World War II was one of the largest and most devastating events in human history, killing more than 55 million people worldwide. Between 1939 and 1945, land, sea and air warfare raged on all densely populated continents. In its name, many terrible events, including massacres and atomic bombs, shook the world. But when did these events happen? How did the whole world get involved in a six-year battle?
Several factors contributed to the start of World War II that contributed to all-out war, and land, resources, and fierce competition all contributed to the outcome. Throughout the war, these continents became more entangled. However, from the very beginning, the reasons and the level of participation vary from country to country. About 20 years ago, World War I severely affected several countries throughout Europe, including Germany. The Allies brutally punished the country's participation in the war through the Treaty of Versailles. The Austro-Hungarian Empire no longer existed, and there was a strong sense of instability in the East. The Russian Empire also overthrew their government and became the Soviet Union, now a communist state. Across Europe, far-right parties are becoming popular — promising to succeed where their predecessors failed. These ideologies tend to be ultra-nationalist, accompanied by a sense of racial superiority and hatred of communism. The first major fascist party was founded in Italy by Mussolini, who became prime minister in 1922. As soon as he came to power, he changed various laws and moved towards dictatorship, successfully conquering Abyssinia in 1935, turning his attention to becoming a colonial power. Hitler, a veteran of the First World War in the fascist movement, strongly opposed the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed severe restrictions on Germany in many ways. His fascist ideology was imbued with racism, homophobia and anti-communism. From the day Hitler came to power, war came to his mind. As with Mussolini, he purged the opposition and made himself "Führer", and he immediately began to focus his attention on rearmament of Germany. Both Hitler and Mussolini were embroiled in the Spanish Civil War, and although they did not directly participate in the war, they sent armed forces to aid franco on the right and help him win. They did this because they believed they would find an ally for the coming war. However, this was not the case, as Franco remained neutral during World War II.
In March 1936, Hitler challenged the rest of Europe by occupying the Rhineland, part of the demilitarization of Germany after World War I. He also seized his native Austria, which had a large German-speaking population. Later, he occupied Czechoslovakia. Europe repeatedly backed down to appease him and avoid conflict, but Hitler wanted to give more space to the racially superior German people. Poland, just off the border to the east, is ideal. On September 1, 1939, German troops stormed into Poland, and both Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to maintain peace by using Poland as a buffer zone. However, the Germans had been massing on the border. The German soldiers who forced their way into Poland consisted mainly of tanks and motorized infantry. The Luftwaffe surpassed obsolete Polish aircraft by five to one in numbers, and they began to use "blitzkrieg" in air warfare, where the Germans easily destroyed polish fortifications. As the Polish army was destroyed, soldiers and senior commanders fled the country. On 28 September, the Warsaw defenders surrendered. However, the Poles had strong allies in France and Britain, and they declared war on Germany on 3 September. The Allies began a naval blockade of Germany. The United States had not yet played an active role in World War II, but it provided the Allies with weapons and equipment destined for Britain and France, and the Germans counterattacked by attacking with submarines or "U-boats." In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, and although the Allies rushed toward Norway, the Germans again won the victory. That year, Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister. Churchill was ready for war, and his decisive leadership would be key to the outcome of the war. Meanwhile, Germany was preparing for an invasion of France.
Many German army divisions had gathered to prepare for the invasion, slightly more numerous than the French, Belgian, and British troops. On May 10, 1940, the Germans began their offensive from the Netherlands. After four days of fighting, the Dutch army lost and did not surrender. Belgium also fell quickly, and half of its air force was quickly destroyed. German armored tanks passed through the Ardennes in southern Belgium and rushed into France. The Germans broke through quickly and arrived in the English Channel after May 20, splitting the Allies in two. British, French, and other Allied forces were surrounded. On 26 May, the British began evacuating their troops through the port of Dunkirk, while the French stopped the Germans. 338,000 people, including 120,000, including the French, were evacuated. The Germans marched south and surrounded the remaining French forces that surrendered on 22 June. The country is now largely under German control, while the right-wing Vichy controls the southeast. Meanwhile, on June 10, Mussolini sent his army across the Alps into southeastern France. It was a symbolic gesture that officially brought Italy into the war. Britain is one of the only countries in Europe that can take a firm stand against the Germans. Most uninvacrossed countries, such as Sweden and Ireland, were neutral. The British armed forces now received more reinforcements in the form of refugees from conquered countries, and the French, led by General de Gaulle, also made a significant contribution. Polish researchers who studied German correspondence and tried to crack the infamous Ingmar code eventually came to Britain — still helping with war efforts.
