a world war in 5 paragraphs
World War II is easily classified as one of the most deadly wars in all of history. With 15 million battle deaths, and 45 million civilian deaths, that comes total of 60 million deaths. After World War I, Germany was left with practically nothing, as their military was decreased along with their access to weapons were cut off, and their economy as well as population destroyed. The war officially started when Adolf Hitler, German chancellor, and head of the Nazi (National Socialist) party, invaded Poland. He invaded, using his "Blitzkrieg" tactic; this involved using fast-pace aerial attacks, bombarding the town with tanks and massive numbers of soldiers in order to shock the enemy. The other half of Poland was invaded by Joseph Stalin, Soviet Dictator during that time. After the invasion and fall of Poland, there was a time of peace and quiet. Finally, although too late, French and British armies were mobilized, and met along the Maginot Line. At this line, they could see the Nazi army, however nobody made a move first. This became known as the "Phony War", or in German, "sitzkrieg". This peace and quiet did not last for long, for on April 9, 1940, Hitler invaded Denmark, and "the Norwegian government refused... to accept German rule... and continued to fight alongside British troops. But an accelerating German offensive in France led Britain to transfer thousand of soldiers from Norway to France, resulting ultimately in a German victory... In Denmark, King Christian X, convinced his army could not fight off a German invasion, surrendered almost immediately" (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-norway-and-denmark). Following this, something amazing happened on the Beaches of Dunkirk; As Germans trapped the Allied forces around Northern France, their victory was inevitable, so they escaped to Dunkirk, a French port city on the English Channel. Here, Great Britain sent much naval support, from fishing boats to luxury yachts, life boats, motorboats, boats of all kind, to go rescue the army. For about a week, this amateur fleet was able to sail the soldiers to safety. After Dunkirk, France was extremely weak. Taking advantage of this, Benito Mussolini (Italian fascist dictator), joined forces with Hitler on June 10 and declared war on France and Britain, and continued on to attack France from these south. June 14, Paris had fallen, and finally on June 22, France surrendered. With their ally defeated, Britain was forced to fight by themselves, and Hitler again took this to his advantage. "Operation Sea Lion" called for extreme aerial attacks and bombings as well as 250,000 soldiers docked to shore. Britain did not give up the fight easy, and gave Hitler so much trouble that he called off his attacks to focus on the Mediterranean and the East. While the Nazi's were focused not heir new targets, Italy was left with little support against the strong British forces, who by February of 1941, obliterated the Italian forces. As backup, Hitler sent General Erwin Rommel. While he took care of the battles in North Africa, Hitler went on to successfully over the Balkans. Lastly on June 22, 1941 Hitler broke the nonaggression pact and went ahead to invade the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa.
The United States was extremely uneasy about getting involved in the war, since World War I was such devastation. Many wanted to stay out of the war, so that's what happened for a while. In March, 1941, the U.S. created the Lend-Lease act; "this act set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States" (http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=71). Later, on August 9, Roosevelt and Churchill created a declaration called "The Atlantic Charter", which allowed free trade for those devastated by the war, as well as the ability to choose their own government. (Read more here). And, while everything else was escalating in Europe, Japan too had its own play.
During the Interwar period, Japan started to industrialize and gain a lot of technology, as well as modern culture and influence. Japan was a newly-found empire, that experienced hunger and lack of trade. This set them on a path that would eventually lead them to war. They sought out empire in their closest, strongest neighbor- China. As the U.S. sent aid to China, they also cut off any trade from Japan, especially oil which they continued on with out. The U.S. fleet stationed in Hawaii, was a so called "dagger pointed at our throat" according to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. So, they proceeded to bomb Pearl Harbor Hawaii, early in the morning on December 7, 1941. The Japanese navy was extremely powerful, and was able to conquer over 1 million sure miles of land, with 150 million people, including those of the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and much of China and Manchuria (Click here to see map). After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, although they did not do much damage, the US sent 16 B-25 bombers to bomb Tokyo and other big cities in Japan. After Pearl Harbor, Japan targeted Midway Island, which was a battle in which Japanese Naval forces had been beaten for the first time since 1863. The battle was close and became a turning point in the war because although the Japanese had the largest fleet and battleship, Admiral Chester Nimitz was able to win. He allowed Japan to make the first aerial hit, and while they were attacking the Island, American planes came in to bomb the Japanese ships, where most of the planes still were positioned. Now, the infamous Japanese naval fleet had just become beatable.
