And now here is my study I wrote several years back when I first became fascinated with World War II. It was the greatest human conflict in world history, the bloodiest most darkest time there has ever been. It was a war to end all wars, a sheer demonstration of industrial, scientific and the utmost destructive of weaponry. Set in Europe it involved the entirely world and resulted in over 60 million deaths.. Even in this modern age of technology and political turmoil nothing has come close to the atrocities of WWII. Whenever I feel down or upset I think of how bad things were from the 1930 to 1945. It is truly one of the most interesting historical periods there has ever been.
Germany Invasion of Poland
On
the 1st of September, 1939 Germany invaded Poland to win back its
port-city of Danzig, and expand its land. Hitler managed to make a
non-aggressive pact with Soviet Union to invade and divide the country of
Poland. Once the invasion was successful, Germany annexed most of the country
and sent the Polish citizens to Concentration and Extermination Camps. It is
believed that close to 6 million Polish-Jews were killed in these extermination
camps throughout the war. This Invasion of Poland was declared an act of
aggression against the League of Nations who controlled the
port city, and thus became an immediate cause for war immediately following the
invasion, the United Kingdom, Australia, France and New Zealand all declared
war on Germany and formed the Allied Powers.
Invasion of France
Shortly
after their successful takeover of Denmark and Norway, Germany pushed further
west, by invading France, Netherlands, and Belgium. The Nazis easily overran
Netherlands and Belgium through their lightning strike “Blitzkrieg” war-tactics. Meanwhile
the French were able to hold strong, with the assistance of the British. Yet
this all changed on June 10, when Italy declared war on France and the United
Kingdom, and thus invaded France.
France had no choice but to surrender, and was then divided into German and Italian occupation zones. The Battle of France became a decisive Axis Victory. Britain moved quickly to destroy the remainder of the French Fleet, in order to prevent the fleet from falling in the hands of the German Navy. At this point, Britain was now practically alone in the fight against Germany and Italy.
Bombardment of Britain
The
German Air Force then began an air-campaign to prepare for an invasion of
Britain. The Battle of Britain was fought entirely by air-forces, and ended
in the favor of the British Air Force. The Nazis were forced to abandon their
campaign, and had to find other means to conquer Britain. With the help of
Italian Navy, the Germans were able to continuously fight and pester the Royal
Navy, with their U-Boats. The Battle of the Atlantic switched
advantages back and forth and lasted all throughout the war.
In
October of 1940, Italy invaded Greece, and were pushed back within days.
Although it was considered a stalemate, the battle was a tactical victory for
the Greeks. Shortly after this battle, the Commonwealth of Nations was able to
launch offensives against the Italian African Zones, and push the Italians to
near defeat, until the Germans came to their aid. In the Battle of Crete,
the Germans were able to push back and overwhelm the British and Commonwealth
forces, through airborne operations consisting of paratroopers. Germany had
conquered the island of Greece by the end of May.
Operation Barbarossa
On
June 22, 1941 Nazi Germany commenced with Operation Barbarossa, an invasion of
the Soviet Union. With a combined force of over 4.5 million troops, Hitler
wanted to eliminate the threat of communism, and generate more living space. By
accomplishing this, they would have access to plentiful of resources, to deal
with their remaining rivals. The Battle of Kiev was an important
early victory for the Germans, who managed to encircle the city, and capture
thousands of Red Army soldiers. By October the Axis Powers had gained
control of the Baltic region and Ukraine, and pushed onward to Moscow.
On Germany’s Eastern Front, the Nazis had managed to stop the Soviet offensives, and once again mounted another offensive, called Case Blue. This lead to The Battle of Stalingrad, which was not only the bloodiest battle of the war, but the bloodiest battle of human history. The Nazi army stormed into the city, where they had no regards for civilians. The battle turned into a bitter street fight and lasted for several months. The Nazis were eventually trapped and defeated by the Soviet Army. The Battle became the turning point of the war, with combined causalities over 1.5 million people. Following this battle, the Red Army mounted its second major counter-offensive.
