World War 2 – History, Causes, Effects, Quiz

The invasion of Hitler into Poland forced Britain and France to go for war. This led to World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. World War II is the most devastating war in human history. Numerous large cities were left crumbling after this war. Today, nearly all geopolitical events and international relations can be traced back to this War. This article looks at World War 2 – History, Causes, Effects, Quiz.

World War 2 – History, Causes, Effects, Quiz

History 

In this section we will understand WWII in depth. Starting to end. What happened exactly? Why? And what was its impact?

The Story of World War 2

It is difficult to track down one single event that sparked the conflict. For ultimately, it was a series of events that conspired together. To eventually light a flame of war. The world’s most hated treaty, the Treaty of Versailles, was one such trigger. Thus starting World War II in 1939.

Treaty of Versailles

Let’s begin this story in 1919. The year when World War I ended. The whole world is against Hitler and Hitlerism. And the famous peace treaty was signed known as the Treaty of Versailles.

This treaty contained an important clause, Article 231. Which held that,all the losses caused due to World War I, Germany was to bear the responsibility for all such losses.

This clause is also known as War Guilt Clause,because basically, it was trying to imply that regardless of the countries participating in the war Germany was to be blamed for it entirely.

France and Britain wanted Germany to pay heavy costs for losing this war. They wanted to recover their losses from Germany. As a result, according to the Treaty of Versailles,Germany was told to pay a fine of $33 Billion to the other countries.In today’s money, it amounts to around $270 Billion.

This is such a large amount that you won’t believe thatit was only in 2010,Germany made the final payment of this fine.It took almost 100 years. You’d wonder where this money comes from.Obviously, from Germany. From its citizens.

Bankrupcy of Germany and the Raise of Hitler

The first payment of this fine was made by Germany in 1921,right after that, there was hyperinflation in Germany. Germany’s currency back then was the German Mark, you can’t imagine how rapidly it was devalued.

In 1922, in Berlin, a packet of bread cost 160 Marks. The following year, in 1923, the same packet of bread cost 200 Billion Marks. Obviously, the economy was crippled.And the rate of unemployment rose rapidly.

In such circumstances, in our story, entered Adolf Hitler. A young political leader, who knew how to manipulate the masses with his speeches.

In 1923, Hitler’s Nazi Party tried to overthrow the German government. By staging a coup. Even though this attempt failed, this caused Hitler’s popularity among the masses to increase manifold.

Rumours were spread among the people that the embarrassment faced by Germany and the international humiliation of Germany, were because of the ‘anti-national’ elements living in the country.

People were distressed. It was easy to manipulate them. Hitler claimed that the Jews and Socialists living in the country, were to be blamed.They were the reason for Germany’s disgrace.

Over the next 10 years, propaganda was used in abundance. Media organisations were paid to promote this. Hate speeches were everywhere.

In 1929 came the Great Depression. This worsened the already bad unemployment situation, in 1933, 6 million people were unemployed in Germany. Many people were homeless.Children were starving to death.

As a result, in 1933, Hitler declared himself the Dictator of Germany. After taking over full control of the country,Hitler started working on making his dream of a German Empire come true.German Reich. A state that would be racially pure.Its residents would be people of the Aryan race only.There would be no space for Jews and Slaviks.

Judeo Bolshevism conspiracy theory

 To fill people with hatred, they came up with the Judeo Bolshevism conspiracy theory. According to this conspiracy theory, the Russian Revolution in 1917, was supposedly caused by the Jews. Which eventually led to the formation of the Soviet Union.

 Anglo-German Naval Agreement

In 1935, the rest of the world came to know that Germany had an air force. This might not seem like a big deal, after all, every country has its air force. But, the Treaty of Versailles had laid down the condition that Germany cannot have any form of military power.This was an open violation of the Treaty of Versailles by Hitler.

But by this point in time, many people in Britain believed that the contents of the Treaty of Versailles were very unfair to Germany. They were asking for such a large ransom, that crippled the country. And the country wasn’t even allowed to have military people consider it to be very demanding.

