Introduction:

World War II, also called Second World War, conflict that involved virtually every
part of the world during the years 1939–45. The principal belligerents were the Axis
power and Germany,Italy, and Japan and the Allies—farnce Great Britain , the united
state, the soviet union, and, to a lesser extent,China.. The war was in many respects a
continuation, after an uneasy 20-year hiatus, of the disputes left unsettled by world
war l.. The 40,000,000–50,000,000 deaths incurred in World War II make it the
bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest war, in history.

The outbreak of war:

bythe early part of 1939 the German detractor had become determined to invade and
occupy Poland.. Poland, for its part, had guarantees of French and British military
support should it be attacked by Germany. Hitler intended to invade Poland anyway,
but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the
invasion of its western neighbour. Secret negotiations led on August 23–24 to the
signing of the German soviet In a secret protocol of this pact, the Germans and the
Soviets agreed that Poland should be divided between them, with the western third
of the country going to Germany and the eastern two-thirds being taken over by the
U.S.S.R

Having achieved this cynicalagreement, the other provisions of which stupefied

Europe even without divulgence of the secret protocol, Hitler thought that Germany
could attack Poland with no danger of Soviet or British intervention and gave orders
for the invasion to start on August 26. News of the signing, on August 25, of a formal
treaty of mutual assistance between Great Britain and Poland (to supersede a
previous though temporary agreement) caused him to postpone the start of
hostilities for a few days. He was still determined, however, to ignore the diplomatic
efforts of the western powers to restrain him. Finally, at 12:40 PM on August 31,
1939, Hitler ordered hostilities against Poland to start at 4:45 the next morning. The
invasion began as ordered. In response, Great Britain  and France declared war on
Germany on September 3, at 11:00 AMand at 5:00 PM, respectively. World War II
had begun.

Causes of world war ll

1:WWll and treasury of Versailles :

From the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France for
the peace conference in early 1919, the post-war reality began to diverge sharply
from Wilson’s idealistic vision.
When Germany signed the armistice ending hostilities in the  first world war  on
November 11, 1918, its leaders believed they were accepting a “peace
without victory,” as outlined by U.S president Woodrow Wilson  in his
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famous fourteen point. But from the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied
nations arrived in France for the peace conference in early 1919, the post-
war reality began to diverge sharply from Wilson’s idealistic vision .

2:Appeasement

Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's
policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. ...
Hitler's expansionist aims became clear in 1936 when his forces entered the
Rhineland. Two years later, in March 1938, he annexed Austria.

3:Rise of Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism, form of government that theoretically permits no individual
freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the authority of
the state. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini coined the term totalitario in the early
1920s to characterize the new fascist state of Italy, which he further described as “all
within the state, none outside the state, none against the state.” By the beginning of
World War II, totalitarian had become synonymous with absolute and oppressive
single-party government. Other modern examples of totalitarian states include the
Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, the People’s
Republic of China under Mao Zedong, and North Korea under the Kim.

In the broadest sense, totalitarianism is characterized by strong central rule that

attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and
repression. Historical examples of such centralized totalitarian rule include the
Mauryan dynasty of India (c. 321–c. 185 BCE), the Qin dynasty of China (221–207
BCE), and the reign of Zulu chief Shaka (c. 1816–28). Nazi Germany (1933–45) and
the Soviet Union during the Stalin era (1924–53) were the first examples of
decentralized or popular totalitarianism, in which the state achieved overwhelming
popular support for its leadership. That support was not spontaneous: its genesis
depended on a charismatic leader, and it was made possible only by modern
developments in communication and transportation.

What is Fascism

Fascism, political ideology and mass movement that dominated many parts of
central, southern, and eastern Europe between 1919 and 1945 and that also had
adherents in western Europe, the United States, South Africa, Japan, Latin America,
and the Middle East. Europe’s first fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, took the name of
his party from the Latin word fasces, which referred to a bundle of elm or birch rods
(usually containing an ax) used as a symbol of penal authority in ancient Rome.
Although fascist parties and movements differed significantly from one another, they
had many characteristics in common, including extreme militaristic nationalism,
contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in
natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a
Volksgemeinschaft (German: “people’s community”), in which individual interests
would be subordinated to the good of the nation. At the end of World War II, the
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major European fascist parties were broken up, and in some countries (such as Italy
and West Germany) they were officially banned. Beginning in the late 1940s,
however, many fascist-oriented parties and movements were founded in Europe as
well as in Latin America and South Africa. Although some European “neofascist”
groups attracted large followings, especially in Italy and France, none were as
influential as the major fascist parties of the interwar period.

