The continent of Europe spilt into two conflicting sides, so many different powers were siding in mutual defence agreements, when the war did happen, and it involved nearly every country in Europe. When alliances were signed, some countries were forced to support policies implemented by their partners, which was not taken so easily.
In some ways the basic causes of World War 1 goes back as far as the early 1800's. People controlled by other countries began to develop feelings of nationalism and patriotisms, often referred to as consciousness of sharing a common past and a closeness of speaking the same language. For Twenty years, the nations in Europe had been making alliances, they thought it would promote peace and that others would be protected by each country in case of war, making it foolish for one country to declare war on another.
World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict that began on 7 July 1937, in Asia and 1 September 1939, in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the world's countries and every inhabited continent. Virtually all countries that participated in World War I were involved in World War II. It was the most extensive and expensive apocalyptic armed conflict in the history of the World.
Attributed in varying degrees to the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression, nationalism, and militarism, the causes of the war are a matter of debate. On which date the war began is also debated, cited as either the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, the Japanese invasion of China on 7 July 1937 (the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War), or earlier yet the 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Still others argue that the two world wars are one conflict separated only by a "ceasefire".
The war came about because of the depression. The world powers were struggling, but they still had their natural resources to maintain their way of life. Germany, Italy, and Japan however relied on foreign trade for food and raw materials. If these countries were going to be able to survive and compete they would have to overtake other lands with valuable natural resources.
From the invasion of Poland to the dropping of the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - here's a guide to the main events of World War Two.
Timeline
1939
- Hitler invades Poland on 1 September. Britain and France declare war on Germany two days later.
1940
- Rationing starts in the UK.
- German 'Blitzkrieg' overwhelms Belgium, Holland and France.
- Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
- British Expeditionary Force evacuated from Dunkirk.
- British victory in Battle of Britain forces Hitler to postpone invasion plans.
1941
- Hitler begins Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of Russia.
- The Blitz continues against Britain's major cities.
- Allies take Tobruk in North Africa, and resist German attacks.
- Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and the US enters the war.
1942
- Germany suffers setbacks at Stalingrad and El Alamein.
- Singapore falls to the Japanese in February - around 25,000 prisoners taken.
- American naval victory at Battle of Midway, in June, marks turning point in Pacific War.
- Mass murder of Jewish people at Auschwitz begins.
1943
- Surrender at Stalingrad marks Germany's first major defeat.
- Allied victory in North Africa enables invasion of Italy to be launched.
- Italy surrenders, but Germany takes over the battle.
- British and Indian forces fight Japanese in Burma.
1944
- Allies land at Anzio and bomb monastery at Monte Cassino.
- Soviet offensive gathers pace in Eastern Europe.
- D Day: The Allied invasion of France. Paris is liberated in August.
- Guam liberated by the US Okinawa, and Iwo Jima bombed.
1945
- Auschwitz liberated by Soviet troops.
- Russians reach Berlin: Hitler commits suicide and Germany surrenders on 7 May.
- Truman becomes President of the US on Roosevelt's death, and Attlee replaces Churchill.
- After atomic bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrenders on 14 August.
Above is the link showing the animation of the Western Front, 1914 - 1918 Animation
Yet this academic research has had almost no impact on popular understanding. This should not be a cause for despair or disdain. Societies have always misrepresented the past in an attempt to understand the present.
The misuse of World War one and two ensures that it remains in the public consciousness, and that those who fought are, however inaccurately, remembered. It remains to be seen how long that memory will last beyond the hundredth anniversaries in 2014-2018.
