The Second World War was a major global conflict from 1939 to 1945. It involved the majority of the world's nations, including the great powers of that time- forming two opposing alliances, the Axis and the Allies. The war involved 100 million people from 30 countries. World War 2 was a dark and desperate time in human history. It resulted as the deadliest conflict of human history taking the lives of 70-85 million people. Tens of millions of people died due to genocides. This war left a huge impact on modern civilisation and resulted the pressing need of diplomacy and peace.
Background of the War
Europe
The First World War had radically altered the map of Europe. With the defeat of the Central Powers- Germany, Austria- Hungary, The Ottoman empire and Bulgaria, and the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, forming the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the victorious Allied Powers- The USA, Great Britain, Italy, Romania, France and Greece gained territory and new nations were created out of Austria- Hungary and Germany.
The League of Nations was created at the end of the war in the Paris Peace conference of 1919 to promote international peace.
Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles with which Germany had to war reparations of $200 billion and lost 13% of its territory to the allied powers. Its army was reduced to 100,000 men and its navy and air force was removed.
The imperial Germany was dissolved in the German revolution of 1918-1919 and a democratic republic was established(the Weimar republic). Italy although had gained some territory out of the First World War; Italian nationalists believed that they had been cheated by Britain and France. From 1922 to 1925 a Facist movement led by Benito Mussolini saw Italy convert to a totalitarian and anti-democratic state with Mussolini at its head.
Back in Germany an uprising saw a man named Adolf Hitler take control over a small nationalist party which he named the Nazi party. In an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the German government, with a march to Berlin, he was arrested. However, in 1923 he was appointed the Chancellor of Germany. He too abolished democracy and took total control of Germany in his hands.
Meanwhile, the United kingdom, France and Italy formed the Stresa front in April 1935, in order to control Germany's increasing hostility and armament. However, that June the UK formed a naval pact with Germany relaxing all the restrictions. The Soviet Union concerned with Germany's increasing strength formed a pact with France of mutual assistance. However, upon passing to the League of Nation the pact was rendered toothless.
Asia
The Kuomitang party(KMT) of China launched a reunification campaign against Regional War lords and nominally unified China in the 1920s. The unification did not last long, and China was soon plagued with Civil war. In 1931, an increasingly militaristic Empire of Japan which long sought to annex China set out to do so by staging the Mukden incident as an excuse to invade Manchuria. It soon established a puppet state of Manchuko.
China appealed to the League of Nations to stop the invasion of Japan. Japan withdrew from the League after being condemned for its invasion on China. The two nations fought several battles in Shangai, Rehe, Hebei until the Tanggu truce was signed in 1933.
Pre- War events
Italian invasion of Ethiopia(1935)
The second Italo-Ethiopian war was a brief colonial war between Italy and the Ethopian empire. The war began in October 1935 and ending in May 1936. It was launched from the Italian Somaliland and Ertitrea. The war resulted in an military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created Italian East Africa. Both Italy and Ethiopian were part of the League. But the league did nothing to control Italy's clear violation of Article X of the league's covenant. Britain and France imposed sanctions on Italy. However, they were not fully imposed and failed to end the invasion.
Spanish Civil War(1936-1939)
When civil war broke out in Spain, Hitler and Mussolini supported the nationalist rebels, led by General Fransisco. Mussolini supported the troops more than hitler did and sent out 70,000 troops in all. Along with that he sent 6,000 pilots and 720 aircraft. 30,000 foreign volunteers, known as the Brigaders fought against the nationalists. The Soviet Union had supported these troops. Using this proxy war both Hitler and Stalin got to test out their most advanced weapons and tactics. The nationalists won the war in 1939 and a new dictatorship under general Franco was born. Although Spain remained neutral during the war it supported the Axis in some instances. For example it sent troops to fight with Germany on the Eastern front.
Soviet- Japanese Border conflicts
In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japanese forces in Manchukuo had sporadic border clashes with the Soviet Union and Mongolia. The Japanese doctrine of Hokushin-ron, which emphasised Japan's expansion northward, was favoured by the Imperial Army during this time. With the Japanese defeat at Khalkin Gol in 1939, the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War and ally Nazi Germany pursuing neutrality with the Soviets, this policy would prove difficult to maintain. Japan and the Soviet Union eventually signed a Neutrality Pact in April 1941, and Japan adopted the doctrine of Nanshin-ron, promoted by the Navy, which took its focus southward, eventually leading to its war with the United States and the Western Allies.
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