The Second World War is considered one of the most devastating wars in our history and took place less than 100 years ago. So it’s not even that far back – maybe you even know contemporary witnesses yourself? But how did it come about that just a few years after the First World War, a second one broke out and who was involved?
Second World War – Period
The basics first: From when to when did the Second World War actually last?
Of the beginning will on the September 1, 1939 dated when the German Empire attack on Poland started. In Europe will that End of the Second World War mostly at the beginning of the year [1945seen it here with the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht on May 8, 1945 occurred. in the Pacific However, the war lasted a few more months until Japan on September 2, 1945 finally also revealed and the Second World War was officially ended.
Second World War – history
In order to understand World War II, it is important to know what National Socialism and Hitler’s dictatorship were all about. In this section you will therefore get a brief overview of how the Nazi regime was set up and what ideology it pursued.
Germany before National Socialism
After the world at the beginning of 20th century through the World War I (1914–1918) was shaken, there were upheavals, especially in Germany. The lost war had a serious impact on the company and Business of the country. Alone about two million were German soldiers favor – became a lot more wounded or missing. the unemployment rose, as did them inflation rate.
inflation describes the rise in the price level – that means fewer goods/services can be bought with one monetary unit. So the value of money goes down.
Structure of the Nazi regime
At the same time, the party Adolf Hitler’sthe NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers’ Party, until February 1920 still DAP, German Workers’ Party), for the German population more and more attractive. She promised the unemployment to break up and the Business back to strengthen – but above all she found one main scapegoat for Germany’s problems: the Jews. 1930 was the NSDAP, with 18.3 % of votes, already the second strongest party after the SPD.
Figure 1: NSDAP election poster from 1932 Source: museenkoeln.de
At the January 30, 1933 finally took place the «transfer of power» through the Reich President Paul von Hindenburg to Hitler. The NSDAP also achieved 5. March of the same year 43.9 % of all votes at the Reichstag election. The National Socialists were now officially in power and changed the Weimar Republic in a dictatorial regime around.
Strength propaganda, control in all areas of public and large parts of private life as well as draconian ones penalties for objection led in a very short time to the firm establishment of the National Socialist regime.
Penalties are referred to as draconianwhen they are particularly harsh and cruel.
the main ideologies of National Socialism anti-Semitic, racist, nationalist, völkisch, anti-liberal, anti-democratic, anti-communist and social darwinian.
social darwinism was a «science» popular until World War II, which assumed that there were biological differences between different groups of people. part of social darwinism was also the belief in «good» and «bad genetic material» and that this «bad genetic material» had to be eradicated.
On the subject of «National Socialism» you will also find a separate learning set here on with numerous sub-sets that explain everything you need to know about the topic.
Second World War – beginning and trigger
However, the extremist government of the National Socialists did not only present themselves with power over Germany and Austria («connection» to the German Reich 1938) satisfied. the expansion policy played an essential role in the «Third Reich«. Among other things, the «blood and soil ideology» a central position.
the «Blood and Soil Ideology» was an ideology during the National Socialist era that idealized the peasantry and combined it with ethnic and anti-Semitic views. The idea of the «people without space» created the conviction that the German «people» had to conquer living space in the east.
Of the Megalomania Hitler and his followers went so far that they even world domination aspired to. Of course, you couldn’t do that overnight, which is why the east was targeted as the first target.
attack on Poland
At the September 1, 1939 Germany attacked Poland. This illegal under international law Aggressive war is called attack on Poland or campaign in Poland designated. The German Wehrmacht was supported by Slovak troops. Just two days later, on September 3, 1939explained France and Great Britain Germany the war. These had namely on 31 March 1939 the so-called Assistance Contracts concluded with Poland, who pledged their support to the country – Poland’s independence was to be secured in this way. The invasion of Poland denotes the Start of World War II in Europe.
Germany’s unexpected attack on Poland and other neighboring countries was primarily described in Nazi propaganda as flash war designated. While the word is now most commonly associated with World War II, it has existed since World War I.
Entry into the war by other great powers
Now you know how World War II broke out in Europe, but what about the rest of the world? Below is how the Soviet Union, USA, etc. got into the war.
Soviet Union
the Soviet Union was already since mid 1938 with Japan in one border war. China and Japan have been at war since July 1937 in the Second Sino-Japanese War. At the July 22, 1941, with Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, the latter officially entered World War II. On the German side this was called Russia- or eastern campaign designated.
