World War II: Key Phases, Spain’s Role, and Post-War Art
World War II: Key Phases and Turning Points
First Phase: Axis Offensives (1939-1941)
Germany achieved many victories. Its main strategy was the Blitzkrieg (lightning attack).
1941: Italy and Germany invaded Greece. Many countries joined the Axis powers (Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria). In June, Germany invaded the USSR.
Africa: In September 1940, Italy attacked British military positions in Egypt. They needed support from Germany.
Asia and Oceania: Japan invaded Allied colonies. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii. The USA declared war on Japan.
Second Phase: Allied Victories (1942-1943)
Battle of Stalingrad: The Soviet army counterattacked German forces during a cold winter. The Germans finally surrendered. This was a humiliating Nazi defeat.
Africa: In 1942, Great Britain defeated German forces in Egypt in the Battle of El Alamein.
Asia and Oceania: The USA defeated Japanese forces in the 1942 Battle of Midway (a naval battle). The USA also won the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Third Phase: Final Allied Advances (1943-1945)
Africa: German forces were defeated in Libya. This allowed Allied forces to invade Italy.
Europe: On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, liberating France from German control. The Allies attacked Germany in three directions: France, Italy, and the USSR. Germany finally surrendered in May 1945.
Asia and Oceania: The Allies were advancing, but Japan refused to surrender. The USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.
Spain During World War II
The Civil War had ended: Nationalists had won the war, and Franco had established a dictatorship. In October 1940, Hitler and Franco met in France. Franco asked Hitler to give him Gibraltar and North African colonies. Hitler rejected this. Spain remained neutral due to domestic problems:
- Economic crisis: Spain was weak before the war.
- Demographic crisis: Many people had died. The birth rate had fallen.
- Political opposition: Spain was divided into two groups: those who supported Franco and those who did not.
Franco supported Hitler by sending volunteer troops called the Blue Division. In 1943, the Blue Division withdrew from the war, and Spain remained neutral.
Functionalism in Architecture
Functionalism became popular after the Second World War and then spread to the USA from 1940-1960. Characteristics:
- Buildings were designed strictly without unnecessary decoration.
- Geometric shapes.
- Made of reinforced concrete, steel, and glass.
- Very tall buildings known as skyscrapers.
Its main elements were established by the German Bauhaus school. Its directors went to the USA. Notable architects include:
- Mies van der Rohe: Lake Shore Drive Apartments (Chicago) and the Seagram Building (New York).
- Le Corbusier: The Villa Savoye (Paris).
In Spain, it was represented by a group called GATPAC, whose work was interrupted by the Civil War.
Abstract Art
Abstract art was an avant-garde style that influenced painting and sculpture during the second half of the 20th century. It was born in Europe and then moved to the USA. One of the most famous abstract artists was Kandinsky (Yellow-Red-Blue). Defining characteristics:
- Art should speak its own language; it did not need to represent real scenes or objects.
- Painting should be composed of colors and shapes, simply.
Two types of abstract painting:
- Geometric abstraction: Colors were often used to create a variety of geometric shapes and lines. Example: Mondrian’s Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow.
- Abstract expressionism: Colors were applied freely with techniques such as dripping. Example: Jackson Pollock’s No. 5, 1948.