Because of the Treaty of Versailles and the depression after World War I, Germany was in a recession. Many people, most importantly Hitler and his campaign, believed this was caused by Jews. Jews had a reputation for running businesses and shops and therefore were linked to the economy. Furthermore, to lift German spirits and German nationalism, Hitler created the idea of the aryan race, which consisted of white German christians. Anyone who did not fit that description was deemed “un-fit”, including the mentally and physically disabled. (ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?Moduleld=10005143) In 1933, when Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany, he began to put into place the Nuremberg Laws. These consisted of laws restricting Jews from holding office, owning certain property, and required all Jews to wear yellow stars, in order for germans to identify them. One of Hitler’s main ambitions was to get rid of the Jewish population in Germany, even better, in all of Europe. Hitler’s first approach was to basically bully and torment the Jews and make the living conditions in Germany very brutal. He hoped that most Jews would leave the country. However, this did not work to Hitler’s satisfaction. So, Hitler then came up with the ‘Final Solution’. This entailed the extermination of all European Jews and anyone else deemed un-fit. In the 1930’s, Hitler began to build death camps and concentration camps throughout Europe, however not in Germany. Most of the camps were located in the Bloodlands (Mainly Poland, east of Germany and west of Russia). Hitler then had his SS men begin to round up Jews in Germany, Poland, the Ukraine, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, France and other countries in the area and bring them to the concentration camps where it was decided whether they could be put to work, or were immediately burned in the crematorium or poisoned in the gas chambers. Mostly women, children, the elderly, and the sick were decided to be killed immediately. (http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust) he Holocaust was an act of genocide, one of the biggest atrocities we know today, and by 1945 killed more than six million European Jews.
September 2, 1945 marks the day that World War II is officially over because of the surrender of Japan to the U.S. The U.S. was brought into the the war because Japan bombed pearl harbor. Then the U.S declared war on JApan and soon after the rest of the Axis powers declared war on the U.S. German General Erwin Rommel had captured the port city of Tobruk. This lead to British General Bernard Montgomery to Africa to take control of the British force because of the German advancements in North Africa. In Africa he ad realized that the Germans had made it to El Alamein, which was an Egyptian village. The British then started the Battle of El Alamein which had surprised the Germans. Yet Montgomery loses this battle and retreated to the west. After that battle, in the east the Germans had once again tried to invade the Soviet Union after the devastating loses because of the cold. The Germans were to take over Stalingrad. So, in the summer, Hitler had invaded and succeeded invading the Soviet Union and and took control of 90% of Stalingrad. The Germans had succeeded until winter came. The Soviets were now on the offensive with an atvantage. They trapped the GErmans in Stalingrad cutting of their ability to obtain supplies. The Germans soon surrendered. In May 1944, U.S. General Eisenhower decided to create a fake army to attack the French seaport of Calais to confuse Hitler but the real attack was in Normandy on June 6, 1944 and it was called D Day (http://www.army.mil/d-day/). The U.S. won the battle and freed France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and some of the Netherlands. The Allies now focused on Germany on the western front and the Soviets were also focusing on them from the eastern front. The Germans had decided to attack in the western front. This battle, called the Battle of Bulge, was won by the Allies. On April 25, 1945 the Soviet Union had surrounded the Germany capital of Berlin. Hitler had killed himself underground in his headquarters. the German military had surrendered on May 7, 1945 and officially on May 8, 1945. The Battle with the Japanese for the Allies wasn't over until President Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945. This led to the Japanese surrendering September 2.
