What did World War II lead to? Beginning of World War II

It would seem that the answer to this question is absolutely clear. Any more or less educated European will name the date - September 1, 1939 - the day the Nazi Germany attacked Poland. And the more prepared will explain: more precisely, the world war began two days later - on September 3, when Great Britain and France, as well as Australia, New Zealand and India, declared war on Germany.

True, they did not immediately participate in hostilities, waging the so-called waiting strange war. For Western Europe the real war began only in the spring of 1940, when German troops invaded Denmark and Norway on April 9, and on May 10, the Wehrmacht launched an offensive in France, Belgium and Holland.

Recall that at that time the largest powers of the world - the USA and the USSR remained out of the war. For this reason alone, there are doubts about the complete validity of the date of the beginning of the planetary slaughter established by Western European historiography.

And therefore, I think, by and large it can be assumed that it would be more correct to consider the starting point of the Second World War as the date of involvement in the hostilities of the Soviet Union - June 22, 1941. Well, from the Americans it was possible to hear that the war acquired a truly global character only after the treacherous Japanese attack on the Pacific naval base at Pearl Harbor and the announcement in December 1941 by Washington of war against militaristic Japan, Nazi Germany and fascist Italy.

However, Chinese scholars and politicians most persistently and, say, from their own point of view, convincingly defend the illegality of the countdown of the world war adopted in Europe from September 1, 1939. I have repeatedly encountered this at international conferences and symposiums, where Chinese participants invariably defend the official position of their country that the start of the Second World War should be considered the date of the unleashing of a full-scale war in China by militaristic Japan - July 7, 1937. There are also such historians in the "Celestial Empire" who believe that this date should be September 18, 1931 - the beginning of the Japanese invasion of the North-Eastern provinces of China, then called Manchuria.

One way or another, it turns out that this year the PRC will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the start of not only the Japanese aggression against China, but also the Second World War.

One of the first in our country to seriously pay attention to such a periodization of the history of the Second World War was the authors of the collective monograph prepared by the Foundation for Historical Perspective “The Score of the Second World War. Thunderstorm in the East” (author-comp. A.A. Koshkin. M., Veche, 2010).

In the preface, the head of the Foundation, Doctor of Historical Sciences N.A. Narochnitskaya notes:

"According to the established historical science and in the public mind to the ideas of the Second World War began in Europe with an attack on September 1, 1939 on Poland, after which Great Britain, the first of the future victorious powers, declared war on the Nazi Reich. However, this event was preceded by large-scale military clashes in other parts of the world, which are unreasonably considered by Eurocentric historiography as peripheral, and therefore secondary.

By September 1, 1939, a truly world war was already in full swing in Asia. China, fighting Japanese aggression since the mid-1930s, has already lost twenty million lives. In Asia and Europe, the Axis powers - Germany, Italy, and Japan - have been delivering ultimatums, bringing in troops, and redrawing borders for several years. Hitler, with the connivance of Western democracies, seized Austria and Czechoslovakia, Italy occupied Albania and waged war in North Africa, where 200,000 Abyssinians died.

Since the end of the Second World War is considered the surrender of Japan, the war in Asia is recognized as part of the Second World War, but the question of its beginning needs a more reasonable definition. The traditional periodization of World War II needs to be rethought. In terms of the scale of the redistribution of the world and military operations, in terms of the victims of aggression, the Second World War began precisely in Asia long before the German attack on Poland, long before the Western powers entered the world war.

The word in the collective monograph was also given to Chinese scientists. Historians Luan Jinghe and Xu Zhiming note:

“According to one of the generally accepted points of view, the Second World War, which lasted six years, began on September 1, 1939 with the German attack on Poland. Meanwhile, there is another view of the starting point of this war, in which different time involved more than 60 states and regions and disrupted the lives of over 2 billion people around the world. The total number of mobilized from both sides amounted to more than 100 million people, the death toll - more than 50 million. The direct costs of waging the war amounted to 1.352 trillion US dollars, financial losses reached 4 trillion dollars. We cite these figures to once again indicate the scale of those huge disasters that the Second World War brought to mankind in the 20th century.

