World‌‌War‌‌II‌ ‌

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❖ The‌‌Coming‌‌of‌‌World‌‌War‌‌II‌ ‌
➢ Determined‌‌to‌‌achieve‌‌his‌‌territorial‌‌goals‌‌and‌‌willing‌‌to‌‌go‌‌to‌‌
war‌‌if‌‌necessary‌‌to‌‌do‌‌so,‌A
‌ dolph‌‌Hitler,‌‌in‌‌1936‌‌allied‌‌with‌‌
Italy‌‌and‌‌Japan.‌‌‌He‌‌sent‌‌German‌‌troops‌‌into‌‌Austria‌‌in‌‌1938‌‌
and‌‌then‌‌Czechoslovakia‌‌a‌‌year‌‌later,‌‌believing‌‌that‌‌Great‌‌
Britain‌‌and‌‌France‌‌would‌‌not‌‌resist,‌‌but‌‌prepared‌‌to‌‌go‌‌to‌‌war‌‌if‌‌
they‌‌did‌‌so.‌‌Finally,‌G
‌ ermany‌‌and‌‌the‌‌Soviet‌‌Union‌‌
astonished‌‌the‌‌world‌‌in‌‌August‌‌1939‌‌by‌‌signing‌‌a‌‌mutual‌‌
nonaggression‌‌pact.‌‌This‌‌cleared‌‌the‌‌way‌‌for‌‌Hitler‌‌to‌‌
launch‌‌a‌‌murderous‌‌attack‌‌on‌‌Poland.‌ ‌
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❖ The‌‌Axis‌ ‌
➢ Benito‌‌Mussolini‌‌had‌‌already‌‌signed‌‌a‌‌pact‌‌with‌‌Hitler‌‌in‌‌
October‌‌1936,‌‌forming‌‌what‌‌the‌‌Italian‌‌dictator‌‌called‌‌an‌‌“Axis.”‌‌
Germany‌‌found‌‌another‌‌authoritarian‌‌partner‌‌in‌‌Japan.‌‌Fearing‌‌
that‌‌the‌‌Soviet‌‌Union‌‌might‌‌try‌‌to‌‌hinder‌‌its‌‌military‌‌expansion,‌‌
Japan‌‌late‌‌in‌‌1936‌‌signed‌‌a‌‌formal‌‌friendship‌‌treaty‌‌with‌‌
Germany,‌‌‌the‌‌“Anti-Comintern‌‌Pact”‌‌(anti—Communist‌‌
International),‌‌‌hoping‌‌also‌‌to‌‌discourage‌‌possible‌‌British‌‌and‌‌
American‌‌intervention‌‌in‌‌Asia.‌ ‌
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❖ German‌‌Aggression‌‌and‌‌British‌‌and‌‌French‌‌
Appeasement‌ ‌
➢ Appeasement‌‌did‌‌not‌‌mean‌‌peace‌‌at‌‌any‌‌price,‌‌but‌‌rather‌‌the‌‌
belief‌‌that‌‌‌if‌‌Germany‌‌could‌‌be‌‌appeased‌‌on‌‌one‌‌or‌‌two‌‌
demands,‌‌then‌‌Hitler‌‌would‌‌be‌‌satisfied,‌‌or‌‌so‌‌the‌‌
reasoning‌‌went,‌‌and‌‌Europe‌‌would‌‌be‌‌safe‌‌from‌‌war.‌‌‌It‌‌was‌‌
pure‌‌delusion.‌ ‌
➢ The‌‌British‌‌prime‌‌minister,‌‌Neville‌‌Chamberlain,‌‌feared‌‌that‌‌if‌‌
Britain‌‌went‌‌to‌‌war‌‌against‌‌Germany,‌‌Hitler’s‌‌allies‌‌Italy‌‌and‌‌
Japan‌‌would‌‌strike‌‌British‌‌imperial‌‌interests‌‌in‌‌the‌‌Middle‌‌and‌‌
 the‌‌Far‌‌East—for‌‌example,‌‌in‌‌Egypt‌‌and‌‌Burma.‌‌Furthermore,‌‌
he‌‌viewed‌‌German‌‌ambitions‌‌toward‌‌the‌‌German-speaking‌‌