In June 1935, Britain signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. This formally recognised that Hilter had the authority to form his navy. Germany could have an independent navy. But the growing militarisation in Germany alerted France.France built a 450 km long fortification on its Eastern border. This was named the Maginot Line.

Expansion of Germany

In 1938, when Hitler believed that his military was sufficiently prepared, he focused his attention on their neighbour Austria. Austria was a must-have country for Hitler. He wanted all German-speaking countries to unite as one nation.

His ultimate goal was not only to conquer as many countries as possible to satisfy his pride, but also to acquire its resources to advance his own country.

The people Hitler believed to be racially superior. He  wanted to give his Aryan race Lebensraum. A living space. So that they could live freely.

In February 1938, Hitler met Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, he was forced into signing an agreement. The agreement allowed Hitler to place pro-Nazi people on the Austrian government.

The Austrian government was infiltrated by appointing his own people ;For example Dr. Hans Fischböck. He was supposed to be the new finance minister of Austria. He was a Nazi, and the other Nazis who were in jail,were set free by him.

Within a month, things were out of control. Austrian Chancellor knew that if the infiltration was to be stopped the people needed to be consulted first. The people should decide whether Austria should be an independent country or be a united country with the Nazis. So he decided to have a national vote for it.

Hitler Takes Over Austria

As soon as Hitler found out about the national vote,  Hitler took his army and marched into Austria. The German military entered Vienna. But the Austrian Chancellor wanted no bloodshed. He resigned from his seat.

Hitler used his propaganda ministry to spread fake news  of riots happening in Vienna. And how the Communists were responsible for the riots. And so the Austrian government asked the German army to help them protect Austria.

The next day, the Austrian Parliament was dissolved and Austria ceased to be an independent country. This invasion was successful without any bloodshed.

A major reason for this was that at this point, many people in Austria were in Hitler’s favour. They were victims of the propaganda. They believed Hitler’s invasion would help them. That Hitler could make their country into a superpower.

Invasion of Czechoslovakia and the Munich Agreement

 After taking over Austria,Hitler moved on to the next country. Czechoslovakia. On Czechoslovakia’s border, there was the region Sudetenland. Of the people living here, around 3 million were Germans. Hitler used that as an excuse to claim that region as German’s, due to the Germans living there.

Here British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain came into the picture. He wanted to avoid a war at all costs. He believed that if Hitler was given what he wanted he would stay calm, and there would be no wars.

This is why, in September 1938,the Munich Agreement was signed. The settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved was only the prelude. There are larger settlements in which all Europe may find peace.

Under this agreement, this region of the Sudetenland, was to be given to Germany only if Hitler promised that there would be no more wars. Hitler gladly took this piece of Czechoslovakian land, but not even 1 year passed before he violated the Munich Agreement.

March 1939, Hitler took his army to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia.

People fought for the first time. But the German army won easily and the country was split into 2. One part was included in the German territerritory and the second part was made a Nazi client state. A puppet government was placed under the name of the Slovak Republic.

British Prime Minister Chamberlain faced heavy criticism due to this. At this point in time, Winston Churchill famously said, “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”

Invasion of Poland

Hitler looked for the next country Poland. To take control of Poland, in a sly move, Hitler signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union, in 1939.

At first glance, you’d think that Hitler hated the Soviet Union and Communist ideology. So why would he do this? The only reason for this was to invade Poland.

The Soviet Union wanted a part of Poland too. In this situation, the interests of the two nations were aligned.

On 1st September 1939, nearly 1 million German troops started moving towards Poland. They planned on attacking from the North and South simultaneously.Other countries were shocked at this.

UK and France Declare War/Phony War

The UK and France were at the edge of their patience. If Hitler continued invading one country after the other, the next number could be theirs. How will the world cope?

They couldn’t tolerate it any longer. The UK gave an ultimatum to Hitler. If they went ahead with Poland’s invasion, they would declare war against Germany.

Hitler ignored the ultimatum. And with this, the UK officially declared a war against Germany. After this, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada declared war on Germany too.

UK’s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain broadcasted this announcement on the radio.But , at this point in time, World War II hadn’t actually begun.

This period is known as the Phony War. Because there was no real war yet. Though technically, these countries had declared war on Germany, none of these countries provided military support to Poland.

