Wednesday, March 28, 2012


World War II
          The Treaty of Versailles that settled World War I did not treat the defeated nations fairly. The seeds of another war were sown in it because Germany in particular was vengeful for the harsh terms and it was vowed to compensate  its loss. The League of Nations, founded on the treaty for promoting world peace and security, was openly defined by Germany, Russia, Italy and Japan sooner and later. German dictator Adolph Hitler commanded promising support from the people hard hit by economic hardship and hurt by the discriminatory treaty. He developed Germany again as a war machine and started territorial aggressions. With Italy and Japan, Germany made a military alliance called Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. It was a great threat to the democratic countries such as Britain, France made a military alliance called Rome-Berlin-tokyo Axis. It was a great USA. In the Spanish Civil War Germany and Russia that supported the opposing parties could test their arms and war techniques. Germany was all inspired by the victory of the rebel leader General Franco backed by it. When Poland did not submit to its demand of Dazing area,  Germany started the lighting war 'blitzkrieg'  on 1 Sep 1939. After two days, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This was the beginning of the second Great War.
          Would II started between the Axis consisting of Germany, Japan and Italy and the Allies consisting of Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. France joined the Allies on the very day. Later some forty-five other nations such as Brazil, Canada, India, Australia, Mexico, Iran and Egypt, etc. joined the Allies and six others namely Bulgaria, Hungary, Thailand, Finland and Albania joined the Axis. The war was more widespread and devastating than World War I.
          In the beginning years, Germany made continuous break thoughts. Along with Poland, it captured Norway Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Yugoslavia and Greece. It also attacked the British and Russian Forces ferociously.  By December 7, Japan attacked Hawaii and invited intensive attacks from the USA. By mid-1942 Japan had captured many southeast countries of Asia and almost all the Pacific Island. But the year 1942 was giving a different turn to the war. The Allies were able to so the Axis from occupying Africa, the Soviet Union, and the Pacific. They landed on Italy in 1943 and Italy surrendered. The Allied forces also reached the German capital of Berlin from the west and east forcing it to surrender on May 7, 1945. But in the Pacific, heavy battles were still on. In June the Americans captured Okinawa; still the Japanese would not surrender. Finally, the USA dropped two atom bombs, one on Hiroshima and August 6, 1945 and the other on Nagasaki after three days. The two great cities were compactly ruined. Then Japan agreed to surrender unconditionally on Aghast 14 and signed a peace agreement on September 2 the same year.
          The war caused unprecedented loss of life and property. The death toll might be much higher than the estimated 60 millions. The total cost of the war is inestimable. Industries and cities were heavily destroyed. But the war brought the colonial rule to its end. Many countries such as India got independence. The United Nations Organization, the new bt stronger form of the League of Nations come into existence. Some of the former colonies would be the responsibility of the UN Trusteeship Council. As another effect of the war, the systems of government as in Japan were changed. After the war, the major would conflict shifted to between the USSR and the USA. The conflict known as Cold War would prevail for another half centaury.               

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