World War II: A Comprehensive Timeline and Aftermath
After 1942: Allies Take the Initiative
The Allies began to take the initiative after 1942. The Germans had managed to occupy Stalingrad, but in February 1943, the German army surrendered. July 1943 marked a battle that signaled the decline of the German army. In North Africa, the British army stopped German troops. An offensive began with the landing in Morocco, and German troops retreated to Tunis. By May 1943, the fascist occupation of North Africa was over, causing a crisis in the Italian government. Victor Manuel dismissed Mussolini and replaced him with a general.
In the Pacific in 1942, the Americans counterattacked, braking Japanese expansionism. The tide turned thanks to the intervention of the USA. In November 1943, the three Allied presidents met and began to discuss the war and how it might end.
1944-45: The Final Phase
D-Day represents the beginning of the end for the fascists. By 1945, the official downfall of Germany occurred as Soviet troops fell on Berlin. On April 30th, Hitler committed suicide, and two days earlier, Mussolini was captured and hanged. On May 6th and 7th, the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich was signed.
In the Pacific, American troops had not yet reached Japan. Bombing began in Tokyo. In June 1945, seeing that the Japanese did not want to surrender, Truman decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Consequences of World War II
Human Cost
- Unprecedented mortality: For the first time, civilians suffered greatly due to ethnic genocide and displacement of populations.
- Bombing raids severely affected civilian populations, used as a weapon to discourage the enemy.
- An estimated 55 million people died, more than half of whom were civilians.
- During the post-war period, many people died due to malnutrition and injuries.
- Germany and Japan displaced many people from occupied countries.
- With peace treaties, there were certain border changes. It is estimated that in May 1945, there were 40 million people who did not know where to settle.
Moral Impact
The idea of Western civilization collapsed at the end of the war. A constitutional court was instituted, consisting of judges from the four winning countries. A new legal concept of “crimes against humanity” was introduced. The Nuremberg trials tried 21 Nazi leaders, 12 of whom were condemned to death, while some managed to flee.
Economic Consequences
The impact was significant. The military industry grew considerably, employing many, including women. The end of the war ravaged Western Europe, mainly its infrastructure. Europe was cut in half, Japan was almost annihilated, while Canada, Australia, and Sweden remained intact and increased their wealth.
Reconstruction was very difficult due to two problems: destruction and lack of labor and a functioning economy. This was resolved, and the big beneficiary was the United States, which became a major arms producer and took the lead in Western Europe. For the recovery of Europe, governments intervened based on the welfare state. The USSR also promoted its own model, becoming a global power by industrializing the East and incorporating it into its territory.
Political Ramifications
Fascist dictatorships were unsuccessful (almost all). Europe was divided into the West, led by the US and the UK, where democracy and capitalism would be the economic system, and the East, where the USSR promoted communism. In France and Italy, important communist groups emerged.