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2 - Notes

World War 2 (1939-1945) was a global conflict between the Allies, including the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and the Axis powers, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan. Key events included Hitler's rise to power, the invasion of Poland, major battles like Stalingrad and D-Day, and the use of atomic bombs on Japan, leading to its surrender. The war's aftermath resulted in the establishment of the United Nations, the onset of the Cold War, and a renewed focus on human rights.

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6 views3 pages

2 - Notes

World War 2 (1939-1945) was a global conflict between the Allies, including the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union, and the Axis powers, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan. Key events included Hitler's rise to power, the invasion of Poland, major battles like Stalingrad and D-Day, and the use of atomic bombs on Japan, leading to its surrender. The war's aftermath resulted in the establishment of the United Nations, the onset of the Cold War, and a renewed focus on human rights.

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durbhasaiakshita
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WORLD WAR 2

RISE OF HITLER
● Early Life: Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889. He served in World War 1 and
was decorated for bravery.
● Rise to power: After the war, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party and quickly
rose to leadership. He became Chancellor of Germany in 1933.
● Consolidation of power: Hitler eliminated opposition, abolished democratic
institutions, and established a totalitarian regime.
● Nazi ideology: Hitler promoted Nazi ideology which emphasized German
superiority, anti-semitism, and militarism.

CAUSES OF WW2
● TREATY OF VERSAILLES: The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties on
Germany after WW1, leading to widespread resentment.
● RISE OF NATIONALISM: Nationalist sentiment was on the rise in Europe with
countries seeking to expand their territories and assert their dominance.
● APPEASEMENT POLICY: Britain and France adopted an appeasement policy
towards Nazi Germany hoping to avoid another devastating war.
● GERMAN REARMAMENT: Germany began to rearm and expand its military violating
the Treaty of Versailles.
● INVASION OF POLAND: Germany invaded Poland in 1939, prompting Britain and
France to declare war on September 1, 1939.

WW2 (1 September 1939-2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions:
the Allies and the Axis powers.

ALLIANCE AND AXIS POWERS


● ALLIED POWERS: The main Allied powers were the United States, Britain, France
and the Soviet Union.
● AXIS POWERS: The main Axis powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.
● OTHER ALLIED POWERS: Other countries that joined the Allies were China, Canada,
Australia and India.
● OTHER AXIS POWERS: Other countries that joined Axis included Hungary, Romania
and Bulgaria.

MAJOR BATTLES AND TURNING POINTS


● BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1940): The Battle of Britain was a decisive air campaign in
which the British successfully defended their skies against the German Luftwaffe.
● INVASION OF SOVIET UNION (1941): Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union
proved to be a costly and disastrous mistake. This invasion is also known as
Operation Barbarossa. The reasons behind Germany’s invasion were to expand its
territory to the east to provide more living space for the German people
(Lebensraum), to seize the Soviet Union’s economic resources to strengthen
Germany’s economy, Hitler’s wish to destroy Soviet Union’s Communist government
and establish Nazi hegemony, Racial ideology and belief of racial superiority over
the Soviet Union, to permanently eliminate communist threat to Germany.
● ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOUR (1941): Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbour
drew the United States into the war. The attack was made to cripple the U.S Pacific
Fleet and gain time to seize oil-rich territories in SouthEast Asia. Other reasons were
Japan’s imperial expansion collided with the U.S.’s interests in Asia and the Pacific,
To deter U.S. from interfering with their military operations in Southeast Asia, Pearl
Harbour was a major fueling station for U.S. ships and planes as well as home to
multiple U.S. military airfields, U.S. was providing support to China through
supplying materials and finance who was an enemy of Japan since 1937.
● BATTLE OF STALINGRAD (1942-43): This battle was a major turning point on the
Eastern front as the Soviet Union defeated the German army.
● D-DAY INVASION (1944): The D-DAY invasion of Normandy marked a major turning
point in the war as the Allies established a foothold in the Western Europe.

END OF WW2
● SOVIET ADVANCE: The Soviet Union continued to advance on the Eastern front
eventually capturing Berlin in April 1945.
● GERMAN SURRENDER: Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 marking the end of
the war in Europe.
● ATOMIC BOMBINGS: The US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
(Little Boy in Hiroshima and Fat Man in Nagasaki) in August 1945 leading to Japan’s
surrender. Enola Gay of US Army Air Forces Boeing B-29 was the airplane that
dropped the first atomic bomb.
● JAPANESE SURRENDER: Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945 marking
the end of WW2.

LEGACIES AND LESSONS


● UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations was established in 1945 to promote
international cooperation and prevent future wars.
● COLD WAR: The aftermath of WW2 saw the beginning of the Cold war, a decades
long period of ideological tension and competition between the U.S. and Soviet
Union.
● EUROPEAN INTEGRATION: The devastation of WW2 led to a renewed commitment
to European integration culminating in the establishment of the European Union.
● HUMAN RIGHTS: The atrocities committed during WW2 led to a renewed emphasis
on human rights including the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights in 1948.

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