The United States began to become more involved in it from December 1940, when President Roosevelt announced his intention to help the European allies against Germany and Italy. Roosevelt's decision to abandon neutrality contributed to the success of the Atlantic convoy that supplied Britain with food and weapons. Hitler planned to invade Britain, and Operation Sea Lion (codenamed for Germany's plan to invade Britain) would send 43 divisions across the English Channel to London to force the British government to surrender. The Luftwaffe would control airspace over Britain, and from 8 August 1940 onwards, hundreds of aircraft bombed British radar stations and airfields every day. The Germans were far outnumbered by the Allies, with 1,300 German bombers and 1,200 fighters deployed in the Battle of Britain. The ROYALF only has 600 fighters, but they have one major advantage – their craft is superior in Hurricane and Spitfire. The British also had a complete radar network covering the coastline; they could better prepare the Germans and redirect the aircraft more effectively. Before moving to ports and airports, the Germans attacked air bases in exhausting months, eventually focusing their attention on radar stations. Just before August 24, a German plane accidentally bombed a civilian area in London, and everything changed dramatically. Churchill ordered retaliation, which ended with a British bomber attack on Berlin. Enraged, Hitler began attacking British cities with terrorist bombings.
Russia is another superpower that has played an important role in the fight against fascism. After World War I, the Soviets and Swedes helped the Germans rebuild their army despite the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty made countries agree to divide Eastern Europe and avoid confrontation. Despite the armistice, Hitler still hated communism. He also wants more land for his citizens. In 1940, he proposed a directive to conquer the Soviet Union called Operation Barbarossa. Both British and American intelligence discovered Hitler's plans and informed Stalin, hoping to get him to oppose Hitler. However, Stalin believed hitler's loyalty to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty. However, Stalin was wrong. More than 3 million German soldiers are ready to act. Hitler even made sure Germany had more allies by recruiting Romania and Finland, two countries that wanted to reclaim the land they had lost to the Soviet Union. On June 22, 1941, the German ambassador to Moscow issued a declaration of war, saying that the Soviet Union had violated the terms of their treaty. The army began to advance across the border from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. Initially, the Germans seemed to have the upper hand. The Soviets and Germans had roughly the same number of troops. However, the Germans had better equipment and training, as many soldiers had fought in previous European invasions. German tanks and aircraft may have been much smaller in number, but they performed better. Stalin's purges also killed many experienced leaders, so the Soviet Union lacked experienced commanders.
By the end of July, the Germans had crossed Minsk, Smolensk and Kiev, forcing more than 1,200,000 Russian soldiers to abandon. The Germans took most of Ukraine's summer harvest for their soldiers, but perhaps more importantly deprived the Soviets of an important food source. In the first few weeks, the invasion seemed to have been successful. However, Germany's forward pace is slowing. Another 200 divisions of Soviet troops arrived, giving Stalin a numerical advantage. When the Siege of Leningrad began in 1941, Soviet troops remained stationed until 1944, killing more than 800,000 civilians. The Germans lost some of their strength here, as the Finns withdrew from the war, reclaimed their lands, and no longer wanted to provoke the Soviets. Because of the industrial level, Russia can compete with Germany; they have learned how to rebuild their tanks and vehicles. Under Stalin's leadership, the armaments industry created a large number of uniform products based on tractor design. This blueprint means that farmers can repair or build military vehicles. Stalin's focus was always on the quantity of production, and he moved the factories east to avoid a German attack. The United States and Britain also helped Russia by providing supplies to the Russians. This was followed by the coldest winter in Russia in 140 years. Unprepared for these temperatures, Germans suffered frostbite. The oil freezes in the engine. The shells stuck together as the filled grease solidified, and the soldiers were unable to dig trenches on the frozen ground, with predictable results.
But the fighting is far from over, and the causes of hostilities range from malice after world war I to competition for resources and land. The aggressors were ambitious and determined, eventually forcing many other forces to get involved. This battle is definitely not an easy one. World War II will last seven years and ravage many countries around the globe. However, the Allies were about to reach a turning point.