There is no doubt that the formation of the Western Front meant not only the expansion of the scale of hostilities, it also played a decisive role in the course of the war.

However, an equally important contribution to the victory in World War II was made on the Eastern Front, where the eight-year war of the Chinese people against the Japanese invaders was going on. This resistance became an important part of the world war.

An in-depth study of the history of the Chinese people's war against the Japanese invaders and understanding of its significance will help to create a more complete picture of the Second World War.

This is what the proposed article is devoted to, in which it is argued that the real date of the start of the Second World War should be considered not September 1, 1939, but July 7, 1937 - the day when Japan unleashed a full-scale war against China.

If we accept this point of view and do not strive to artificially separate the Western and Eastern fronts, there are all the more reasons to call the anti-fascist war ... the Great World War.

The author of the article in the collective monograph, a prominent Russian sinologist, full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.S. Myasnikov, who does a lot to restore historical justice, to properly assess the contribution of the Chinese people to the victory over the so-called "Axis countries" - Germany, Japan and Italy, who aspired to enslave the peoples and world domination. An eminent scientist writes:

“As for the beginning of the Second World War, there are two main versions: European and Chinese ... Chinese historiography has long been saying that it is time to move away from Eurocentrism (which, in essence, is similar to negritude) in assessing this event and admit that the beginning of this war is falling on July 7, 1937 and is connected with the open aggression of Japan against China. Let me remind you that the territory of China is 9.6 million square meters. km, that is, approximately equal to the territory of Europe. By the time the war broke out in Europe, most of China, where they were Largest cities and economic centers - Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, was occupied by the Japanese. Almost the entire railway network of the country fell into the hands of the invaders, its sea coast was blocked. Chongqing became the capital of China during the war.

It should be borne in mind that China lost 35 million people in the war of resistance against Japan. The European public is not sufficiently aware of the heinous crimes of the Japanese military.

So, on December 13, 1937, Japanese troops captured the then capital of China - Nanjing and carried out a mass extermination of civilians and a robbery of the city. 300 thousand people became victims of this crime. These and other crimes were condemned by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East at the Tokyo Trial (1946-1948).

But, finally, objective approaches to this problem began to appear in our historiography... The collective work gives a detailed picture of military and diplomatic moves, which fully confirms the need and validity of revising the outdated Eurocentric point of view.”

For our part, I would like to note that the proposed revision will cause resistance from pro-government historians of Japan, who not only do not recognize the aggressive nature of their country's actions in China and the number of victims in the war, but also do not consider the eight-year extermination of the Chinese population and the all-out plunder of China as a war. They stubbornly call the Japanese-Chinese war an “incident” allegedly caused by China, despite the absurdity of such a name for military and punitive actions, during which tens of millions of people were killed. They do not recognize Japan's aggression in China as an integral part of the Second World War, claiming that they participated in the global conflict, opposing only the United States and Great Britain.

In conclusion, it should be recognized that our country has always objectively and comprehensively assessed the contribution of the Chinese people to the victory of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition in World War II.

High marks for the heroism and self-sacrifice of Chinese soldiers in this war are also given in modern Russia, and both historians and leaders Russian Federation. Such assessments are duly contained in the 12-volume work of prominent Russian historians "The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" published by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory. Therefore, there is reason to expect that our scientists and politicians, during the events scheduled for the upcoming 80th anniversary of the start of the Japanese-Chinese war, will treat with understanding and solidarity the position of the Chinese comrades, who consider the events that took place in July 1937 to be the starting point that then fell upon almost the entire a world of unprecedented planetary tragedy.

A terrible war with large-scale human losses did not begin in 1939, but much earlier. As a result of the First World War in 1918, almost all European countries acquired new borders. Most were deprived of part of their historical territory, which led to small wars in conversation and in mind.