Japanese Aggression
Meanwhile Japan also was on the rise to power, as made many demands, mostly for oil. They captured the island of Indochina to better their strategic position. The United States responded to this, by enacting an oil embargo on the country which infuriated Japan. On December 7, 1941 they began simultaneous offensives on the United States, British, and Dutch naval bases. This included an attack on Pearl Harbor, which would caused president Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare war on Japan and Germany.
By the end of April 1942, Japan had almost fully conquered Burma, Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, and Dutch East Indies and had naval bases all throughout the Pacific Ocean.
On the Western front, heavy fighting was taking place in Northern Africa, where the Axis powers had gained heavy control. The Germans and Italians had already spread throughout countries like Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The Axis powers wanted to expand their territory and control the
Suez
Canal and the Middle Eastern oil fields. The Allies lead an attack to push them
out of Egypt, in the Second Battle of El Alamein. It
marked a very important defeat for the Axis Powers and brought an end to their
African Expansion.
On the night of July 9, 1943 the Allies invaded Sicily, Italy in a campaign known as Operation Husky. It was a large scale water and airborne operation that later led to land combat. The Allies were able to defeat the Axis powers, and capture Benito Mussolini. Though he was later saved by a daring German rescue known as the Gran Sasso Raid, where paratroopers managed to infiltrate the camp, and fly him out of Italy. Mussolini then returned to power in Italy, yet it was not long, until the Allied forces were able to capture Rome and defeat the Italian Army.
Operation Overlord
On June 6th, 1944 the Allied Forces invaded Normandy, France. This important operation was led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and consisted of close to 1 million American soldiers. The operation consisted of boat and plane landings on the German dominated beaches. The Operation was conducted in several phases, yet the 1st part known as D-Day was the most important. The main objective of D-Day was for the Allies to win the Omaha beach from the Nazis, so as to allow more Allied ships and planes to land from Britain. Once the Allies had won the island, they established the French beach as a military harbor to move in on Germany from the west. The Nazis were eventually driven out of the country, and France was finally liberated in August. D-Day has become a defining symbol of the war, and marked the collapse of the Axis Powers.
As
the Western Allies moved in on Germany from the west, their east was also being
pushed back by the Red Army. During Operation Bagration, the Soviets
managed to push the Nazi forces out of Belarus and Poland. The operation
resulted in the almost complete destruction of the German Army.
In
the Pacific, the American forces had also managed to narrow the Japanese’
perimeter. In June of 1944, they began an offensive operation in the Mariana
and Palau Islands and were thus able to land in the Philippines. General
Douglas MacArthur led a successful invasion of the island of Leyte, in
the Philippines. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is considered to be the largest naval
battle in history. Although the Japanese were completely overwhelmed, they used
shrew tactics such as Kamikazes, to bring havoc to the American army. Once the battle was over, the American army
was able to bring liberation to the Philippines after three years of Japanese
control.
The Fall of Germany
On December 16, 1944 Germany launched one last major offensive in Belgium, known as The Battle of the Bulge. Hitler had hoped to split the British and American line in half, capture Antwerp Belgium and force the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in his favor. The Germans managed to achieve complete surprise on the Allied Forces. It took the Allies six weeks to repulse the attack, and eventually move onward into Italy. The Western Allies attacked the German forces in Italy, which eventually lead to their surrender on May 2, 1945. Mussolini was eventually captured and overthrown by the Italian government. He was later executed on April 28th during the Allies invasion of the country. His body was hung upside down in a plaza for all to see as a symbol to discourage Fascism.
The Soviets had now advanced through East Prussia, Poland, and Vienna. In April 25th, 1945 they stormed Berlin, in the extremely bloody Battle of Berlin. The Soviets had managed to encircle the city, and move toward its center. This was the Nazis final stance, where Hitler and many of his other high officers committed suicide. The raising of the Soviet Flag on the Reichstag became the defining symbol of Germany’s defeat.