After World War 2 nations had trouble recovering over the damages made. The bombs dropped in the war had brought a great toll of consequences; populations decreased the damaged made by the bombs had greatly damaged cities. THe bombs destroyed homes, apartments and had taken away the water, the electricity. People were hungry becasue of the lack of food. People couldnt buy food becasue they did not have any money to buy food that was even available to them. The factories where people worked were either damaged or destroyed and the transportation was destroyed. People died of disease and hunger. The people blamed their leaders for the war and the consequences that came after it.Then the Communists, promising change, had gained members until they prefrm violent strikes and then they started to loss influence and members. In order to be sure that the events performed by the Nazi dont repeat itself they were put under trials called the Nuremberg trials (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/nuremberg_article_01.shtml) Hitler couldn't face the trails since he committed suicide but out of the 22 men they accused 12, who were sentenced to death. The end result for Japan was similar to that of the Europeans. Their cities were also destoyed because of the bombs. The territories that they have had for years had been taken away. They were now under the occupation of the U.S. Some of the JApanese military leaders wanted to continue to fight but the emperor of Japan Hirohito tried to convince the Japanese that fight will only lead to destruction. MacArthur,who accepted the Japanese surrender, is now leading the occupation. He demilitrialized JApan leaving it with a small police force. He also turned the Japanese Empire into a parliamentary democracy.
The United States was extremely uneasy about getting involved in the war, since World War I was such devastation. Many wanted to stay out of the war, so that's what happened for a while. In March, 1941, the U.S. created the Lend-Lease act; "this act set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States" (http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=71). Later, on August 9, Roosevelt and Churchill created a declaration called "The Atlantic Charter", which allowed free trade for those devastated by the war, as well as the ability to choose their own government. (Read more here). And, while everything else was escalating in Europe, Japan too had its own play.
During the Interwar period, Japan started to industrialize and gain a lot of technology, as well as modern culture and influence. Japan was a newly-found empire, that experienced hunger and lack of trade. This set them on a path that would eventually lead them to war. They sought out empire in their closest, strongest neighbor- China. As the U.S. sent aid to China, they also cut off any trade from Japan, especially oil which they continued on with out. The U.S. fleet stationed in Hawaii, was a so called "dagger pointed at our throat" according to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. So, they proceeded to bomb Pearl Harbor Hawaii, early in the morning on December 7, 1941. The Japanese navy was extremely powerful, and was able to conquer over 1 million sure miles of land, with 150 million people, including those of the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and much of China and Manchuria (Click here to see map). After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, although they did not do much damage, the US sent 16 B-25 bombers to bomb Tokyo and other big cities in Japan. After Pearl Harbor, Japan targeted Midway Island, which was a battle in which Japanese Naval forces had been beaten for the first time since 1863. The battle was close and became a turning point in the war because although the Japanese had the largest fleet and battleship, Admiral Chester Nimitz was able to win. He allowed Japan to make the first aerial hit, and while they were attacking the Island, American planes came in to bomb the Japanese ships, where most of the planes still were positioned. Now, the infamous Japanese naval fleet had just become beatable.
Because of the Treaty of Versailles and the depression after World War I, Germany was in a recession. Many people, most importantly Hitler and his campaign, believed this was caused by Jews. Jews had a reputation for running businesses and shops and therefore were linked to the economy. Furthermore, to lift German spirits and German nationalism, Hitler created the idea of the aryan race, which consisted of white German christians. Anyone who did not fit that description was deemed “un-fit”, including the mentally and physically disabled. (ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?Moduleld=10005143) In 1933, when Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany, he began to put into place the Nuremberg Laws. These consisted of laws restricting Jews from holding office, owning certain property, and required all Jews to wear yellow stars, in order for germans to identify them. One of Hitler’s main ambitions was to get rid of the Jewish population in Germany, even better, in all of Europe. Hitler’s first approach was to basically bully and torment the Jews and make the living conditions in Germany very brutal. He hoped that most Jews would leave the country. However, this did not work to Hitler’s satisfaction. So, Hitler then came up with the ‘Final Solution’. This entailed the extermination of all European Jews and anyone else deemed un-fit. In the 1930’s, Hitler began to build death camps and concentration camps throughout Europe, however not in Germany. Most of the camps were located in the Bloodlands (Mainly Poland, east of Germany and west of Russia). Hitler then had his SS men begin to round up Jews in Germany, Poland, the Ukraine, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, France and other countries in the area and bring them to the concentration camps where it was decided whether they could be put to work, or were immediately burned in the crematorium or poisoned in the gas chambers. Mostly women, children, the elderly, and the sick were decided to be killed immediately. (http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust) he Holocaust was an act of genocide, one of the biggest atrocities we know today, and by 1945 killed more than six million European Jews.