The new generation brought up hatred for enemies and resentment for the lost cities. There were reasons to resume the war. However, apart from psychological reasons, there were also important historical prerequisites. The Second World War, in short, involved in fighting the entire globe.

Causes of the war

Scientists identify several main reasons for the outbreak of hostilities:

Territorial disputes. The winners of the 1918 war, England and France, divided Europe with their allies at their own discretion. Decays Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire led to the emergence of 9 new states. The lack of clear boundaries gave rise to great controversy. Defeated countries wanted to return their borders, and the winners did not want to part with the annexed territories. All territorial issues in Europe have always been resolved with the help of weapons. avoid start new war was impossible.

colonial disputes. The defeated countries were deprived of their colonies, which were a constant source of replenishment of the treasury. In the colonies themselves, the local population raised liberation uprisings with armed skirmishes.

rivalry between states. Germany after the defeat wanted revenge. It has always been the leading power in Europe, and after the war was largely limited.

Dictatorship. The dictatorial regime has grown considerably in many countries. The dictators of Europe first developed their army to suppress internal uprisings, and then to seize new territories.

The emergence of the USSR. The new power was not inferior to the might of the Russian Empire. It was a worthy competitor to the United States and leading European countries. They began to fear the emergence of communist movements.

The beginning of the war

Even before the signing of the Soviet-German agreement, Germany had planned an aggression against the Polish side. At the beginning of 1939, a decision was made, and on August 31, a directive was signed. State contradictions of the 30s led to the Second World War.

The Germans did not recognize their defeat in 1918 and the Versailles agreements, which oppressed the interests of Russia and Germany. Power went to the Nazis, blocs of fascist states began to form, and large states did not have the strength to resist German aggression. Poland was the first on the way of Germany to world domination.

At night September 1, 1939 German secret services launched Operation Himmler. Dressed in Polish uniforms, they seized a radio station in the suburbs and called on the Poles to rise up against the Germans. Hitler announced aggression from the Polish side and began hostilities.

After 2 days, Germany declared war on England and France, which had previously concluded agreements with Poland on mutual assistance. They were supported by Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India and the countries of South Africa. The outbreak of the war became a world war. But Poland did not receive military and economic assistance from any of the supporting countries. If English and French troops were added to the Polish forces, then the German aggression would be instantly stopped.

The population of Poland rejoiced at the entry into the war of their allies and waited for support. However, time passed, and help did not come. Weak side the Polish army had aviation.

Two German armies "South" and "North" consisting of 62 divisions opposed 6 Polish armies from 39 divisions. The Poles fought with dignity, but the numerical superiority of the Germans proved to be the decisive factor. In almost 2 weeks, almost the entire territory of Poland was occupied. The Curzon line was formed.

The Polish government left for Romania. The defenders of Warsaw and the Brest Fortress went down in history thanks to their heroism. The Polish army lost its organizational integrity.

Stages of war

From September 1, 1939 to June 21, 1941 The first phase of World War II began. Characterizes the beginning of the war and the entry of the German military into Western Europe. On September 1, the Nazis attacked Poland. After 2 days, France and England declared war on Germany with their colonies and dominions.

The Polish armed forces did not have time to turn around, the top leadership was weak, and the allied powers were in no hurry to help. The result was the complete cupping of Polish territory.

France and England did not change their foreign policy. They hoped that German aggression would be directed against the USSR.

In April 1940, the German army entered Denmark without warning and occupied its territory. Norway fell immediately after Denmark. At the same time, the German leadership was implementing the Gelb plan, it was decided to attack France unexpectedly through the neighboring Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The French concentrated their forces on the Maginot Line, and not in the center of the country. Hitler attacked through the Ardennes behind the Maginot Line. On May 20, the Germans reached the English Channel, the Dutch and Belgian armies surrendered. In June, the French fleet was defeated, part of the army managed to evacuate to England.