Poland’s army was extremely old-fashioned. Their army still used horses. They couldn’t last against Germany’s military strategy. Neither Britain nor France could save them.

Nearly 1.3 million people were mobilised in Poland, but it didn’t even take 1 week for the German army to defeat them.

Hitler’s Warfare Strategy – Blitzkrieg

On 8th September 1939, German troops occupied Poland. Here it’s important to mention Hitler’s revolutionary warfare strategy known as Blitzkrieg. Using this, Hitler successfully invaded several countries.

This military strategy focused on speed and stealth. They used tanks to invade the countries so quickly that their opponents didn’t have the time to think.And then their air force would join from above. It was known as Luftwaffe. And the invasion took place at a lightning speed.

In German, Blitz means lightning. Hitler focused on making the wars as small as possible. A war that could be wrapped up quickly. Within less than a week.

To maintain this Blitzkrieg, German soldiers were given drugs. That’s right. A drug by the name of Pervitin was quite common. Today, we know it as Crystal Meth.

Confidential military communications revealed that the Allies suspected that the Nazis were using something to supercharge their troops. But they had no idea what it was.

When this drug is taken, it takes away fatigue. One doesn’t need sleep. It suppresses hunger and thirst, reduces pain, and gives a confidence boost to the user.

Giving such drugs to soldiers proved enormously advantageous. Even if it was extremely harmful to their long-term health, in the short term, it was very useful in winning these wars.

The defending soldiers would waste their time by sleeping at night, while the German soldiers could fight day and night and finish the task within 2-3 days.

As we move forward with the story, you’d see how successful the Blitzkrieg military strategy was for Germany.

Now, back in Poland, Not only was Poland invaded by Hitler, but the Soviet Union was also invading it from the other side.

After it was defeated, it was partitioned into two. Half of it went to Nazi Germany,and the other half to the Soviets.

The logic used by the Soviets was that before the Russian Revolution, the area actually belonged to the Soviets. And so they deserved it.

Russia attacks Finland

From the Soviet’s perspective, there was another country which was a part of the Russian Empire before 1917. Finland.

Stalin was worried that Germany would invade Finland. Stalin couldn’t really trust Hitler. The worst problem with it would’ve been thatthe city of Leningrad, where Stalin resided,was only 50 km from the Finnish border.

Had Finland been actually occupied by Nazi Germany, they would’ve been too close to Stalin’s home. So without waiting for Hitler to try to occupy Finland,the Soviet Union asks Finland to hand over their territory to the Soviets. Obviously, Finland refused.

And so the Soviets launched military action. Soviet Union’s army was much larger than Finland’s.

They had better equipment too. But this war lasted for more than 2 months.And the Soviets couldn’t gain much.Finally, in March 1940, this battle was over.

And the Moscow Peace Treaty was signed. According to this, 11% of Finland’s land, would be handed over to the Soviet Union.

Hitler takes over Norway and Denmark

In the meanwhile, Hitler’s focus wasn’t actually on Finland. He was looking at Norway and Denmark. In April 1940, Hitler prepared his plans on how he could establish control over Norway and Denmark.

On 9th April 1940, Hitler used his Blitzkrieg strategy to invade Norway and Denmark.This invasion didn’t last long either.Both were small countries.How could they compete against the German Army?

Winston Churchill becomes the Prime Minister of UK

The Norwegian government fled to London and in London, a Government in Exile was set up. In Norway, Hitler established his puppet pro-Nazi government.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain accepted his failure. The failure to protect so many neighbouring countries from the Nazi invasion.

Due to this, on 10th May 1940, he resigned from the position of Prime Minister. The seat of the Prime Minister and its responsibilities were handed over to the infamous Winston Churchill.

Beginning of World War II

Battle of France

On the same day, 10th May, Hitler launched an attack on France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg.This was a declaration of an all-out war. Everyone could see that Hitler didn’t intend to stop.

France had built the Maginot Line because they were worried that Hitler would attack their country. They were building a wall at the border.

The French troops lined the wall to protect their country.”…is the fate of Holland and Belgium, like that of Poland , Czechoslovakia, and Austria?It will be decided by the victory of the British Empire.”

