Key Events and Turning Points of World War II
Pre-War Europe and Rising Tensions
The Great Depression and Rise of Fascism
The Great Depression, starting around 1929 (though the text mentions 1921), contributed to instability and the rise of support for fascism, an authoritarian form of government.
- Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922.
- Adolf Hitler became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party) in Germany, promoting nationalism.
Axis Alliance and Aggression
The Axis Alliance formed between Germany and Italy, later joined by Japan. Germany, under Hitler, began military expansion, moving its army to borders and increasing weapons production.
The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
This conflict pitted Nationalists against Republicans.
- Francisco Franco led the fascist Nationalists.
- Germany provided weapons and support to the Nationalists.
Appeasement and Annexations
British policy under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain focused on appeasement – trying to keep Germany happy to avoid war.
- Germany annexed Austria (the Anschluss) in 1938.
- Germany took the Sudetenland, a region in Czechoslovakia, in 1938.
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939)
Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression treaty, agreeing not to attack each other.
World War II Begins
On September 1, 1939, the war began when Germany invaded Poland.
The Allied Powers initially included France and the United Kingdom (UK), later joined by the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR). Winston Churchill became the British Prime Minister during the war.
Blitzkrieg and Early German Victories (1939-1940)
Germany employed the Blitzkrieg (lightning war) strategy, using fast, coordinated attacks with Panzer units (tanks) and aircraft (dive bombers).
Germany conquered or controlled several countries, including:
- Poland
- Denmark
- Norway
- Belgium
- The Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- France
- Later influencing or occupying Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria
Invasion of France (1940)
Germany attacked through the Ardennes forest, bypassing the Maginot Line (a line of French defenses), achieving a surprise attack. British and French forces were pushed back to Dunkirk, where many British troops were evacuated. Germany captured Paris in 1940.
The French Resistance
French citizens fought against German occupation. Charles de Gaulle became the leader of the Free French forces.
Battle of Britain (1940)
This was primarily an air campaign fought between the German Luftwaffe and the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The British won, partly due to their use of radar, a new technology.
The War Expands (1941)
Other Fronts
- North Africa: German General Erwin Rommel led the Afrika Korps.
- Balkans: Germany invaded Yugoslavia. Josip Broz Tito led the Yugoslav resistance.
Invasion of the USSR (Operation Barbarossa, June 1941)
Germany broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and invaded the Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin. The German advance aimed for three main objectives: Kiev, Leningrad (formerly St. Petersburg), and Moscow. Strategic mistakes, including launching the invasion late and facing the harsh Russian winter, hampered the German army, particularly near Moscow. The long Siege of Leningrad began.
The U.S. Enters the War
The US President was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Japan, led by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, engaged in peace talks with the US while planning an attack.
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. The attack was planned by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
Turning Points (1942-1943)
In early 1942, the Axis powers reached their maximum extent, with Japan controlling many islands in the Pacific.
Key Battles
- North Africa: Battle of El Alamein (Late 1942) – Result: Rommel’s Afrika Korps was decisively defeated.
- Pacific: Battle of Midway (June 1942) – Result: US Navy destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers, halting Japanese expansion.
- Eastern Front: Battle of Stalingrad (Aug 1942 – Feb 1943) – Result: The German Sixth Army was surrounded and destroyed after a brutal siege; a major turning point on the Eastern Front. Russian snipers played a significant role.
Allied Offensives
- Air Raids (1943 onwards): The British RAF bombed German targets by night, and the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) bombed by day.
- Victory in North Africa: Allied forces pushed Germany out of Africa.
- Invasion of Italy (1943): Allied forces landed in Sicily and mainland Italy, leading to Mussolini’s downfall.
- Russian Offensive: The Red Army began pushing German forces westward out of the USSR.
Allied Invasion of Europe (1944)
Operation Overlord
Planned by the”Big Thre” Allied leaders (Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin), the invasion of France was codenamed Operation Overlord. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the Supreme Allied Commander.
D-Day (June 6, 1944)
Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.
Liberation and Advance
- Paris Liberated: August 1944.
- Assassination Attempt on Hitler: July 1944 (the July 20 Plot); Rommel was implicated and forced to commit suicide.
End of the War (1945)
Victory in Europe (V-E Day)
- January 1945: Allied forces capture the German industrial heartland, the Ruhr.
- Race to Berlin: Soviet forces advanced from the east, while Western Allies advanced from the west.
- April 1945: President Roosevelt dies; Harry S. Truman becomes US President. Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his Berlin bunker.
- May 8, 1945: Germany formally surrenders. This date is celebrated as V-E Day (Victory in Europe).
Japanese Defeat in the Pacific (V-J Day)
US forces, under commanders like General Douglas MacArthur, advanced across the Pacific.
- Kamikaze Pilots: Japanese pilots deliberately crashed their planes into Allied ships.
- Battle of Iwo Jima: Fierce fighting for a strategic island (Feb-Mar 1945).
The Atomic Bomb
To avoid a costly invasion of mainland Japan, President Truman authorized the use of the atomic bomb.
- Hiroshima: Bombed on August 6, 1945.
- Nagasaki: Bombed on August 9, 1945.
Japan announced its surrender on August 15, 1945 (formally signed September 2). The text notes surrender on August 9, 1945.
Post-War Division
Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
Allied leaders (Truman, Churchill/Attlee, Stalin) met to decide the post-war order.
Partition of Germany and Berlin
Germany was divided into four occupation zones (US, UK, French, Soviet), intended to be temporary but leading to permanent division into West Germany and East Germany. Berlin, located within the Soviet zone, was also divided into four sectors.
Areas of Influence
- Eastern Europe: Came under the influence of the Soviet Union (USSR).
- Western Europe: Received aid and influence from the USA.
The division of Berlin eventually led to the construction of the Berlin Wall (in 1961), symbolizing the Cold War divide.
Marshall Plan
The USA launched the Marshall Plan to provide economic aid for the recovery of war-torn Europe.