The French army did not use all the possibilities of resistance. On June 10, the government left Paris, which was occupied by the Germans on June 14. After 8 days, the Compiegne Armistice was signed (June 22, 1940) - the French act of surrender.

Great Britain was to be next. There was a change of government. The US began to support the British.

In the spring of 1941, the Balkans were captured. On March 1, the Nazis appeared in Bulgaria, and on April 6 already in Greece and Yugoslavia. Western and Central Europe were dominated by Hitler. Preparations began for an attack on the Soviet Union.

From June 22, 1941 to November 18, 1942 the second phase of the war began. Germany invaded the territory of the USSR. A new stage began, characterized by the unification of all military forces in the world against fascism. Roosevelt and Churchill openly declared their support for the Soviet Union. On July 12, the USSR and England signed an agreement on common military operations. On August 2, the United States pledged to provide military and economic assistance to the Russian army. On August 14, England and the USA promulgated the Atlantic Charter, which was later joined by the USSR with its own opinion on military issues.

In September, Russian and British troops occupied Iran to prevent the formation of fascist bases in the East. The Anti-Hitler coalition is being created.

The German army met strong resistance in the autumn of 1941. The plan to capture Leningrad failed, as Sevastopol and Odessa resisted for a long time. On the eve of 1942, the "blitzkrieg" plan disappeared. Hitler was defeated near Moscow, and the myth of German invincibility was dispelled. Before Germany became the need for a protracted war.

In early December 1941, the Japanese military attacked the US base in pacific ocean. Two powerful powers entered the war. The US declared war on Italy, Japan and Germany. Thanks to this, the anti-Hitler coalition strengthened. A number of mutual assistance agreements were concluded among the allied countries.

From November 19, 1942 to December 31, 1943 the third phase of the war began. It is called a turning point. The military operations of this period acquired a huge scale and intensity. Everything was decided on the Soviet-German front. On November 19, Russian troops launched a counteroffensive near Stalingrad. (Battle of Stalingrad July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943). Their victory served as a strong stimulus for the following battles.

To return the strategic initiative, Hitler carried out an attack near Kursk in the summer of 1943 ( Battle of Kursk July 5, 1943 - August 23, 1943). He lost and went on the defensive. However, the allies Anti-Hitler coalition were in no hurry to fulfill their duties. They were waiting for the exhaustion of Germany and the USSR.

On July 25, the Italian fascist government was liquidated. New head declared war on Hitler. The fascist bloc began to disintegrate.

Japan did not weaken the grouping on the Russian border. The United States replenished its military forces and launched successful offensives in the Pacific.

From January 1, 1944 to May 9, 1945 . The fascist army was driven out of the USSR, a second front was being created, the European countries were being liberated from the fascists. The joint efforts of the Anti-Fascist Coalition led to the complete collapse of the German army and the surrender of Germany. Great Britain and the United States conducted large-scale operations in Asia and the Pacific.

May 10, 1945 - September 2, 1945 . Armed actions are carried out on Far East, as well as territories South-East Asia. The US used nuclear weapons.

Great Patriotic War (June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945).
World War II (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945).

The results of the war

The greatest losses fell on the Soviet Union, which took the brunt of the German army. 27 million people died. The resistance of the Red Army led to the defeat of the Reich.

Military action could lead to the collapse of civilization. War criminals and fascist ideology were condemned at all world trials.

In 1945, a decision was signed in Yalta on the creation of the UN to prevent such actions.

Consequences of application nuclear weapons over Nagasaki and Hiroshima forced many countries to sign a pact banning the use of weapons of mass destruction.

The countries of Western Europe have lost their economic dominance, which has passed to the United States.

The victory in the war allowed the USSR to expand its borders and strengthen the totalitarian regime. Some countries have become communist.

The first major defeat of the Wehrmacht was the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Battle of Moscow (1941-1942), during which the Nazi "blitzkrieg" was finally thwarted, the myth of the invincibility of the Wehrmacht was dispelled.