parts‌‌of‌‌Austria‌‌and‌‌Czechoslovakia,‌‌as‌‌well‌‌as‌‌toward‌‌the‌‌
Polish‌‌Corridor,‌‌as‌‌in‌‌keeping‌‌with‌‌the‌‌principle‌‌of‌‌nationalism.‌‌
He‌‌believed‌‌that‌‌Germany‌‌had‌‌been‌‌treated‌‌too‌‌harshly‌‌by‌‌
the‌‌Treaty‌‌of‌‌Versailles.‌ ‌
➢ In‌‌France,‌‌popular‌‌opinion‌‌did‌‌not‌‌want‌‌another‌‌war,‌‌and‌‌the‌‌
military‌‌expressed‌‌apprehension‌‌about‌‌taking‌‌on‌‌the‌‌
refurbished‌‌and‌‌expanded‌‌German‌‌armed‌‌forces.‌ ‌
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❖ The‌‌Unholy‌‌Alliance‌ ‌
➢ In‌‌one‌‌of‌‌the‌‌most‌‌astonishing‌‌diplomatic‌‌turnarounds‌‌in‌‌history,‌‌
Hitler‌‌announced‌‌on‌‌August‌‌23,‌‌1939,‌‌that‌‌Germany‌‌had‌‌
signed‌‌the‌‌Molotov‌‌Ribbentrop‌‌Nonaggression‌‌Pact‌‌with‌‌
the‌‌Soviet‌‌Union,‌‌‌which‌‌was‌‌named‌‌for‌‌the‌‌two‌‌foreign‌‌
ministers‌‌who‌‌negotiated‌‌it.‌ ‌
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❖ Causes‌‌of‌‌Second‌‌World‌‌War(1939-1945)‌ ‌
➢ H
‌ umiliation‌‌by‌‌the‌‌Treaty‌‌of‌‌Versailles‌‌War‌‌indemnity:‌ ‌
■ The‌‌provision‌‌for‌‌disarming‌‌Germany.‌ ‌
■ Saar‌‌coal‌‌mine‌‌to‌‌France‌‌for‌‌15‌‌years.‌ ‌
■ Polish‌‌corridor‌‌was‌‌given‌‌to‌‌Poland.‌ ‌
■ The‌‌city‌‌of‌‌Danzig‌‌was‌‌made‌‌free.‌ ‌
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➢ Growth‌‌of‌‌Fascism‌‌and‌‌Nazism‌ ‌
■ Mussolini‌‌(Italy)‌‌and‌‌Hitler‌‌(Germany)‌‌strongly‌‌glorified‌‌
war‌‌and‌‌violence.‌‌While‌‌the‌‌West‌‌was‌‌fighting‌‌
communism,‌‌Germany‌‌and‌‌Italy‌‌started‌‌massive‌‌
militarization.‌ ‌
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➢ ‌Rise‌‌of‌‌Japan‌‌Imperialism.‌ ‌
■ Rome-Berlin-Tokyo‌‌axis‌‌(1936).‌ ‌
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 ➢ Military‌‌Alliance‌ ‌
■ Allies‌‌‌–‌‌Britain,‌‌France,‌‌USA,‌‌USSR,‌‌and‌‌China‌‌ ‌
vs‌‌ ‌
■ Axis‌‌Powers‌– ‌ ‌‌Germany,‌‌Italy,‌‌and‌‌Japan‌ ‌
■ Leaders‌‌–‌‌Churchill‌‌(Britain),‌‌Roosevelt‌‌(USA),‌‌Stalin‌‌
(USSR)‌ ‌
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❖ Immediate‌‌Cause‌‌ ‌
➢ Germany’s‌‌invasion‌‌of‌‌Poland‌‌(1st‌‌September‌‌1939)‌ ‌
■ Germany‌‌annexed‌‌the‌‌Polished‌‌corridor‌‌and‌‌Danzig‌‌city.‌‌
The‌‌sudden‌‌attack‌‌on‌‌Poland‌‌is‌‌known‌‌as‌‌Blitzkrieg‌‌