What did Hitler want?

Germany’s war strategy was assumed by Hitler from the first. When the successful
campaign against Poland failed to produce the desired peace accord with Britain, he
ordered the army to prepare for an immediate offensive in the west. Bad weather
made some of his reluctant generals postpone the western offensive. This in turn led
to two major changes in planning. The first was Hitler’s order to forestall an eventual
British presence in Norway by occupying that country and Denmark in April 1940.
Hitler took a close personal interest in this daring operation. From this time onward
his intervention in the detail of military operations grew steadily greater. The second
was Hitler’s important adoption of General Erich von Manstein’s plan for an attack
through the Ardennes (which began May 10) instead of farther north. This was a
brilliant and startling success. The German armies reached the Channel ports (which
they had been unable to reach during World War I) in 10 days. Holland surrendered
after 4 days and Belgium after 16 days. Hitler held back General Gerd von
Rundstedt’s tanks south of Dunkirk, thus enabling the British to evacuate most of
their army, but the western campaign as a whole was amazingly successful. On June
10 Italy entered the war on the side of Germany. On June 22 Hitler signed a
triumphant armistice with the French on the site of the Armistice of 1918.

Who was on each side?

Major Alliances during World War II

These three countries recognized German domination over most of continental

Europe; Italian domination over the Mediterranean Sea; and Japanese domination
over East Asia and the Pacific. The Allied Powers were led by Great Britain, the
United States, and the Soviet Union.

The Allied Powers World War II was fought between two major groups of nations.
They became known as the Axis and Allied Powers. The major Allied Powers were
Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. The Allies formed mostly as a defense
against the attacks of the Axis Powers. The original members of the Allies included
Great Britain, France and Poland. When Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and
France declared war on Germany.

Russia becomes and Ally

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At the start of World War II, Russia and Germany were friends. However, on 22
June 1941 Hitler, the leader of Germany, ordered a surprise attack on Russia. Russia
then became an enemy of the Axis Powers and joined the Allies.

The US Joins the Allied Powers

The United States had hoped to remain neutral during World War II. However, the
US was attacked by surprise at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This attack united the
country against the Axis Powers and turned the tide of World War II in the favor of
the Allies.

Allied Leaders (from left to right) Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt, and
Joseph Stalin Photo by Unknown

Leaders of the Allied Powers:

Great Britain: Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of Great Britain during most of
World War II, Winston Churchill was a great leader. His country was the last country
fighting against the Germans in Europe. He is known for his famous speeches to his
people when the Germans were bombing them during the Battle of Britain.

United States: Franklin D. Roosevelt - One of the greatest presidents in the history
of the United States, President Roosevelt led the country out of the Great Depression
and through World War II.

Russia: Joseph Stalin -Stalin's title was General Secretary of the Communist Party.
He led Russia through terrible and devastating battles with Germany. Millions and
millions of people died. After winning the war, he set up the Eastern Bloc of Soviet
led communist states.

France: Charles de Gaulle - Leader of the Free French, de Gaulle led the French
resistance movement against Germany.

Other Allied leaders and generals in the war:

Britain:

 Bernard Montgomery - General of the British Army, "Monty" also led the
ground troops during the invasion of Normandy.
 Neville Chamberlain - Was the Prime Minister prior to Winston Churchill. He
wanted peace with Germany.
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United States:

 Harry S. Truman - Truman became president after Roosevelt died. He had to

make the call to use the atomic bomb against Japan.
 George Marshall - General of the US Army during World War II, Marshall
earned the Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan after the war.
 Dwight D Eisenhower - Nicknamed "Ike", Eisenhower led the US Army in
Europe. He planned and led the Invasion of the Normandy.
 Douglas MacArthur - MacArthur was General of the Army in the Pacific
fighting the Japanese.
 George S. Patton, Jr. - Patton was an important general in North

Russia:

 Georgy Zhukov - Zhukov was leader of the Russian Red Army. He led the
army that pushed the Germans back to Berlin.
 Vasily Chuikov - Chuikov was the general who led the Russian Army in
defending Stalingrad against the fierce German attack.

