Definition of World War II

World War II (1939-1945) is considered the greatest armed conflict of history. It marked the history of the 20th century and its consequences are still present in the Balance of forces between the nations of the planet.

A summary of this event forces a synthesis. For this to be clear, the following is presented scheme: causes, development, outcome and consequences.

Regarding the causes, the fact that two European powers (Germany and Italy) were under a totalitarian regime at the beginning of the 1930s and with a clear expansionist desire stands out. Germany was immersed in a serious economic crisis and the appearance of Hitler as leader was a stimulus to recover the confidence loss after defeat in World War I. Nazi propaganda and militarism grow in the 1930s. Jews are persecuted and National Socialism defends the idea of ​​the supremacy of the Aryan race.

World War II begins in 1939 when Germany occupies Poland and war is declared, initially in Europe. Northern European countries are also occupied by the Nazis. France and Great Britain go to war against the

danger of territorial expansion of the German army. Gradually, Germany invades Greece, Yugoslavia, North Africa and even a part of France. In parallel, Japan bombed the US military base at Pearl Harbor in 1941, causing the US to enter the war, as Japan intended to occupy Southeast Asian territories. The two sides are defined: the so-called axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) against the bloc of the allies, led by the US, Great Britain and France, which tries to resist the Nazi occupation. The Soviet Union is with the Allies, because it has been invaded by Hitler's troops. Starting in 1943, the axis bloc began to weaken, as the allies reconquered strategic areas: North Africa, Sicily, the Pacific islands, etc.

In 1944 the allied troops landed on the coast of Normandy (France). The Soviet Union occupies Poland and especially Berlin. Hitler commits suicide, as his army is being dismantled on all fronts. Mussolinni is assassinated by the Italian partisans. Japan also surrenders after the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 14, 1945, the end of World War II was declared.

The consequences of conflict they were several. Europe was divided into two blocks: the countries of the Soviet orbit and the Western democracies. The US launched the Marshall Plan, a draft economic recovery aimed at European recovery. Germany was divided into two states and Japan had to implement democratic reforms. The USA and the Soviet Union were the two great victors and for several decades the world was divided into two blocks dominated by these nations.

Issues in World War II