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a war against the United States with the attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 8, the United States, Great Britain and a number of other states declared war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The entry of the United States and Japan into the war affected the balance of power and increased the scale of the armed struggle.

In North Africa, in November 1941 and in January-June 1942, hostilities were conducted with varying success, then until the autumn of 1942 there was a lull. In the Atlantic, German submarines continued to inflict great damage on the Allied fleets (by the autumn of 1942, the tonnage of ships sunk, mainly in the Atlantic, amounted to over 14 million tons). In the Pacific Ocean, Japan occupied Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma in early 1942, inflicted a major defeat on the British fleet in the Gulf of Thailand, the Anglo-American-Dutch fleet in the Java operation and established dominance at sea. The American Navy and Air Force, significantly reinforced by the summer of 1942, in naval battles in the Coral Sea (May 7-8) and off Midway Island (June) they defeated the Japanese fleet.

Third period of the war (November 19, 1942 - December 31, 1943) began with a counteroffensive of the Soviet troops, culminating in the defeat of the 330,000-strong German group during Battle of Stalingrad(July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked the beginning of a radical change in the Great Patriotic War and had a great influence on the further course of the entire Second World War. The mass expulsion of the enemy from the territory of the USSR began. The Battle of Kursk (1943) and access to the Dnieper completed a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The battle for the Dnieper (1943) overturned the enemy's plans for a protracted war.

At the end of October 1942, when the Wehrmacht was fighting fierce battles on the Soviet-German front, the Anglo-American troops intensified military operations in North Africa, conducting the El Alamein operation (1942) and the North African landing operation (1942). In the spring of 1943 they carried out the Tunisian operation. In July-August 1943, the Anglo-American troops, using the favorable situation (the main forces of the German troops participated in Battle of Kursk), landed on the island of Sicily and took possession of it.

On July 25, 1943, the fascist regime in Italy collapsed; on September 3, it concluded a truce with the Allies. The withdrawal of Italy from the war marked the beginning of the disintegration of the fascist bloc. On October 13, Italy declared war on Germany. Nazi troops occupied its territory. In September, the Allies landed in Italy, but could not break the defense of the German troops and in December they suspended active operations. In the Pacific Ocean and in Asia, Japan sought to hold on to the territories captured in 1941-1942 without weakening the groupings near the borders of the USSR. The Allies, having launched an offensive in the Pacific Ocean in the autumn of 1942, captured the island of Guadalcanal (February 1943), landed on New Guinea, and liberated the Aleutian Islands.

Fourth period of the war (January 1, 1944 - May 9, 1945) began with a new offensive of the Red Army. As a result of the crushing blows of the Soviet troops, the Nazi invaders were expelled from the borders of the Soviet Union. During the subsequent offensive, the USSR Armed Forces carried out a liberation mission against the countries of Europe, played a decisive role with the support of their peoples in the liberation of Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and other states. Anglo-American troops landed on June 6, 1944 in Normandy, opening a second front, and launched an offensive in Germany. In February, the Crimean (Yalta) Conference (1945) was held by the leaders of the USSR, the USA, Great Britain, which considered the issues of the post-war structure of the world and the participation of the USSR in the war with Japan.

In the winter of 1944-1945, on the Western Front, the Nazi troops inflicted a defeat on the Allied forces during the Ardennes operation. To alleviate the position of the allies in the Ardennes, at their request, the Red Army began its winter offensive ahead of schedule. Having restored the situation by the end of January, the Allied forces crossed the Rhine River during the Meuse-Rhine operation (1945), and in April they carried out the Ruhr operation (1945), which ended with the encirclement and capture of a large enemy grouping. During the North Italian operation (1945), the Allied forces, slowly moving north, with the help of Italian partisans, completely captured Italy in early May 1945. In the Pacific Theater of Operations, the Allies carried out operations to defeat Japanese fleet, liberated a number of islands occupied by Japan, approached directly Japan and cut off its communications with the countries of Southeast Asia.