Fall of Japan
On April 12, 1945 American President Roosevelt died and was succeeded by Harry S. Truman. Truman carried forth where FDR had left off, and America now put their focus on Japan. While British and Chinese forces won back Burma, the American forces continued through the Pacific islands. The Battle of Luzon led to the unconditional surrender of Japan, yet fighting carried on beyond the Philippines islands. The Americans were now ready to move in on Japan and did so by winning the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. American bombers then destroyed Japanese cities and cut off their imports. At this point the Allies began working on some agreements to end the war, yet the Japanese did not like the terms.
On August 6th
and August 9th of 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs over
the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They did this in hopes to bring an
instant end to the war, and also display their power to the world. The bombs
killed a grand total of 320,000 Japanese civilians in a matter of seconds. To
make matters worse for the Japanese, the Soviets declared war on them, and
invaded the Japanese-held country of Manchuria. On August 15, 1945 Japan
surrendered to the Allied Powers, and WW2 was finally over.
Germany Invasion of Poland
Following the invasion of Poland, the Soviet Union
began moving its troops into the Baltic States such as, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Finland to establish military bases. They were thus expelled
from the League of Nations for their act of aggression, yet not considered as
serious a threat as Germany was.
In Western Europe, British troops began to deploy and
assemble in Europe, yet did not attack Germany in fear that the Soviet Union
may join them. In April of 1940, Germany carried forth Operation Weser Exercise,
an assault on Denmark and Norway, to take control of important Atlantic Ports.
With control of these waters, the Nazis were able to construct U-boats to
harass Allied shipping, and also secure shipments from Sweden. Denmark and
Norway submitted to Germany control within two months, and soon Germany
controlled a large sector of central Europe. The time had finally come for the
Allied Powers to act, and their first move was electing a new British Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill.
Invasion of France
France had no choice but to surrender, and was then divided into German and Italian occupation zones. The Battle of France became a decisive Axis Victory. Britain moved quickly to destroy the remainder of the French Fleet, in order to prevent the fleet from falling in the hands of the German Navy. At this point, Britain was now practically alone in the fight against Germany and Italy.
Bombardment of Britain
In the end of September 1940, Japan joined Italy and
Germany in the signing of the Triparte Pact, and thus the Axis
Powers were established. By November, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania
all joined the Axis Powers.
Operation Barbarossa
The British came to the aid of the Soviet Union, by
invading Iran to secure its oil fields and ensure supply lines for the Red
Army. The commonwealth force then carried out Operation Crusader, to
win back the deserts, and push the Italian and Germans out.
In the cold winters of 1941, the Soviets were able to
hold the Germans back, and after new reinforcements, were able to mount a major
counter-offensive against them.
On Germany’s Eastern Front, the Nazis had managed to stop the Soviet offensives, and once again mounted another offensive, called Case Blue. This lead to The Battle of Stalingrad, which was not only the bloodiest battle of the war, but the bloodiest battle of human history. The Nazi army stormed into the city, where they had no regards for civilians. The battle turned into a bitter street fight and lasted for several months. The Nazis were eventually trapped and defeated by the Soviet Army. The Battle became the turning point of the war, with combined causalities over 1.5 million people. Following this battle, the Red Army mounted its second major counter-offensive.
Japanese Aggression
Meanwhile Japan also was on the rise to power, as made many demands, mostly for oil. They captured the island of Indochina to better their strategic position. The United States responded to this, by enacting an oil embargo on the country which infuriated Japan. On December 7, 1941 they began simultaneous offensives on the United States, British, and Dutch naval bases. This included an attack on Pearl Harbor, which would caused president Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare war on Japan and Germany.
By the end of April 1942, Japan had almost fully conquered Burma, Philippines, Malaya, Singapore, and Dutch East Indies and had naval bases all throughout the Pacific Ocean.
The Americans were able to intercept many of the
Japanese naval codes, and became aware of many of their plans. The Japanese
intended to establish a Greater East Asia, with total control of the Pacific,
and free from the Western Powers. In the Battle of Midway, the American army
capitalized on their code breaking by intercepting Japanese plans to attack the
island of Midway. The Americans were
prepared for the assault, and were able to defeat the Japanese Army, thus
giving them the strategic initiative.
