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SECOND WORLD WAR

By Matthews Kantchembere

AN INTRODUCTION

Second world war broke out on 1st September, 1939 after Britain declaration of war on Germany following Germany’s attack on Poland and it came to an end in 1945.

v It was fought between two groups

a) The Axis Powers which consisted Germany, Italy and Japan.

b) The Allied Powers which consisted of Britain, France, Russia, USA etc.

CAUSES OF SECOND WORLD WAR

1. The failure of the Versailles Peace Treaty

2. Failure of the League of Nations

3. Aggression of German, Italy and Japan

4. The appeasement policy

5. Failure of the Disarmament conference

6. Failure of Britain and France to reach an agreement with Russia

7. Impact of the Great Depression i.e. Unemployment, poverty etc.

8. Hitler’s dangerous foreign policy i.e. Lebensraum

EVENTS LEADING TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR

1. Japanese invasion of Manchuria, China in 1931

2. Italian invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935

3. Spanish civil war in 1936

4. German re-occupation of Rhineland in 1936

5. Renewal of Anschluss in 1938

6. Invasion of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939

7. German occupation of Poland on 1st September, 1939

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

1. Invasion of Pearl Harbour by Japan in 1941

2. The holocaust of the Jews between 1941-1945

3. Operation Barbarossa on 22 June, 1941

4. Dropping of atomic bomb on Hiroshima on 6th August, 1945 and Nagasaki on 9th August, 1945

FACTORS LEADING TO THE DEFEAT OF GERMANY AND HER ALLIES

1. Shortage of raw materials like oil, rubber, iron, cotton, nickel and these delayed attacks on the Allied powers

2. Both Japan and Germany made serious tactical mistakes e.g. Japan failed to import aircraft and concentrated much on producing battle ships

3. Hitler and his allies (Axis powers) underestimated their enemies

4. Lack of proper coordination between Germany and her allies

5. The joining of USA added strength to the Allied powers

RESULTS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

1. Loss of about 60 million lives of people

2. Destruction of properties like houses, factories etc.

3. Led to cold war between Communist East led by USSR and her allies and Capitalist West led by USA and her allies

4. Formation of the United Nations Organisation

5. Decolonisation in Asia and Africa in countries like India, Malawi etc.

6. Heavy war debts by many countries

7. Jews were saved from sufferings and Israel was created in 1948

8. Rise of USA and Russia as superpowers

THE END!