In April-May 1945, the Soviet Armed Forces defeated the last groupings of Nazi troops in the Berlin operation (1945) and the Prague operation (1945) and met with the Allied troops. The war in Europe is over. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally. May 9, 1945 became Victory Day over Nazi Germany.

At the Berlin (Potsdam) conference (1945), the USSR confirmed its consent to enter the war with Japan. On August 6 and 9, 1945, for political purposes, the United States carried out atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan and on August 9 began hostilities. During the Soviet-Japanese War (1945) Soviet troops, having defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, liquidated the center of aggression in the Far East, liberated Northeast China, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, thereby hastening the end of World War II. On September 2, Japan surrendered. World War II is over.

The Second World War was the largest military clash in the history of mankind. It lasted 6 years, there were 110 million people in the ranks of the Armed Forces. Over 55 million people died in World War II. suffered the greatest casualties Soviet Union, which lost 27 million people. Damage from direct destruction and destruction material assets on the territory of the USSR amounted to almost 41% of all countries participating in the war.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

In North Africa, in November 1941 and in January-June 1942, hostilities were conducted with varying success, then until the autumn of 1942 there was a lull. In the Atlantic, German submarines continued to inflict great damage on the Allied fleets (by the autumn of 1942, the tonnage of ships sunk, mainly in the Atlantic, amounted to over 14 million tons). In the Pacific Ocean, Japan occupied Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Burma in early 1942, inflicted a major defeat on the British fleet in the Gulf of Thailand, the Anglo-American-Dutch fleet in the Java operation and established dominance at sea. The American Navy and Air Force, significantly reinforced by the summer of 1942, defeated the Japanese fleet in naval battles in the Coral Sea (May 7-8) and at Midway Island (June).

Third period of the war (November 19, 1942 - December 31, 1943) began with the counteroffensive of the Soviet troops, culminating in the defeat of the 330,000-strong German group during the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War and had a great influence on the further course of the entire Second World War. The mass expulsion of the enemy from the territory of the USSR began. The Battle of Kursk (1943) and access to the Dnieper completed a radical turning point in the course of the Great Patriotic War. The battle for the Dnieper (1943) overturned the enemy's plans for a protracted war.

At the end of October 1942, when the Wehrmacht was fighting fierce battles on the Soviet-German front, the Anglo-American troops intensified military operations in North Africa, conducting the El Alamein operation (1942) and the North African landing operation (1942). In the spring of 1943 they carried out the Tunisian operation. In July-August 1943, the Anglo-American troops, using the favorable situation (the main forces of the German troops participated in the Battle of Kursk), landed on the island of Sicily and captured it.

In the winter of 1944-1945, on the Western Front, the Nazi troops inflicted a defeat on the Allied forces during the Ardennes operation. To alleviate the position of the allies in the Ardennes, at their request, the Red Army began its winter offensive ahead of schedule. Having restored the situation by the end of January, the Allied forces crossed the Rhine River during the Meuse-Rhine operation (1945), and in April they carried out the Ruhr operation (1945), which ended in the encirclement and capture of a large enemy grouping. During the North Italian operation (1945), the Allied forces, slowly moving north, with the help of Italian partisans, completely captured Italy in early May 1945. In the Pacific theater of operations, the allies carried out operations to defeat the Japanese fleet, liberated a number of islands occupied by Japan, approached Japan directly and cut off its communications with the countries of Southeast Asia.

At the Berlin (Potsdam) conference (1945), the USSR confirmed its consent to enter the war with Japan. On August 6 and 9, 1945, for political purposes, the United States carried out atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan and on August 9 began hostilities. During the Soviet-Japanese War (1945), Soviet troops, having defeated the Japanese Kwantung Army, eliminated the center of aggression in the Far East, liberated Northeast China, North Korea, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, thereby hastening the end of World War II. On September 2, Japan surrendered. World War II is over.