(lightning‌‌war).‌‌Britain‌‌and‌‌France‌‌declared‌‌war‌‌on‌‌
Germany.‌ ‌
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❖ The‌‌course‌‌of‌‌the‌‌War‌ ‌
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● World‌‌War‌‌II‌‌officially‌‌began‌‌on‌‌September‌‌1,‌‌1939.‌ ‌
● Germany‌‌conquered‌‌–‌‌Poland,‌‌Norway,‌‌Denmark,‌‌Belgium,‌‌Holland,‌‌
and‌‌France.‌ ‌
● Battle‌‌of‌‌Britain‌‌–‌‌Germany‌‌vs‌‌Britain‌‌(air‌‌battle;‌‌German‌‌Air‌‌force‌‌
=Luftwaffe).‌ ‌
● Battle‌‌of‌‌Stalingrad‌‌–‌‌Germany‌‌vs‌‌USSR.‌‌(Operation‌‌of‌‌Barbarossa‌‌
(1941‌‌=‌‌Attack‌‌on‌‌Yugoslavia‌‌and‌‌Greece;‌‌Russia‌‌countered‌‌attack‌‌
on‌‌Moscow‌‌with‌‌Scorched‌‌Earth‌‌Policy).‌ ‌
● Atlantic‌‌Charter‌‌(August‌‌1941)‌‌–‌‌Between‌‌Churchill‌‌(UK)‌‌and‌‌
Roosevelt‌‌(USA).‌ ‌
● Pearl‌‌Harbor‌‌Attack‌‌(7th‌‌December‌‌1941)‌‌–‌‌Japan‌‌on‌‌the‌‌USA.‌ ‌
● Italy‌‌vs‌‌the‌‌UK‌‌in‌‌Africa‌‌(1942)‌‌–‌‌Ethiopia,‌‌Kenya,‌‌Sudan,‌‌British‌‌
Somaliland,‌‌Eritrea.‌ ‌
● France‌‌was‌‌conquered‌‌by‌‌Germany‌‌in‌‌1940,‌‌but‌‌British‌‌and‌‌
American‌‌troops‌‌liberated‌‌France‌‌in‌‌1944.‌ ‌
● Atom‌‌bomb‌‌–‌‌Hiroshima‌‌and‌‌Nagasaki.‌ ‌
 ❖ Consequences‌‌of‌‌Second‌‌World‌‌War‌ ‌
● End‌‌of‌‌colonialism‌‌and‌‌imperialism.‌ ‌
● End‌‌of‌‌dictatorship‌‌in‌‌Germany‌‌and‌‌Italy.‌ ‌
● Germany‌‌was‌‌divided‌‌into‌‌West‌‌Germany‌‌and‌‌East‌‌Germany.‌‌West‌‌
Germany‌‌was‌‌controlled‌‌by‌‌Britain,‌‌France‌‌and‌‌USA.‌‌East‌‌Germany‌‌
by‌‌USSR.‌‌(Read‌‌more‌‌about‌‌the‌‌re-union‌‌of‌‌Germany‌‌in‌‌1989‌‌when‌‌
you‌‌check‌‌our‌‌post‌‌about‌‌the‌‌fall‌‌of‌‌the‌‌Berlin‌‌wall).‌ ‌
● Strengthening‌‌of‌‌nationalist‌‌movements‌‌in‌‌Africa‌‌and‌‌Asia.‌‌(From‌‌
Britain‌‌–‌‌India,‌‌Myanmar,‌‌Egypt,‌‌Sri‌‌Lanka;‌‌From‌‌America‌‌–‌‌
Philippines;‌‌From‌‌France‌‌–‌‌Indo-China;‌‌From‌‌Dutch‌‌–‌‌Indonesia)‌ ‌
● 5‌‌crore‌‌deaths‌‌(2.2‌‌crore‌‌soldiers‌‌and‌‌2.8‌‌crore‌‌civilians)‌ ‌
● Economics‌‌problems‌‌–‌‌Unemployment,‌‌low‌‌growth‌‌etc.‌ ‌
● Emergence‌‌of‌‌two‌‌power‌‌blocks‌‌–‌‌USA‌‌and‌‌USSR.‌‌This‌‌resulted‌‌in‌‌
cold‌‌war.‌ ‌
● ‌Emergence‌‌of‌‌third‌‌world‌‌Countries.‌ ‌
● UNO‌‌was‌‌set‌‌up‌‌in‌‌1945.‌ ‌
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