Causes and Consequences of World War II
The Causes of WWII
Dissatisfaction with Peace Treaties
Germany and Italy were unhappy with the terms of the Peace Treaties signed after WWI. They wanted to recover lost territories.Economic Protectionism
Protectionism made countries look for new markets for their products. Rivalry increased between nations. Germany, Italy, and Japan re-armed.Expansionist Policies
Germany, Italy, and Japan wanted to expand their territories and find new raw materials.Appeasement Policies
In order to maintain peace and avoid war, the territorial expansion of Italy and Germany was tolerated by Great Britain, France, and the USA.Failure of the League of Nations
The League of Nations was ineffective and unable to stop the expansionist policies of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the USSR.
The Formation of Opposing Sides
The Axis Powers and the Allies
The Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan
Germany and Italy signed a pact in 1936. Germany and Japan signed a pact against the USSR in 1936. Italy joined this pact in 1937. Germany signed a pact of non-aggression with the USSR in 1939 and agreed to divide Poland with the USSR.The Allies: France, Great Britain, the USSR, and the USA
Great Britain signed a pact with France in 1939. Great Britain, France, and Poland signed a pact in 1939. GB and France promised to help Poland if Germany attacked. Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939, so France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. The USSR occupied Eastern Poland and Finland. In June 1941, Germany invaded the USSR (known as Operation Barbarossa), so the USSR joined the war on the side of the Allies. In December 1941, Japan attacked an American naval base in Hawaii (Pearl Harbour), so the USA declared war on Japan. The USA joined the war on the side of the Allies.
What Was Spain’s Position During WWII?
Franco met Hitler in Hendaya, France, in 1940, to show his support for Germany. Spain sent troops to fight with Germany against the USSR in 1941. Spain declared itself a neutral country and did not participate further in WWII.
The Development of the War
WWII began on 1st September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Blitzkriegs: lightning attacks which surprised the enemy. By 1941, the Axis controlled most of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and the Pacific islands.
Axis Advances Europe
- In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, then Denmark and Norway.
- In 1940, Germany invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
- June 1940: France is divided into two parts- occupied France and Vichy France.
- July 1940-May 1941: Hitler intended to invade Britain.
- 1941: Germany occupied Greece and Yugoslavia.
Africa
In 1940, Italian and German troops attacked Egypt (a British protectorate) to control the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Asia and the Pacific
In 1941, Japan invaded Indochina (a group of French colonies). In December 1941, Japan attacked the American naval base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
The Allied Response Africa
In 1942, the Battle of El Alamein led the Allied troops to victory over the Germans. The Axis powers suffered more defeats and were forced to leave Africa in 1943.
Europe 1942-1943
The Battle of Stalingrad- 1942-1943
– The Germans were defeated and forced to retreat from the USSR.Allied occupation of Sicily in 1943
– King Victor Emmanuel III regained power and Mussolini was arrested.The Battle of the Atlantic-1942-1943
– Hitler tried to isolate Britain using submarines (U-boats) to stop supplies reaching Britain.The Conference of Tehran- November 1943
– the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, the American President, Franklin Roosevelt, and the leader of the USSR, Stalin, agreed a strategy to defeat Germany.Germany occupied north Italy and freed Mussolini
.The Normandy Landings- 6th June 1944
– known as D-DAY- Allied troops landed on the coast of Normandy in France.France was liberated in September 1944
, followed by Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Germany.
Asia and the Pacific- 1942-1945
During this period, the Allied troops gradually gained control of Asia and the Pacific. The most important events during this period were Allied victories against the Japanese in these battles.
The Economy and Society During the War
The Wartime Economy
All aspects of the economy were focused on the war effort. Raw materials like iron, coal, nickel were obtained to manufacture planes, boats, tanks, and weapons etc.Life and Society During the War
People’s lives were affected by food shortages and a system of rationing of essential goods. Working hours were increased for industrial production. Living conditions worsened, and taxes increased.
In Countries Occupied by the Germans
A resistance movement emerged. Collaborators were civilians who helped the Germans. Millions of people went into exile to escape persecution. The Holocaust refers to the systematic mass assassination of Jewish people by the Nazis during WWII.
Peace and the Creation of the UN
The Yalta Conference (Crimea, USSR), February 1945
President Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), Winston Churchill (GB), and Joseph Stalin (USSR) agreed to create the United Nations. An organization to guarantee peace.
The Potsdam Conference (Germany) August 1945
Clement Atlee (GB PM), President Harry Truman (USA), and Stalin agreed to disarm Germany and Austria, divide Germany and Austria into four zones, prosecute war criminals, and more.
The Nuremberg Trials 1945-1946 Trials held in Germany to prosecute Nazi leaders and Nazi collaborators for war crimes perpetrated during WW2.
The Tokyo Trials 1946-1948 Similar trials took place in Tokyo to prosecute Japanese military figures and members of the government.
The Birth of the United Nations 1945– The United Nations was created, which replaced the League of Nations.
The Consequences of the War
Demographic Consequences
Approximately 60 million people died during WW2. There were more civilian victims than military victims.
Economic Consequences
Lots of cities, farmland, factories, and essential infrastructure were destroyed. Many countries didn’t have the resources to rebuild.
Political Consequences
The authoritarian and totalitarian regimes of Germany, Italy, and Japan were dismantled. The world was divided into two spheres of influence: the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc.
Territorial Consequences
The map of Europe changed. The Allied countries occupied areas which had belonged to the Axis powers.