The Second World War was the largest military clash in the history of mankind. It lasted 6 years, there were 110 million people in the ranks of the Armed Forces. Over 55 million people died in World War II. The greatest victims were the Soviet Union, which lost 27 million people. The damage from the direct destruction and destruction of material assets on the territory of the USSR amounted to almost 41% of all countries participating in the war.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The instability in Europe caused by World War I (1914-1918) eventually escalated into another international conflict, World War II, which broke out two decades later and became even more devastating.

Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) came to power in an economically and politically unstable Germany.

He reformed the armed forces and signed strategic agreements with Italy and Japan in his quest for world domination. The German invasion of Poland in September 1939 led to the fact that Britain and France declared war on Germany, which marked the beginning of the Second World War.

In the next six years, the war will take more lives and bring destruction to such a vast territory around the world. the globe like no other war in history.

Among the approximately 45-60 million dead people there were 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis in concentration camps as part of Hitler's diabolical "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" policy, also known as .

On the way to World War II

The devastation caused by the Great War, as World War I was called at the time, destabilized Europe.

In many ways, the unresolved issues of the first global conflict spawned World War II.

In particular, the political and economic instability of Germany and the long-term resentment of the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles provided fertile ground for the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist (Nazi) party.

As early as 1923, in his memoirs and in his propaganda treatise Mein Kampf (My Struggle), Adolf Hitler predicted a great European war, the result of which would be "the extermination of the Jewish race in German territory."

After receiving the position of Reich Chancellor, Hitler quickly consolidated power by appointing himself Führer ( supreme commander) in 1934.

Obsessed with the idea of the superiority of the "pure" German race, which was called the "Aryan", Hitler believed that war was the only way to get the "Lebensraum" (living space for the German race to settle).

In the mid-1930s, he secretly began the rearmament of Germany, bypassing the Versailles Peace Treaty. After signing alliance treaties with Italy and Japan against the Soviet Union, Hitler sent troops to occupy Austria in 1938 and annex Czechoslovakia the following year.

Hitler's open aggression went unnoticed, as the United States and the Soviet Union were concentrated on domestic politics, and neither France nor Great Britain (the two countries with the greatest destruction in the First World War) were not eager to enter into a confrontation.

Beginning of World War II 1939

On August 23, 1939, Hitler and the leader of the Soviet state, Joseph Stalin, signed a non-aggression pact, called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which created a frenzy in London and Paris.

Hitler had long-term plans to invade Poland, a state guaranteed military support by Britain and France, in the event of a German attack. The pact meant that Hitler would not have to fight on two fronts after the invasion of Poland. Moreover, Germany received assistance in the conquest of Poland and the division of its population.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler attacked Poland from the west. Two days later, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany, and World War II began.

On September 17, Soviet troops invaded Poland in the east. Poland quickly capitulated to attacks from two fronts, and by 1940 Germany and the Soviet Union shared control of the country, according to secret point in a non-aggression pact.

Then the Soviet troops occupied the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and crushed the Finnish resistance in Russian-Finnish war. For the next six months after the capture of Poland, neither Germany nor the Allies took active action on western front and in the media the war began to be called "background".

At sea, however, the British and German navies engaged in a bitter battle. Deadly German submarines hit British trade routes, sinking more than 100 ships in the first four months of World War II.

World War II on the Western Front 1940-1941

On April 9, 1940, Germany simultaneously invaded Norway and occupied Denmark, and the war broke out with renewed vigor.

On May 10, German troops swept through Belgium and the Netherlands in what was later called "blitzkrieg" or blitzkrieg. Three days later, the Nazi troops crossed the Meuse River and attacked the French troops in Sedan, located on northern border Maginot lines.

The system was considered an insurmountable protective barrier, but in fact the German troops broke through bypassing it, making it completely useless. The British Expeditionary Force was evacuated by sea from Dunkirk at the end of May, while French forces in the south tried to put up any resistance. By early summer, France was on the brink of defeat.