United States
The entrance of United States took place after World War II Pearl Harbour early December 1941 was attacked by Japan. This also made the US another participant in the pacific war.
Of the pacific war refers to the combat operations between China, Japan, the USA and their allies in the Pacific region and East Asia from July 7, 1937 to September 2, 1945.
The Japanese attack on the, at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) lying, Pacific Fleet of the USA, this entangled in the Second World War since Japan a ally Germany was.
Second World War – Parties
In order to understand the combat operations of the Second World War, it is important to know who was allied with whom and what goals the various powers were pursuing.
Allies of Germany – the Axis powers
Germany and his Allies, Japan and Italywere as Axis powers designated. They all pursued different goals. For Hitler and the German Reich it was mainly about securing «eastern living space» for the new Greater German Reich. Of the Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini and be fascist Italy dreamed of resurrecting the Roman Empire. For Japan it was mainly about her territory to extendto secure important raw materials.
Italy joined the Allies after Mussolini’s arrest and surrender in 1943.
Figure 2: Mussolini and Hilter 1938
Source: wikimedia.org
Opponents of Germany – the Allies
The Allies stood together against Nazi Germany. At the January 1, 1942 became in the US the Anti-Hitler Coalition founded. Her goal was that expansion Hitler’s too to stop, as this was also a threat to them. The main allies included the western powersso the US, UK such as France and on the other hand the Soviet Union and China. In addition, most of the colonies and states of the British Commonwealthhow Australiainvolved.
Second World War – presidents
In summary, here is a list of the most important presidents/heads of state/heads of government involved in World War II:
country1939[1945USAFranklin D. RooseveltRoosevelt / Harry S. TrumanJapanEmperor HirohitoKonoe Fumimaro (Head of Government)Hiranuma Kiichiro (Head of Government)Abe Nobuyuki (Head of Government)Emperor HirohitoKoiso Kuniaki (Head of Government)Suzuki Kantarō (Head of Government)Higashikuni Naruhiko (Head of Government)Shidehara Kijūrō (Head of Government)GermanyAdolf Hitler /Karl Hitler.Adolf Hitler DönitzJoseph Goebbels (Head of government)FranceAlbert LebrunÉdouard Daladier (Head of government)Charles de GaulleItalyKing Victor Emmanuel IIIDuce Benito Mussolini (Head of government)King Victor Emmanuel IIIIvanoe Bonomi (Head of government)Soviet UnionJosef Stalin (Party leader)Josef Stalin (Party leader)United KingdomKing George IV Arthur N. Chamberlain (Head of Government)King George IV Winston Churchill (Head of Government)
Second World War – Course
The course of the Second World War can be roughly summarized in three phases subdivide:
- The first phase included the blitzkriegs and campaigns of conquest against the neighboring countries and the occupation of the Balkans and parts of North Africa.
- The second phase started with that invasion in the Soviet Union in the year 1941.
- The third phase marked the turning point in the war with the successful landing of the Allies in the Normandy and the big one offensive of the Soviet Union on the eastern front.
Do you want to know more about the exact course? No problem, here on you will find your own article on the course of the Second World War and numerous other summaries of the most important combat operations.
Second World War – theaters of war
the combat operations of the Second World War were primarily addressed two different theaters of war executed: Europe and the Pacific/Southeast Asia. In Africa However, there were also some skirmishes and military operations.
The Second World War in Europe
In Europe formed during the war three fronts. After this France in the flash war forced to surrender, the concentrated German army on the Expansion to the east. After they but after Russia had penetrated, she encountered unexpectedly strong ones Resistance – that’s how it was formed eastern front.
1943 landed the allied forces in southern Italy and Italy joined the Allies, so also formed in the south one front.
through the Landing of allied troops in the Normandy at the June 6, 1944 (also D Day called) succeeded recovery other parts of France and fighting broke out again on the western front. the East and West Frontt were therefore of central importance in the fighting in Europe.
Theater of War Pacific
in the Pacific they fought each other Japanese armed forces with the allies. As the war progressed, the Japanese could Korea as well as parts of China, of Russia and Southeast Asia conquer. There were a few more colonies of the European powers.
With the attack of the Japanese on Pearl Harbour became a major part of American Pacific Fleet…