China:

 Chiang Kai-shek - Leader of the Republic of China, he allied with the Chinese
Communist Party to fight the Japanese. After the war he fled from the
communists to Taiwan.
 Mao Zedong - Leader of the Communist Party of China, he allied with Kai-
shek in order to fight the Japanese. He gained control of mainland China after
the war.

Other countries that were part of the Allies:

 Poland - It was the invasion of Poland by Germany in 1939 that started World
War II.
 China - China was invaded by Japan in 1937. They became a member of the
Allies after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Other countries that were part of the Allied Nations included Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Belgium, and Greece

. Note: There were even more countries that were on the same side as the Allies
mostly because they had been taken over or attacked by Axis countries.

Interesting Facts
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 Great Britain, Russia, and the United States were sometimes called the Big
Three. When China was included they were called the Four Policemen. It
was the Four Policemen who founded the United Nations
 . General Patton's nickname was "Old blood and guts". General MacArthur
had the nickname "Dugout Doug".
 There were 26 countries who signed the original Declaration by United
Nations on January 1, 1942. After the war, on 24 October 1945, 51
countries signed the Charter of the United Nations.
 Winston Churchill once said "a joke is a very serious thing". He also said
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its
pants on".

Effect in second World War II

 World War 2 (1939 - 1945) One of the most gruesome Wars of all time, World War 2
is best known for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States and
the Holocaust―the genocide of six million European Jews by Nazi Germany.
However, there do exist several facts about it which continue to elude most of the
people out there. World War 2 was fought between two military alliances: the Allies,
which comprised the Soviet Union, United States of America, United Kingdom, and
other nations, and the Axis, made up of Germany, Japan, Italy, etc.
 The war began on September 1, 1939, when the German forces invaded Poland, and in
retaliation, France and other European nations attacked Germany. It went on for six
years before culminating with a victory for the Allies on September 2, 1945. By then
though, the damage was already done and the effects of this six-year-long conflict had
become more than obvious. It took a long time for the affected countries to recover.
Unparalleled Casualties 
 They say history repeats itself, which is what happened when Germany and its
allies were trounced in the Second World War. If the effects of World War 1 were
gruesome, those of World War 2 were a lot worse. Somewhere between 22 - 25
million soldiers and 38 - 55 million civilians lost their lives. Additionally, many
more were left homeless. It is estimated that around 6 million Jews were killed in
the Holocaust, the systemic state-sponsored genocide orchestrated by Adolf
Hitler. Other than Jews, non-Jewish Poles and Slavs, Romanian gypsies, and even
homosexuals were killed in large numbers in this genocide only because they were
considered inferior.
Borders Were Redrawn
 Several European and Asian countries had to bear the brunt of this war. The
territorial borders of European countries were redrawn. The biggest beneficiary in
terms of territorial expansion was the Soviet Union, which annexed parts of
Finland, Poland, Japan, Germany, and some independent states to its territories.
The worst affected nation was Germany, which was divided into four parts; one
each was held by France, United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain. The
initial plans put forth by the United States for Germany were very harsh. They
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were only relaxed after they realized that the revival of Europe was not possible
without the revival of German industrial base.
United Nations
Post World War 2, the Allied Forces came together to form the United Nations―an
organization formed to promote peace and security in the world. The newly formed
organization outlawed wars of aggression to ensure that a third world war doesn't
happen. The Paris Peace Treaty was signed on February 10, 1947, allowing countries
like Italy, Bulgaria, and Finland to resume as sovereign states in international affairs
and become members of the United Nations. The Treaty also included provisions for
the payment of war reparations and post-war territorial adjustments
End of Dictatorship
On the flip side, World War 2 marked the end of dictatorship in Europe. While Mussolini was
captured and shot dead on April 28, 1945, Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945.
Emperor Hirohito was not prosecuted by the Allied Powers as General Douglas MacArthur,
the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, thought that his cooperation was necessary
for the administration of Japan. The Allied Forces held the Nuremberg trials wherein the top
brass of Nazi Germany―except Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbels―were
prosecuted
Economic Effects 
 As for the economic effects of World War 2, it did have some positives, but they were by no
means a match for the havoc this war created. The numerous jobs created during the war
brought an end to the employment crisis during the Great Depression. While those industries
that manufactured the products required during the war flourished, other industries suffered a
major setback. The European economy was almost brought to a standstill during the Second
World War. It took quite some time for the world to revive after the war came to an end on
September 2, 1945; that though, was only after millions of people lost their lives.
New Rivalry 
. Most important of all, World War 2 put forth the United States and Soviet Union as the
super powers of the world. If World War 1 laid the foundation for World War 2, the latter
laid the foundation for the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union which
lasted for 44 years between 1947 and 1991. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the
United States retaliated with full military force; even going to the extent of using atomic
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had Japan not attacked Pearl Harbor, perhaps things
would have had happened differently.
Impact of the second world war
Socially, Economically ,Environmentally
Socially impact 
 of WWII Baby boomer• After the war, there was a large population growth in the
world. 77 million American was born during this period. However, now that baby
boomers became older and requires extended health care. Baby boomers comprise
nearly 27% of the US population as of today.
Economically impact 
 of WWII Reconstruction cost After the war, most countries encountered heavy
losses in agricultural, industrial and especially economical. The government had
to spend lots of money to rebuild their industrial and infrastructure
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 Unbalanced between light and heavy many manufacture when the war ended, light
and heavy industry became unbalanced and that causes a serious trouble for our
society.
. Environmentally impact
 of WWII Atomic bomb dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki At the time of
explosion, people within diameter of 500meters were instantly vaporized, and
around 80,000 people was killed instantly, total casualty was around
135000people.
 
