2st WORLD WAR HISTORY

 

                                            

🌍 World War II — History Overview

📅 Duration:

September 1, 1939 – September 2, 1945

⚔️ What Was It?

World War II was the most destructive conflict in human history, involving over 100 million people across more than 30 countries. It led to the Holocaust, the use of atomic bombs, and the creation of the United Nations.

🔥 Main Causes

1. Treaty of Versailles (1919):
   Harsh terms on Germany after WWI caused economic hardship and resentment.

2. Rise of Dictators:

   • Adolf Hitler (Germany) – Nazi ideology, expansionism

   • Benito Mussolini (Italy) – Fascism

   • Hideki Tojo / Emperor Hirohito (Japan) – Militarism and imperial expansion

3. Failure of the League of Nations:
   Could not prevent aggression or enforce peace

4. Appeasement:
   Western powers allowed Hitler to expand unchecked (e.g., Munich Agreement 1938)

💥 Immediate Spark

• Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939

• Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later

🌐 Major Powers Involved

Allied Powers:

• United Kingdom

• Soviet Union (after 1941)

• United States (after Dec 1941)

• China, France, and many others

Axis Powers:

• Germany

• Italy

• Japan

🕯 The Holocaust

• Systematic genocide of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany

• Also targeted: Roma, disabled people, Poles, Slavs, political opponents, and others

• Carried out in concentration camps (e.g., Auschwitz, Treblinka)

💣 Use of Atomic Bombs

• Hiroshima: August 6, 1945

• Nagasaki: August 9, 1945

• Caused Japan’s surrender; sparked global nuclear fears

🕊 End of the War

• Europe: May 8, 1945 (V-E Day) – Nazi Germany surrenders

• Pacific: September 2, 1945 (V-J Day) – Japan surrenders on USS Missouri

📜 Aftermath and Consequences

• UN formed (1945) to maintain global peace

• Cold War begins: USA vs USSR

• Germany and Berlin divided into East and West

• War crimes trials (Nuremberg Trials) punish Nazi leaders

• Millions of deaths (est. 70–85 million, including civilians)

• Massive destruction in Europe and Asia

🗺 Legacy

• Changed the political map of the world

• Spurred decolonization in Africa and Asia

• Led to the rise of the USA and USSR as superpowers

• Inspired the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

🏅 Notable Leaders:

Country	Leader
Germany	Adolf Hitler
UK	Winston Churchill
USA	Franklin D. Roosevelt (then Harry Truman)
USSR	Joseph Stalin
Japan	Emperor Hirohito / Hideki Tojo
Italy	Benito Mussolini