On the borders of Belgium and Luxembourg the Allied forces were stationed to protect them. Hitler used his trademark Blitzkrieg strategy. More than 1,000 fighter bomber airplanes around 3 million soldiers on the ground as the offence for Germany, this was known as the Battle of France.

The German troops were divided into 3 groups. A, B, and C. Group B was to attack the Netherlands. And then enter Belgium to fight the Allied forces. Group C was to attack the Maginot Line. And are you wondering what was Group A supposed to do?

Group A was the master plan. Group C’s attack on Maginot Line was merely a distraction so that Group A could sneakily execute the master plan. Entering France through the Ardennes Forest.

This was a vast forest. It was believed to be a strong fortress by France’s military experts. They assumed that the German army would never be able to come through it because it would be too difficult. They didn’t expect the German army to invade via this forest.More than 40,000 military vehicles were used by Group A to enter France through this forest.

On 15th May 1940, they captured Sedan and started travelling Northwards. The British army fighting Group B in Belgium were shocked to see the suddenness with which the large force attacked them from behind.

The soldiers were surrounded by the Nazi army from three sides. They had only 1 way to escape. Through the sea. Near the port of Dunkirk. So they planned to escape from there.

What happened in Dunkirk was a historical turn of events in WWII. Nearly 400,000 allied troops were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk.

When we use the term ‘Allied’ it basically refers to the British and French armies. The countries fighting Hitler their group or their collation is known as the Allies. And the countries fighting in support of Hitler, are known as the Axis Powers.

It was crucial to save the Allied soldiers in time because the Nazi army was moving towards them at great speeds. They had no other way of escape. They could evacuate only through the sea.

If this couldn’t be done in time, 400,000 troops could be killed there. It would’ve been a huge drawback for Britain and France. They might have lost their countries forever. Winston Churchill made a plan to evacuate the soldiers.

Operation Dynamo

On 26th May 1940, Operation Dynamo was launched. The biggest evacuation in military history.  On land, the German army had reached the beaches. They were firing at the troops. The German airforce was attacking from above.

There were 3 areas of evacuation.  First, British Royal Air Force’s counter attack. The British ships which were coming to evacuate the Allied soldiers were given cover by the British air force, to protect the ships.

Second, some private fishing boats in the English Channel and the common civilians joined in to help in the evacuation.

And third, the events that took place on Dunkirk’s beach. The soldiers trying to save themselves and helping each other.

4th June 1940. Nearly 350,000 soldiers were successfully evacuated. But the bad news was that most of the military equipment of the Allied forces was used up in this evacuation.

Some days later, on 22nd June 1940, France surrendered to Hitler.

Pact of Steel

By this point in time, Italy was under the rule of Dictator Mussolini. He formed an alliance with Hitler to wage war against France. The alliance of Italy and Germany was known as the Pact of Steel. The two countries declared war against France and Britain on 10th June.

By July 1940, the situation was that Hitler had established control over nearly all neighbouring countries. Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France.

At this point in time, there were Hitler’s Germany, Britain, and the Soviet Union.

Germany and the Soviet Union had a Peace Agreement. So Hitler needn’t be wary of the Soviet Union. He believed that the Soviets wouldn’t attack Germany.

Britain and Germany

He thought that Britain was the only remaining fighting Germany. You’d be wondering about America’s role?

America wasn’t involved in WWII yet. America was standing back because after World War I, America wasn’t interested in interfering with Europe’s situation.

It was clear that had they stopped fighting at this point in time, Hitler would’ve been the clear victor. Hitler had a major upper hand. So how did the situation take a U-turn? How Britain could defeat Germany?

How Hitler was Defeated?

Germany’s dictator Adolf Hitler occupied nearly all surrounding countries. Austria, Poland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, France, all these countries, were invaded by Hitler.

In Italy in the south, another dictator was ruling. Mussolini. He had formed an alliance with Hitler. They were colluding together. So broadly speaking, only 3 major countries remained in Europe.

Now Britain was the last European country opposing Germany. On the other side of the world, America did not want to be involved in this war. They stayed away.