End of World War II in Europe
 After five years and eight months, with the unconditionalsurrender of the Germans
on May 8, 1945, World War II came to an end in Europe. It had been the most
destructive and cruelest in human history, involving more than 60 nations and
some 110 million soldiers, and it is estimated that it exacted approximately 60
million victims, including six million Jews, the victims of the Holocaust. 
 Vast territories, entire cities and villages across Europe were left in ruins, and
millions of people lost their homes. Stories from the war and its history became
the basis of an unfathomable number of literary and cinematic works,
and scholarly and philosophical studies, and continue to be to this day
 . It goes without saying that an event of this magnitude remained etched in the
memories of many people, and even occupied and continues to occupy
subsequent generations born years after the war was over. 
 In European countries, May 8 has a special significance, since on that day in 1945,
the German Instrument of Surrender to end the war with the Allied Expeditionary
Force entered intoeffect.
 One day earlier, one of the highest-ranking commanders of the German armies,
General Alfred Jodl, had signed it.
 The surrender ceremony at which the document was signed in the presence of the
Western Allies took place on May 7, in the French city of Reims, and a similar
ceremony took place in the presence of Red Army generals of the Soviet Union in
Berlin, on May 9.
 The war had almost no direct effect on Palestine and its residents, with the
exception of the Italian bombing of Tel Aviv in 1940.
 A greater danger was the presence of large German units in North Africa under
the command of GeneralErwin Rommel, but his defeat in November 1942 in
battles with the British forces put an end to the danger of the conquest of
Palestine by the Nazis. 
 Despite this situation, many residents of Palestine were involved in
various manners in the war events: as refugees from Europe, as soldiers
in the Jewish Brigade (as part of the British Army) or as relatives of
European Jews who fell prey to the cruel deeds of the Germans in the framework
of the Final Solution and the methodical extermination plan. 
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 The archives of the National Library, naturally, contain material that reflects the
historical moment of the war's end and the German surrender.
 One fascinating example is the diary of Samuel Hugo Bergman.The philosopher
Samuel Hugo Bergman (1883-1975), a nativeof Prague, immigrated to Palestine
in 1920. For 15 years hedirected the National and University Library, today the
National Library. From 1935 he served as a professor of philosophy at The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Like many of his generation, Bergman kept
diary in which he documented personal issues, but also related to political
developments and general matters.
 Bergman wrote his diary entries in German, but used the shorthand method,
widely used at the time among speakers of German and other languages. The use
of shorthand enabled very quick writing, but it has become a kind of secret
language, since today, we barely know how to decipher it.
 Luckily, Samuel Hugo Bergman's widow, Else, together with a number of other
individuals, deciphered his journals and copied the texts into ordinary German
writing.
 A selection from the diaries was published in Germany in 1985. The original
diaries are located, together with other writings and documents, in the Samuel
Hugo Bergman Archive in the Archives Department of the National Library.
Conclusion 
 After the Second World War, there were many negative aspects that affect our
lives such as baby boomer, unbalanced between light and heavy manufacture, and
environmental damage caused by atomic bomb

.
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