September 2, 1945 marks the day that World War II is officially over because of the surrender of Japan to the U.S. The U.S. was brought into the the war because Japan bombed pearl harbor. Then the U.S declared war on JApan and soon after the rest of the Axis powers declared war on the U.S. German General Erwin Rommel had captured the port city of Tobruk. This lead to British General Bernard Montgomery to Africa to take control of the British force because of the German advancements in North Africa. In Africa he ad realized that the Germans had made it to El Alamein, which was an Egyptian village. The British then started the Battle of El Alamein which had surprised the Germans. Yet Montgomery loses this battle and retreated to the west. After that battle, in the east the Germans had once again tried to invade the Soviet Union after the devastating loses because of the cold. The Germans were to take over Stalingrad. So, in the summer, Hitler had invaded and succeeded invading the Soviet Union and and took control of 90% of Stalingrad. The Germans had succeeded until winter came. The Soviets were now on the offensive with an atvantage. They trapped the GErmans in Stalingrad cutting of their ability to obtain supplies. The Germans soon surrendered. In May 1944, U.S. General Eisenhower decided to create a fake army to attack the French seaport of Calais to confuse Hitler but the real attack was in Normandy on June 6, 1944 and it was called D Day (http://www.army.mil/d-day/). The U.S. won the battle and freed France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and some of the Netherlands. The Allies now focused on Germany on the western front and the Soviets were also focusing on them from the eastern front. The Germans had decided to attack in the western front. This battle, called the Battle of Bulge, was won by the Allies. On April 25, 1945 the Soviet Union had surrounded the Germany capital of Berlin. Hitler had killed himself underground in his headquarters. the German military had surrendered on May 7, 1945 and officially on May 8, 1945. The Battle with the Japanese for the Allies wasn't over until President Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945. This led to the Japanese surrendering September 2.
After World War 2 nations had trouble recovering over the damages made. The bombs dropped in the war had brought a great toll of consequences; populations decreased the damaged made by the bombs had greatly damaged cities. THe bombs destroyed homes, apartments and had taken away the water, the electricity. People were hungry becasue of the lack of food. People couldnt buy food becasue they did not have any money to buy food that was even available to them. The factories where people worked were either damaged or destroyed and the transportation was destroyed. People died of disease and hunger. The people blamed their leaders for the war and the consequences that came after it.Then the Communists, promising change, had gained members until they prefrm violent strikes and then they started to loss influence and members. In order to be sure that the events performed by the Nazi dont repeat itself they were put under trials called the Nuremberg trials (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/nuremberg_article_01.shtml) Hitler couldn't face the trails since he committed suicide but out of the 22 men they accused 12, who were sentenced to death. The end result for Japan was similar to that of the Europeans. Their cities were also destoyed because of the bombs. The territories that they have had for years had been taken away. They were now under the occupation of the U.S. Some of the JApanese military leaders wanted to continue to fight but the emperor of Japan Hirohito tried to convince the Japanese that fight will only lead to destruction. MacArthur,who accepted the Japanese surrender, is now leading the occupation. He demilitrialized JApan leaving it with a small police force. He also turned the Japanese Empire into a parliamentary democracy.
10 most important events of world war ii
September 1, 1939 Germany Attacks Poland
September 3, France and Great Britain declare war on Germany
December 7, 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941 The United States declares war on
Japan, and officially entering the war on the side of
the Allies
Japan, and officially entering the war on the side of
the Allies
June 6,1942 Battle of Midway
June 4, 1944 D Day (The invasion of Normandy)
December 16, 1944 the Battle of Bulge
May 8, 1945 V E Day Victory of Europe
August 6, 1945 the bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S.
August 9, 1945 the bombing of Nagasaki by the U.S.
August 9, 1945 the bombing of Nagasaki by the U.S.
AUGUST 14, 1946, VJ Day Victory of Japan