The Second World War Notes
The Second World War
The Second World War occurred twenty years and nine months after the end of the First World War.
It was a global military conflict involving the majority of the world's nations.
The major powers were organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis.
Over 100 million military personnel were mobilized, making it the most widespread war in history.
Major participants engaged in "total war," dedicating their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities to the war effort, blurring the lines between civilian and military resources.
Over 70 million people died, the majority of whom were civilians, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.
The war is generally considered to have started on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by the United Kingdom, France, and the British Dominions.
Date: September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945.
Immediate Cause: Invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, by Hitler.
Location: Europe, Pacific, South-East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean, and Africa.
Major Powers:
Allies: (i) Britain, (ii) USSR, (iii) USA
Axis: (i) Germany, (ii) Italy, (iii) Japan
Result: Victory of Allies
Aftermath: Formation of the United Nations on October 24, 1945.
Long Term Causes of the Second World War
Unjust and Humiliating Treaty of Versailles:
The victors of the First World War (Britain, France, and U.S.A.) forced Germany to sign the unjust and humiliating Treaty of Peace.
It imposed heavy war penalties on Germany.
Germany had to surrender large portions of its territories like Saar, Rhineland, Ruhr area, etc., and some parts of its foreign colonies.
The Treaty prohibited Germany from rearming herself.
Germany's army was disbanded beyond a limit of one lakh soldiers (100,000 soldiers).
The Germans perceived the treaty as humiliating, and the huge reparations prevented Germany's economic recovery.
France's attitude towards Germany was revengeful, seen in actions like taking the Saar valley and the Ruhr zone in 1923 A.D.
The Germans viewed the Weimar Republic (which accepted the treaty) as a symbol of national disgrace.
These conditions facilitated the rise of the Nazis (Hitler) to power.
Rise of Fascism and Nazism:
The rise of Fascism in Italy under Mussolini and Nazism in Germany under Hitler was a major factor contributing to the Second World War.
Both leaders were against democracy and followed aggressive nationalism and imperialistic policies.
Both believed in the principle of expansion.
In 1936, Italy attacked and acquired territories of Ethiopia.
Hitler attacked Austria, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Norway, etc.
In 1937, Italy, Japan, and Germany formed the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis.
Japanese invasion of China:
Japan attacked China in 1931 and annexed Manchuria.
China appealed to the League of Nations to declare sanctions against Japan, but the members of the League of Nations followed a policy of appeasement.
In 1933, Japan left the League of Nations and started occupying British and American properties in China.
The Japanese were determined to dominate the Far East, ignoring America's warnings.
Japan joined the 'Rome-Berlin-Tokyo' Axis.
Western nations imposed economic sanctions (most importantly oil) against Japan, transforming the nature of the war.
Japan's attack on America at Pearl Harbor was a response to these sanctions, initiating World War II in the Far East.
Failure of the League of Nations:
The League of Nations was established to maintain peace but failed to check the rise of dictatorships in Italy and Germany.
When weaker nations appealed, the League could only apply economic sanctions against the aggressors.
It failed to contain Italy's aggression in Ethiopia, Japan's invasion of China and Manchuria, and Germany's occupation of Austria and attack on Poland.
The League of Nations lacked its own armed force and depended on the great powers to enforce its resolutions.
The U.S.A. did not become a member because the U.S. Senate did not ratify the Covenant of the League of Nations.
Germany was also not allowed to join the League.
The Policy of Appeasement:
England and France followed a policy of appeasement towards Germany to divert German aggression against the Soviet Union.
They believed that removing genuine grievances of Germany and Italy would satisfy them and prevent them from destroying world peace.
They did not enforce the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Heads of nations - Germany, Italy, Britain, and France - met at Munich on September 29, 1938, and decided to hand over Sudetenland to Germany.
The Czechs were persuaded to accept the Munich Pact in the name of world peace, appeasing Hitler at the cost of Czechoslovakia.
Hitler's troops occupied Sudetenland on October 5, 1938, and later the whole of Czechoslovakia became a German satellite.
The Anglo-French policy of appeasement emboldened Germany, Italy, and Japan, leading to another destructive war.
The Immediate Cause
Hitler's Invasion of Poland
The immediate cause of the Second World War was the German aggression on Poland on September 1, 1939.
In August 1939, Germany signed a Non-aggression Pact with Russia.
Hitler accused Poland of committing atrocities against Germans living there.
On September 1, 1939, German troops invaded Poland.
England asked Germany to vacate Poland, but Hitler refused.
On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war against Germany, marking the beginning of the Second World War.
Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey remained neutral.
Why Hitler Invaded Poland?
Danzig Corridor was the main cause of tension between Germany and Poland.
Danzig was part of Germany until the Versailles Treaty gave it to Poland.
Danzig Corridor was given to Poland to provide Poland's access to the sea.
Hitler demanded the Danzig Corridor from Poland because:
It was a part of Germany before the Treaty of Versailles.
It had cut off East Prussia from the rest of Germany.
Germans living in East Prussia were allegedly being mistreated by the Polish Jews.
The corridor created obstacles for German traders.
Main Events of the World War II
Attack on Pearl Harbor and bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
In the initial stages, the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) achieved success against the Allied Powers (Britain, France, and about 80 other nations).
Hitler adopted 'Blitzkrieg,' meaning lighting attack.
German troops captured Denmark, Norway, Luxemburg, Holland, Belgium, and France, and large territory in North Africa in April-May 1940.
In July 1940, during the Battle of Britain, German fighters bombarded British ports, factories, and population centers, including London.
By 1941 A.D., Hitler had overrun Eastern Europe and reached the suburbs of Moscow.
In 1942, Hitler targeted Stalingrad, an industrial city, but had to surrender due to cold temperatures and lack of supplies.
After Japan's attack on the US Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the USA entered the War.
The British Air Force, with the help of the U.S.A., caused damage to Japanese and German air-power.
By 1945 A.D., the Allies were pushing back the Axis Powers on almost all fronts after checking their advances in 1942 A.D.
On August 6, 1945, America dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima, and on August 9, 1945, another atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
Japan surrendered soon thereafter, ending the Second World War.
Consequences of the Second World War
The war exposed the moral degradation of man, with both victors and vanquished engaging in barbaric acts.
The Defeat of the Axis Powers:
The Axis Powers - Germany, Italy, and Japan - were defeated at the end of World War II.
Germany:
The Battle for Berlin began in April 1945.
The Germans were caught between the British and Americans on one side and the Russians on the other.
Hitler committed suicide in an underground bomb shelter.
On May 7, 1945, the German armies surrendered.
Germany was divided into two parts: East and West Germany.
Germany's army was reduced, war material was taken away, and Germany had to pay heavy war indemnity and surrender her colonies abroad.
War criminals were tried and punished, and Nazism came to an end.
Japan:
Japan conquered Thailand, Malaya, Burma, and Philippines.
Despite warnings, Japan refused to surrender.
To demonstrate its power, America dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and another on Nagasaki on August 9, resulting in massive casualties.
Japan surrendered on August 15.
All territories acquired or seized by Japan since 1895 were taken away.
The American General Mac-Arthur was given complete control over Japan until 1952.
The first atomic bomb was known as Little Boy, causing an explosion equal to about 22,000 tons (21,000 tonnes) of high explosives.
The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki sent mushroom-shaped clouds towering 5 miles (8 km) into the sky.
Thousands of people were killed outright by the bombs, and many thousands more suffered from burns and radiation sickness.
Italy:
Italy was also defeated.
The Allies took over Sicily in July 1943 and then marched to Rome.
Mussolini was dismissed, and a new government under Badoglio surrendered to the Allies.
Mussolini and his mistress were shot dead by the Italians on April 28, 1945, when they tried to flee.
In June 1944, the Allied Forces under General Eisenhower landed in Normandy and liberated France.
The German army in Paris surrendered on August 25, 1944.
Formation of the United Nations Organization (UNO):
To save future generations from war, the United Nations Organization (U.N.O.) was established on October 24, 1945, with its headquarters in New York (U.S.A.).
The Cold War:
The end of the Second World War led to the rise of two major power centers: the USA and Russia.
The term 'Cold War' was first used by Bernard Baruch.
The Cold War was characterized by intense economic, political, military, and ideological rivalry between nations, short of military conflict.
It was neither a condition of war nor a condition of peace but a "state of uneasy peace".
The two superpowers aimed to expand their spheres of influence.
The Cold War led to an arms race and the formation of military alliances, such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) under US leadership and the Warsaw Pact signed by the representatives of Russia and other Communist countries.
The world was divided between the Anglo-American Bloc or capitalist nations led by the U.S.A. and the communist nations led by the Soviet Union.
The Cold War caused crises such as the Berlin Blockade (1948-1949), the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), and military intervention in Czechoslovakia.
Michael Gorbachev introduced reforms in Russia.
His policies of political liberalization helped relieve the tensions of the Cold War.
The Warsaw Pact was dissolved in July 1991, and the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991.