This begs the question, how did the situation change? How was Hitler defeated? Come, let’s understand the complete story of World War II in this section.

In this part, we shall explain how World War II ended. And how Hitler was finally defeated. Hitler believed that since the fighting was over, Winston Churchill would want to sign a peace treaty with Hitler.

Churchill wouldn’t want to put his country at risk, since the German army was so much stronger. But the opposite happens. Winston Churchill gave an iconic speech.

“We shall fight on the landing grounds.

We shall fight in the fields.

And in the streets.

 We shall fight in the hills.

 We shall never SURRENDER!”

He made it clear that there would be no peace treaty between Churchill and Hitler.  The war against Germany would continue. This speech meant that Hitler would want to invade the UK too. And Hitler did try to.

Operation Sea Lion

Hitler planned Operation Sea Lion. To invade the British. They had to come up with a strategy to attack Britain. There is no land connection between the UK and mainland Europe. So the army couldn’t simply be deployed.

If they were to try sending ships, British Royal Navy had more ships than Germany. The Germans would be at a loss.

Hitler then decided to establish control over the air space. German Air Force Luftwaffe had 2,600 aircrafts. The UK had only 700.

So on 10th July 1940, Hitler attacked Britain from the sky. German Air Force Luftwaffe attacked by bombing. Their initial goal was to destroy aircrafts, airfields, and manufacturing factories.

The smaller British Royal Air Force, that was one-fourth the size of the German Air Force, tried their best to defend their country. It was a tough fight. But eventually, the British had to incur heavy losses.

Eventually, Germans began attacking at night too. 24th August 1940 was such a night. When some German pilots mistakenly bombed London. Killing many civilians.

It was the Great Fire in the city of London. Almost to be compared with the fire of London in 1666. Pictures look like hell on Earth.

Winston Churchill was astounded by this war. Cities were being attacked. He decided to do the same. The UK retaliated by bombing Berlin.

When Hitler saw this happening, unlike previously when he wasn’t interested in bombing London, when he saw that cities were already being bombed by the UK, he decided to destroy London.

British Successfully Defend German Air Force Attack (The Battle of Britain Day)

15th September 1940. Hitler ordered the German Air Force to carry out an all-out decisive attack. More than 1,000 fighter jets were to be deployed at once to finish off the city as quickly as possible.

Imagine the view the people would have seen on that fateful day. More than 1,000 fighter jets flying in the sky, coming to bomb your country. To be specific, there were 1,120 air crafts. Of which, 620 were fighters and 500 bombers.

The British prepared their Royal Air Force. They had only 630 air crafts. A historical battle ensued in the sky that day. The first wave of a hundred bombers and 400 fighters was intercepted. Fighting raged, all the waves were crushed.

British Royal Air Force destroyed more than 60 Luftwaffe air craft. And lost on 29 air crafts. That’s right. British successfully stopped the German Air Force attack. This day is now known as the Battle of Britain Day.

What were the reasons driving this? How could the overpowered German air force with more air crafts fall down to the British Air force?

The reason is quite simple. Whenever a country is attacked; when a country invades another the invader aims to gain something.

But the defending country, it is literally a matter of existence for it. If they do not fight with all their might the country would be wiped out. There would be no place for the citizens to live. There’s a large difference in motivation among soldiers.

A recent example of this is the Russia-Ukraine War. When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, everyone thought that within a week, Russia will wipe out Ukraine. Because the Russian army is much larger than the Ukrainian army. And more advanced, technologically.

But the motivation levels among the Ukrainian soldiers were much higher. This is why, till date, Ukraine has been quite successful in defending itself.

Battle of Britain Day was one of the first major losses for Hitler. For the first time in WWII, Hitler faced loss.

Hitler knew that there was little chance of this mission being successful so Operation Sea Lion was postponed. And Hitler shifted his focus from the UK to the Soviet Union.

Hitler Plans to Attack Soviet Union

In April 1941, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria in Eastern Europe, had formed an alliance with Germany they were a part of the Axis Powers.

Moving eastwards, the countries Yugoslavia and Greece were already occupied by Hitler. Actually, Italian dictator Mussolini was busy occupying Libya and Greece but the British presence in the Mediterranean Sea,was more influential.

