Axis and Allied Powers in World War II: A Detailed Account
Axis Powers’ Initial Dominance in World War II
The Axis victory began with the invasion of Poland, revealing the might of the German army. Between October 1939 and March 1940, military operations paused. In April, Germany launched surprise attacks on Denmark and Norway, securing vital iron supplies. In May 1940, the Germans attacked France, which had adopted a defensive strategy, building the “Maginot Line” along the German border. The Germans bypassed this defense by attacking through Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, catching the French forces from behind. France was defeated in less than a month. The British managed to escape across the Channel. Italy joined the war, convinced of an imminent Nazi victory. By the summer of 1940, Germany seemed invincible, having occupied Poland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Norway. Only Britain stood in the way of its total victory.
To prepare for the invasion of the United Kingdom, the Germans launched an air assault, known as the Battle of Britain. German aircraft bombed military and civilian targets in the United Kingdom. However, the destruction only strengthened the British resolve, and the Royal Air Force ultimately defeated the German Luftwaffe. In 1941, the Germans defeated the British in North Africa, who had come to the aid of the Italians. They also occupied Greece and Yugoslavia. Despite the agreement of “non-aggression,” Hitler, driven by the desire to occupy all of Europe and frustrated by the inability to conquer Britain, turned his troops towards Russia.
In June 1941, the Germans attacked the USSR, achieving significant victories for eight months. The Soviets, however, did not surrender. The Germans reached Leningrad and occupied Ukraine. The arrival of winter forced the German troops to retreat, marking their first land defeat. Since the early twentieth century, Japan had pursued a policy of imperialist expansion. On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, the main U.S. base in the Pacific. The U.S. had always shown sympathy for the Allies, supplying them with manufactured weapons and products. The attack on Pearl Harbor prompted the U.S. to enter the war.
Allied Powers’ Triumph and the End of World War II
Between 1942 and 1943, the tide of the war turned, and the Axis powers began to suffer a series of withdrawals and defeats. Hitler attempted a final victory by launching an offensive in the south of the USSR to secure fuel supplies. Italy launched an offensive in North Africa against the British to occupy the Suez Canal. In late 1942, the Battle of El Alamein took place, where British troops defeated the Italians. American and British forces landed in North Africa, trapping the Germans in Tunisia.
In the Battle of Stalingrad, the Germans were defeated, marking the beginning of their retreat from the USSR. The Axis powers fought on for several more years, resisting a negotiated peace and offering resistance until their total defeat. In the summer of 1943, the Germans launched their last major attack on the USSR, the Battle of Kursk, the largest tank battle in history. The Germans were defeated and expelled from Soviet territories. In May 1943, German and Italian forces surrendered in Tunisia, leaving North Africa in the hands of the Allies, who then invaded southern Italy. This led to the downfall of the fascist regime and the arrest of Mussolini.
On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the Normandy landings, known as D-Day. From then on, the Germans had to defend two fronts: France and the USSR. Germany was in a desperate situation. The Battle of Berlin in May 1945, between Soviet and German forces, ended the Nazi resistance. Hitler committed suicide, and Mussolini had been executed days before. The assault on the Japanese archipelago never came. To prevent further loss of life, U.S. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and on August 9, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. World War II had ended.