning. They used modern weapons like heavy artillery and bombs, while Ethiopians had
few resources to fight back. The Italians won, forcing Emperor Haile Selassie into exile. Italy declared
Ethiopia its territory and used brutal tactics, including mustard gas against civilians, where 350,000 people
died. The war showed the weakness of the League of Nations before World War II.
 Italy did that under the rule of Mussolini, a merciless, arrogant, superficial leader, with having
unforgivable nature. He had the “Blood and Iron Policy,” meaning the killing of children and
women mercilessly. He also attacked Libya and killed Libyan people mercilessly.
 He was doing that just to colonize the regions and only wanted Italians to be in power.

Spanish Civil War 1936 to 1939:

 The Spanish Civil War happened from 1936 to 1939 between two sides: The Republicans and the
Nationalists.
 The Republicans were left-leaning and supported the government, while the Nationalists, led by
Franco, were conservative.
 The war was fought for control of Spain and involved international support, with the Nationalists
getting help from Italy and Germany, and the Republicans receiving aid from the Soviet Union.
 The Nationalists won, and Franco ruled Spain until he died in 1975.
 The war was marked by intense violence and political divisions, with atrocities committed by both
sides.

These wars highlighted the failure of the League of Nations, leading to the beginning of WW II.

3. MAJOR BLOCS
a. Allied powers:
United States of America, UK, France, Soviet Union (central position in post second world war
world)

b. Axis powers:
Germany, Japan, Italy.

4. CAUSES:

 Marginalization of Germany after WWI: After World War I, Europe was in a mess. Germany,
one of the main losers, felt mistreated by the harsh rules of the Versailles Treaty. This made people
angry and helped Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party gain power. These unresolved issues from World
War I contributed to the start of World War II.
  Rapid Militarization: In 1939, when World War II began, the Allies (like Great Britain, France,
and Poland) had more people and resources than Germany. However, the German army called the
Wehrmacht, was good at fighting. They had better weapons, training, and discipline. As the war
went on, both sides made a lot of airplanes to use in battles. This shows how quickly countries were
building up their military strength during the war.

 The Rise of Nazi: Once Hitler took control of Germany in 1933, he quickly made himself the
ultimate leader. He was obsessed with the idea that Germans were the best race and needed more
space to live. To achieve this, he believed war was necessary. So, he started secretly building up
Germany's military, breaking the rules of the Versailles Treaty.

 Failure of League of Nations: After World War I, the League of Nations was created to prevent
future wars and settle disputes between countries. But it mainly focused on helping smaller
countries, while the big powers did what they wanted. This made the League look weak. It tried for
20 years, but in 1939, the world went to war again, and by then, the League had completely fallen
apart.

 The Rise of Fascism: Fascism, led by Mussolini in Italy, played a big part in causing World War
II. Mussolini was aggressive and cruel, attacking other countries like Ethiopia and Libya. His
actions showed how dangerous and aggressive fascism could be, contributing to the start of the
war.

5. WORLD WAR II IN THE WEST (1940-41):

In 1940, Germany quickly took over Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands using fast attacks
(blitzkrieg tactics). They broke through France's defenses, leading to France's surrender. Italy joined the
war on Germany's side, and German forces captured Paris. Meanwhile, Germany bombed Britain, but the
British Air Force stopped them.

Facing the threat of invasion, Britain fought back, including the famous Blitz with heavy bombing raids on
cities like London. Despite this, Britain managed to defeat Germany's Air Force in the Battle of Britain.
Winston Churchill, Britain's leader, got help from the United States to keep fighting.

6. OPERATION BARBAROSSA (1941-42):

In 1941, Germany's allies joined the Axis powers, and German troops took over Yugoslavia and Greece.
Hitler's ultimate goal was to invade the Soviet Union, believing it would provide land for the German
people. At the same time, he started plans for the "Final Solution," which aimed to exterminate Jews in
German-occupied areas. Over the next three years, millions of Jews died in death camps set up in Poland.

Russia, concerned for its protection, signed a peace agreement with Hitler to not attack Russia but on June
22, 1941, Hitler told his troops to invade the Soviet Union, calling it Operation Barbarossa. Even though
the Soviets had more tanks and planes, their technology wasn't as good, and they were caught off guard by
the attack. By mid-July, the Germans had pushed almost 200 miles towards Moscow. But Hitler and his
commanders argued about what to do next, so the Germans didn't advance again until October. However,
they were stopped by a Soviet counterattack and bad winter weather.
7. WORLD WAR II IN THE PACIFIC (1941-43):

China vs Japan: Japan held a religious belief called "KODO," thinking Japan would someday rule
much of the world. Because of this, they attacked other countries, like China's resource-rich region,
Manchuria. They also planned to attack places like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In war, Japan
used both diplomacy and force.

Because of Japan's actions, the US placed sanctions on them. China, aided by the US, fought against Japan
using guerrilla tactics. These attacks led to internal changes in Japan, with hardliners taking over from
moderates.

End of Pacific War:

During World War II in the Pacific, the United States was the main force against Japan. Japan had been
expanding its war efforts in China and taking control of European colonies in Asia. Then, on December 7,
1941, Japan surprised the U.S. by attacking Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing thousands of American troops.
This attack united Americans to join the war, and soon after, the U.S. declared war on Japan.

Germany and its allies also declared war on the U.S. After some initial losses, the U.S. won a crucial battle
at Midway in June 1942 and gained ground in the Solomon Islands. The Allies then started a series of
successful attacks on Japanese-held islands, gradually getting closer to invading Japan itself.

8. TOWARD ALLIED VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II (1943-45):

By 1943, the Allies were winning World War II. They beat the Italians and Germans in North Africa and
took over Sicily and Italy. Mussolini's government fell. The Soviets also defeated the Germans in Stalingrad.

Then, on June 6, 1944, called D-Day, the Allies invaded Europe. They landed thousands of soldiers in
France. Hitler focused on fighting the Allies in the West, while the Soviets moved into Eastern Europe.
Despite Germany's last try in the Battle of the Bulge, the Allies kept going forward. In 1945, they bombed
Germany a lot and then invaded. Germany gave up in May, and Hitler committed suicide.

9. WORLD WAR II ENDS (1945):

In July-August 1945, leaders from the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union met at the Potsdam
Conference to talk about ending World War II. They discussed what to do with Japan and how to settle
things with Germany after the war. They agreed to split Germany into four parts, each controlled by the
Soviet Union, Britain, the United States, and France.

10. RESULTS & LEGACY:

 The rise of the USA and Soviet Union as the major superpowers.
 Decline of the colonial empires (Decolonization).
 Devolution of the League of Nations.
 Formulation of United Nations.
 The beginning of the Cold War.