The Japanese continued to launch major offensives all throughout Asia and the Pacific. They managed to besiege British positions in India, during Operation U-Go. They also began a campaign against China, known as Operation Ichi-Go, where they hoped to not only destroy China’s fighting force, but also secure railways and important airfields. While the Japanese Army pushed westward, they began to lose grip of their hold on the Pacific.
The Japanese continued to launch major offensives all throughout Asia and the Pacific. They managed to besiege British positions in India, during Operation U-Go. They also began a campaign against China, known as Operation Ichi-Go, where they hoped to not only destroy China’s fighting force, but also secure railways and important airfields. While the Japanese Army pushed westward, they began to lose grip of their hold on the Pacific.
The Fall of Italy
On the Western front, heavy fighting was taking place in Northern Africa, where the Axis powers had gained heavy control. The Germans and Italians had already spread throughout countries like Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The Axis powers wanted to expand their territory and control the
On the night of July 9, 1943 the Allies invaded Sicily, Italy in a campaign known as Operation Husky. It was a large scale water and airborne operation that later led to land combat. The Allies were able to defeat the Axis powers, and capture Benito Mussolini. Though he was later saved by a daring German rescue known as the Gran Sasso Raid, where paratroopers managed to infiltrate the camp, and fly him out of Italy. Mussolini then returned to power in Italy, yet it was not long, until the Allied forces were able to capture Rome and defeat the Italian Army.
Operation Overlord
On June 6th, 1944 the Allied Forces invaded Normandy, France. This important operation was led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and consisted of close to 1 million American soldiers. The operation consisted of boat and plane landings on the German dominated beaches. The Operation was conducted in several phases, yet the 1st part known as D-Day was the most important. The main objective of D-Day was for the Allies to win the Omaha beach from the Nazis, so as to allow more Allied ships and planes to land from Britain. Once the Allies had won the island, they established the French beach as a military harbor to move in on Germany from the west. The Nazis were eventually driven out of the country, and France was finally liberated in August. D-Day has become a defining symbol of the war, and marked the collapse of the Axis Powers.
The Fall of Germany
On December 16, 1944 Germany launched one last major offensive in Belgium, known as The Battle of the Bulge. Hitler had hoped to split the British and American line in half, capture Antwerp Belgium and force the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in his favor. The Germans managed to achieve complete surprise on the Allied Forces. It took the Allies six weeks to repulse the attack, and eventually move onward into Italy. The Western Allies attacked the German forces in Italy, which eventually lead to their surrender on May 2, 1945. Mussolini was eventually captured and overthrown by the Italian government. He was later executed on April 28th during the Allies invasion of the country. His body was hung upside down in a plaza for all to see as a symbol to discourage Fascism.
The Soviets had now advanced through East Prussia, Poland, and Vienna. In April 25th, 1945 they stormed Berlin, in the extremely bloody Battle of Berlin. The Soviets had managed to encircle the city, and move toward its center. This was the Nazis final stance, where Hitler and many of his other high officers committed suicide. The raising of the Soviet Flag on the Reichstag became the defining symbol of Germany’s defeat.
Fall of Japan
In the Pacific, the American forces had also managed to narrow the Japanese’ perimeter. In June of 1944, they began an offensive operation in the Mariana and Palau Islands and were thus able to land in the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur led a successful invasion of the island of Leyte, in the Philippines. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is considered to be the largest naval battle in history. Although the Japanese were completely overwhelmed, they used shrew tactics such as Kamikazes, to bring havoc to the American army. Once the battle was over, the American army was able to bring liberation to the Philippines after three years of Japanese control.
On April 12, 1945 American President Roosevelt died and was succeeded by Harry S. Truman. Truman carried forth where FDR had left off, and America now put their focus on Japan. While British and Chinese forces won back Burma, the American forces continued through the Pacific islands. The Battle of Luzon led to the unconditional surrender of Japan, yet fighting carried on beyond the Philippines islands. The Americans were now ready to move in on Japan and did so by winning the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. American bombers then destroyed Japanese cities and cut off their imports. At this point the Allies began working on some agreements to end the war, yet the Japanese did not like the terms.
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