The Rise of Fascism and the Course of World War II

Posted on May 30, 2024 in History

Fascist Aggressions

Once Hitler became Führer, he developed an aggressive foreign policy. He wanted all German-speaking nations in Europe to be part of a great Germany.

Like Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan also wanted to expand their “living space”.

Timeline of Events:

  • 1931: Japan invades Manchuria (China)
  • 1933: Germany leaves the League of Nations
  • 1935: Italian Expansionism
  • 1937: The bombing of Gernika
  • 1938: Austria and Sudetenland annexation
  • 1939: Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
    • September 1st, 1939: Hitler invades Poland, leading to the outbreak of World War II in Europe.

The Start of World War II – International Pacts

The Axis Powers

Germany, Italy, and Japan were bound by their common interest in territorial expansion and the destruction of communism.

  • Rome-Berlin Axis: An alliance between Italy and Germany in which they agreed to support Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
  • Anti-Comintern Pact: Germany and Japan joined forces against the perceived threat of Communism, primarily targeting the Soviet Union. Italy signed the pact a year later.
  • Germany and Italy officially formed the Axis Powers. Japan later joined with the Tripartite Pact.

The Non-Aggression Pact

On August 23, 1939, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin signed a pact that guaranteed Russia’s neutrality in the impending conflict. The pact included a secret protocol, which divided Poland between Hitler and Stalin and allowed for the occupation of the Baltic States by Russia.

The Spark of War

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. On September 3, France and the UK declared war on the Third Reich, marking the start of World War II in Europe.

World War II: 1939-1941

The Phoney War (September 1939 – April 1940)

  • For seven months, a period of relative inactivity ensued on the Western Front.
  • Both sides used this time to amass supplies and prepare for the coming conflict.

The Invasion of Western Europe

Blitzkrieg

  • Blitzkrieg, meaning “lightning warfare” in German, was a military tactic based on speed and surprise.
  • It was first used effectively in the invasion of Poland.

Invasion of Northern Europe

  • Denmark surrendered to German forces.
  • Norway fell to German occupation.
  • Following these defeats, Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister.

Invasion of Western Europe

  • Germany swiftly occupied Luxembourg, the Netherlands (where Anne Frank and her family were forced into hiding), and Belgium.
  • France was forced to sign an armistice, dividing the country into two zones:
    • The North and West were placed under direct German control.
    • The South remained under a collaborationist regime known as Vichy France, led by General Pétain.

Evacuation of Dunkirk (May-June 1940)

  • After the German invasion of France, Allied troops retreated towards the beaches of Dunkirk.
  • Great Britain, in a desperate effort to save its soldiers, sent a fleet of naval and civilian vessels to evacuate them.

Britain Stands Alone (July 1940 – June 1941)

Battle of Britain

  • The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) engaged in a relentless aerial campaign against Great Britain, primarily targeting the Royal Air Force (RAF) and key infrastructure.
  • Radar technology, a new and crucial development, played a vital role in the RAF’s defense of British airspace.
  • Hitler, facing stiff resistance and mounting losses, eventually called off the invasion. This marked Germany’s first significant defeat in the war.

The War in Africa

  • Italian troops, allied with Germany, advanced into Egypt.
  • British forces, however, successfully repelled the Italian offensive and regained control of the region. German General Erwin Rommel, known as the “Desert Fox,” would later arrive in Africa, significantly impacting the course of the war in North Africa.

World War II: 1941-1942

The Tide Turns (June 1941 – December 1942)

Invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941)

  • On June 22, 1941, Hitler broke the Non-Aggression Pact and launched a massive invasion of the Soviet Union.
  • German forces initially advanced rapidly deep into Soviet territory.
  • The invasion stalled as winter set in, with the German army ill-prepared for the harsh conditions.
  • By the summer of 1942, the Germans renewed their offensive, aiming for the strategically important city of Stalingrad. The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest battles in human history, would prove to be a turning point in the war, with the Nazis ultimately suffering a decisive defeat in 1943.

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

  • On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the location of a major US naval base.
  • The attack, which resulted in significant American casualties and damage to the US Pacific Fleet, shocked the American public and galvanized support for war.
  • The United States declared war on Japan, officially entering World War II.
  • The US began deploying troops and resources to both the European and Pacific theaters of war.

Battle of Midway (June 1942)

  • American forces achieved a decisive victory against the Japanese navy at the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific War.

Battle of El-Alamein

  • The British army, led by General Bernard Montgomery, secured a crucial victory against the Axis forces in North Africa at the Battle of El-Alamein.

World War II: 1943-1945

Allied Victory (January 1943 – August 1945)

The Allied Powers agreed that only the unconditional surrender of Germany and Japan would be acceptable.

The Invasion of Italy

  • Following victories in North Africa, the Allied forces turned their attention to Italy.
  • In July 1943, Allied troops, under the command of Generals George S. Patton (USA) and Bernard Montgomery (UK), landed on the island of Sicily, successfully capturing it from Axis control.

Tehran Conference

  • The “Big Three” Allied leaders – Joseph Stalin (USSR), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Winston Churchill (UK) – met for the first time in Tehran, Iran, to coordinate their war strategy.

The Fall of Rome

  • On June 5, 1944, Rome was liberated from German occupation.
  • Italian partisans, resistance fighters who opposed the Axis occupation, captured and executed Benito Mussolini.

The Liberation of France

  • June 6, 1944, marked D-Day, the date of the largest amphibious invasion in history.
  • Allied forces, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, landed on five beaches in Normandy, France, launching Operation Overlord, the liberation of Northwest Europe.
  • On August 24, 1944, Paris was liberated from German occupation.

The Invasion of Germany

  • Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp in Poland, exposing the horrific atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.
  • In March 1945, Allied soldiers crossed the Rhine River, advancing further into Germany. Stalin, determined to capture Berlin before the Western Allies, urged his troops forward.
  • Soviet forces captured Berlin in a brutal battle.
  • On April 30, 1945, as Soviet troops closed in on his bunker, Adolf Hitler and his wife, Eva Braun, committed suicide.

Yalta Conference (February 1945)

  • The “Big Three” met again in Yalta, Crimea, to discuss the postwar order, including the partition of Germany.

Battle of Okinawa (April 1945)

  • The Battle of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War, saw Japanese kamikaze pilots, in a desperate last stand, deliberately crash their planes into American ships.

The End of the War

  • On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
  • On August 9, 1945, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.
  • Faced with overwhelming destruction and the threat of further atomic attacks, Japan surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.