The Italian forces could not deal with it alone. So to defeat the British forces Hitler sent some German troops to Libya, to help the Italians fight. With this, Yugoslavia and Greece were also occupied.

Interestingly, Hitler wasn’t very interested in invading Britain. Hitler wanted to sign a peace treaty with Britain. Instead, he wanted to focus on the Soviet Union and to defeat it so that Britain could be scared into signing the peace treaty.

But why did he want to invade the Soviet Union when there was a peace treaty already? The real reason behind this was Hitler’s ideology. He despised communists. Additionally, he believed that only if a country as large as the Soviet Union was captured, could Germany become the No.1 superpower in the world.

Because Germany would then control so much land. Basically, Hitler was suffering from Megalomania. He believed that he was the ruler of the world. He was driven crazy with power. He believed that he could achieve everything that he could rule over the entire world.

But attacking the Soviet Union was a major mistake for Hitler. In fact, this became a turning point in WWII.

Hitler’s plan was simple. The way he invaded France, he wanted to invade the Soviet Union similarly. By dividing the German forces into 3 parts.

The first group would travel across the Baltic region towards Leningrad. The city where Stalin resided. The second group would attack Moscow.  And the third group would attack from the South, travelling through Ukraine.

Hitler  Attacks Soviet Union

This operation began on 22nd June 1941. The army of the Soviet Union was much larger than German’s. They had 20,000 tanks. And the Germans had only 6,000 tanks. But there was a major difference.

The German technology was much better than the Soviet’s. This is why, Hitler still had the upper hand in this war.

To protect itself, the Soviet Union joined hands with Britain. And became a part of the Allied Powers. They formed a plan together to send supplies to the Soviet Union army. They decided on a route through Iran. But the problem was that the Iranian Government favoured Hitler. This is why the UK and the Soviet Union invaded Iran together.

This wasn’t very beneficial, because Hitler’s Blitzkrieg strategy helped the Germans invade 100 km within 2 days and occupy a large amount of Soviet Union territory. Within some weeks, they had proceeded so much that they were only 300 km away from Moscow.

By this point in time, Hitler and his military commanders had some disagreements. Due to this, the next German advance, was delayed till October. It started getting colder. The cold season gave the advantage to the Soviets. They were accustomed to fighting in the cold.

On the other side with Japan, the Soviet Union found their second advantage there. Japan and the Soviets had signed a non-aggression treaty. This meant that the Soviet Army troops stationed at the Eastern border fighting with Japan, they could return to the West and fight Germany to defend their country.

Japan attacks USA’s Pearl Harbour

In December 1941, another twist came to our story. Suddenly, Japan attacked USA’s Pearl Harbour base. Without any provocation. More than 2,300 American troops were killed.

Till this point in time, America did not want to be involved in WWII. Whatever was happening in Europe till now, America watched it from afar but didn’t want to be involved in it. They had enough in WWI. So America stayed out of WWII.

America Joins WWII

But after the bombing of Pearl Harbour America had had enough. At this point, America officially declared war against Japan. And entered WWII. America entered the alliance with the Allied Forces. It included major countries like the UK, the Soviet Union, and China.

America took a few months to prepare for the war before entering into it. Till then, by early 1942, countries like Thailand and Cambodia were already invaded and occupied by Japan.

The Battle of Midway

By mid-1942, Hitler decided to focus on the Southern Soviet Union. On their supply chain from Iran. They decided to disrupt that. And so a devastating battle ensued in the city of Stalingrad.

The Soviet Union army could successfully defend itself against the German army. Attacked the Japanese territories in the South Pacific. This is known as the Battle of Midway.

4 important Japanese aircraft and supplier carriers were destroyed in June 1942. By the end of 1942, the British Army successfully drove out German and Italian forces from Egypt. The Battle of Stalingrad continued for a long while.

Soviet Union wins the Battle of Stalingrad

November 1942, winter months once again. It became increasingly difficult for the German army to fight. At one point, in Stalingrad, the German army had almost won over total control. But the Soviets continued fighting till the very end.

