WWII

WORLD WAR II

WORLD WAR II

Introduction

The Second World War is the biggest war in human history on every conceivable scale and one of the most important turning points the course of modern humanity . The war , involving 50 major countries of world , took place as a result of conflicting aspirations , ambitions and ideologies of principle Western powers of the time , resulting in death of more than 50 million military and civilian personnel

Causes of Second World War

Although it is generally believed that the Second World War (WWII ) was

br an extension of the First World War (WWI ) to fulfill many incomplete agendas , the reality is that both the great wars , fought within a span of 25 years , were based on completely different grounds . While the First World War resulted solely due to imperial ambitions surging in Europe especially of Austria and Prussia , with aim to secure global dominance the causes of WWII were more political and ideological than imperial

The Treaty of Versailles after WWI , imposed upon Germany by victorious allied powers , had deeply humiliated and wounded German pride . Germany was held responsible for initiating WWI and was forced to pay huge reparation amounts as penalty and also compelled to concede its strategic territories to France and other adversaries . German self-respect suffered further blows with provisions of treaty that aimed to restrict its military and naval forces . As a consequence of the treaty , German nationalism surged and saw meteoric rise of Nazi party and Adolf Hitler , capitalizing on intense anti-communist and nationalist feelings . Meanwhile in Asia , Japan had emerged as the most powerful country , experiencing an unprecedented military supremacy that fuelled Japanese imperialism . Another country enwrapped in similar fog of nationalist and expansionist feelings was Italy under Mussolini . Put together , Germany , Japan and Italy formed an Axis that wanted to establish their ideological , cultural and military hegemony over entire world

Conflict of `isms

Ideologically , the world was being swept over by communism expansionism , nationalism , and fascism after WWI . USSR had embarked on the philosophy of communism , and was secretly feared and abhorred by many western nations including UK and USA . Germany , on its own part followed an open and vehement anti-communism policy . Expansionism , the desire for territorial and economic expansion , was a characteristic of every major power , but it had assumed its most ugly and detestable form in Germany , Japan and Italy , who believed in aggressive expansionism which included blatant violations of sovereignty of other countries Nationalism , and its extreme form , Fascism , that believed in racial supremacy , jingoism and dictatorship had also assumed dangerous and menacing proportions in post WWI scenario , creating a surcharged and volatile atmosphere through entire Europe and many parts of World

These ideologies fomented Germany , Italy and Japan , who were embedded in their own self perception of racial and ideological supremacy , as Axis power and they started their campaign of establishing their supremacy over rest of world , beginning September 1939 with attack on Poland However , on the other side were UK , France , and USA , countries...