The battle of Stalingrad was the deadliest battle during WWII. Finally, the Soviet soldiers were successful. Nearly 300,000 German troops present in Stalingrad were surrounded by Soviet soldiers. These soldiers surrendered in February 1943.This was the biggest turning point in WWII.

Mussolini Executed

Some months later, in July 1943 the Italian citizens threw out dictator Mussolini. Literally. The anti-fascist movement emerged among the Italian masses. The civilians were fed up with their circumstances and so they revolted against their dictator. Mussolini was executed by Italian partisans living in villages.

Partisans are the civilians who take up arms to fight for some cause. An interesting fact here,  Bella Ciao, the famous song, you would’ve heard it in the Money Heist series, This song originated in Italy during this period.

If you’ve ever noticed, the song begins by addressing ‘O Partigiano’ Partigiano refers to the partisans. A new government was formed in Italy. And this new government decided to stop fighting the Allied Forces.

Steadily, the confidence among the Allied countries was rising, that they could actually defeat Hitler.

In November 1943, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met in Tehran to discuss how WWII could be ended.

D-Day

6th June 1944, another historical day. Known as the D-Day. On this day, the Allied Forces began a terrifying operation to land on the battlefields.

More than 150,000 British, American, and Canadian soldiers landed on Normandy beaches in France. They were to fight the German army on land to free France.

After the Dunkirk evacuation some years ago, this was the first time that the British army was on the ground to fight the German army.

This was a dangerous situation for Hitler. Hitler had directed his army to focus on the Soviet Union.  There they were facing losses due to the cold they couldn’t defeat the Soviet Union completely.

And now they were being attacked from the Western front as well. So Hitler decided that it was better to withdraw the army from the Eastern front, and to focus the counterattack on the Allied forces moving in from the West.

As soon as Hitler withdrew his army from the Soviet Union there was a major counterattack from the Soviets. Within 2 months, the Soviets regained around 600km of territory from Germany. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania were under the occupation of the Soviet Army.

The Fall of Hitler’s Empire

On the other side, the Allied Forces landed in Southern France too. One after another, countries were being liberated. Hitler’s army was being thrown out.

Yugoslavia threw out German troops on its own strength.

Germany was being attacked from three sides.  Hitler planned his last major offensive. The Battle of Bulge. In the forest region of Ardennes, The German army intended to drive out the Allied forces.

Before formally invading Germany Allied Forces carried out devastating aerial bombings on German cities.

In February 1945, Yalta Conference was held in Crimea. In it, it was announced that any country that would declare war on Germany can join the Allied forces in attacking Germany. Venezuela, Uruguay, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Paraguay, all of them declared war on Germany.

The last 4 months of WWII were the most painful. Each day, almost 30,000 people were being killed. As the Allied Forces moved ahead, they found out about Hitler’s concentration camps. There hundreds of thousands of innocent Jews were cruelly killed.

Allied forces continued bombing German cities. Later on, this was criticised by some. Claiming that it was unnecessary to bomb German cities that killed numerous civilians.

Cities like Dresden crumbled to the ground. It’s said that when Hitler could be killed on the ground, there was no need for the bombings. By this point in time, it was clear that Hitler was about to lose.

Finally, in May 1945, Berlin was surrounded by the Soviet Army. 2 days before that. On 30th April 1945, Hitler killed himself.

Germany Surrenders and Formation of UN

On 8th May 1945, Germany surrendered formally. German territories were divided. East Germany and West Germany were formed. Poland was recreated from a large part of East Germany. The borders of many countries were redrawn.

Today, the map of Europe that you see it looks the way it is because of WWII. The map before WWII was completely different.

When the new government was formed in Germany. They had cordial relations with France. The long enmity between the two countries was finally at the end.

Initially, to foster cooperation between the two countries, The European Coal and Steel Committee was formed. So that they could trade in coal and steel. Some years later, neighbouring countries like Italy and Britain became a part of it too.

Trading was taken to the next step. And eventually in 2000, European Union was formed. An organisation that has erased borders between European countries. Thanks to which, till today, there has been no other war like WWII.

In October 1945, the United Nations was established. To ensure that there are no more World Wars. After this, the framework of World Bank, IMF, and NATO were set up.

This is why you would have noticed, the permanent members of the United Nations were actually the countries which were the Allied Forces in WWII. An interesting fact is that after Germany’s surrender, WWII was not over.

End of WWII and the Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Japan took another 2 months to surrender. In July 1945, Japan was given the ultimatum to surrender. But this ultimatum was ignored. After which America dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Major Events and Turning Points

• Invasion of Poland (1939)
  • Germany invaded Poland
  • Started World War II
• Battle of Britain (1940)
  • UK defended against Germany
  • Marked Hitler’s first major defeat
• Operation Barbarossa (1941)
  • Germany invaded the Soviet Union
  • The invasion failed
  • Marked a turning point in the war
• Pearl Harbor (1941)
  • Japan attacked the US naval base
  • Led to the US joining the war
• D-Day (1944)
  • Allied forces invaded Normandy
  • Began the end for Nazi Germany
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)
  • US dropped atomic bombs on Japan
  • Led to Japan’s surrender
  • Ended World War II

Causes of World War II

• Treaty of Versailles
  • Harsh terms on Germany after World War I
  • Caused economic hardship and resentment
  • Helped Hitler rise to power
• Economic Instability
  • The Great Depression caused widespread problems
  • Dictators like Hitler and Mussolini gained support
• Expansionist Policies
  • Axis Powers had aggressive goals
  • Their expansion was key to the war’s outbreak
• Failure of Appeasement
  • Britain and France’s appeasement policies failed
  • Couldn’t contain Hitler and Mussolini

Effects of World War II

• Human Cost
  • Immense suffering and loss
  • 70-85 million people dead
  • Six million Jews killed in the Holocaust
• Political Changes
  • Germany and Japan occupied and demilitarized
  • Europe divided into Eastern and Western blocs
• Economic Impact
  • Devastated economies
  • Led to technological and industrial advancements
  • US emerged as a global leader
  • Europe began rebuilding with the Marshall Plan
• Creation of the United Nations
  • Established in 1945
  • Aimed to prevent future conflicts
  • Promoted international cooperation

Cultural Impact

• Picasso’s “Guernica”
  • Depicts the bombing of Guernica
  • Symbolizes the horrors of war
• Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
  • Set during the Spanish Civil War
  • Explores themes of sacrifice and war’s impact
• Chaplin’s “The Great Dictator”
  • A satire on Hitler and the Nazis.
  • Shows how ridiculous and cruel totalitarianism can be.

World War 2 – Quiz PDF

Download World War 2 Quiz PDF for free!

World War 2 Quiz

1. When was the League of Nations established?

A) 1920

B) 1930

C) 1940

D) 1950

2. Who led the Fascist Party in Italy?

A) Adolf Hitler

B) Benito Mussolini

C) Joseph Stalin

D) Winston Churchill

3. What was the name of Hitler’s secret police?

A) Gestapo

B) KGB

C) CIA

D) MI6

4. Which countries were part of the Axis Powers?

A) Germany, Italy, Japan

B) Britain, France, USA

C) Soviet Union, China, India

D) Canada, Australia, Brazil

5. Who painted “Guernica”?

A) Pablo Picasso

B) Vincent van Gogh

C) Leonardo da Vinci

D) Claude Monet

6. What is the title of Ernest Hemingway’s World War II-themed novel?

A) “A Farewell to Arms”

B) “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

C) “The Old Man and the Sea”

D) “To Have and Have Not”

7. Which movie directed by Charlie Chaplin is based on World War II?

A) “Modern Times”

B) “City Lights”

C) “The Great Dictator”

D) “The Gold Rush”

Answers:

1. A) 1920
2. B) Benito Mussolini
3. A) Gestapo
4. A) Germany, Italy, Japan
5. A) Pablo Picasso
6. B) “For Whom the Bell Tolls”
7. C) “The Great Dictator”

 Conclusion

World War II was an important period in the history.  Its legacy still continues to influence today’s politics, culture, and society. Understanding its causes, events, and consequences will helps us to appreciate the complex factors that shape world events. It helps us to understand the importance of  keeping peace and international cooperation.