How long did World War 2 start? General history. Japanese attack on the USA

Humanity is constantly experiencing armed conflicts. varying degrees difficulties. The 20th century was no exception. In our article we will talk about the "darkest" stage in the history of this century: World War II 1939 1945.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites for the named military conflict began to take shape long before the main events: since 1919, when the Versailles Peace Treaty was concluded, which consolidated the results of the First World War.

We list the key reasons that led to a new war:

Germany's inability to fulfill some of the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles in full (payments to affected countries) and unwillingness to put up with military restrictions;
Change of power in Germany: the nationalists, led by Adolf Hitler, skillfully exploited the discontent of the German population and the fears of world leaders of communist Russia. Their domestic politics was aimed at establishing a dictatorship and promoting the superiority of the Aryan race;
External aggression of Germany, Italy, Japan, against which the major powers did not take active steps, fearing open confrontation.

Rice. 1. Adolf Hitler.

Initial period

Slovakia provided military support to the Germans.

Hitler did not accept the proposal to resolve the conflict peacefully. 03.09 Great Britain and France announced the beginning of the war with Germany.

Main events

Starting from the second period (06.1941-11.1942), the course of hostilities is reflected in the chronological table:

*date*	*Event*
	Germany attacked the USSR. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War
	The Germans captured Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova, Belarus, part of Ukraine (Kyiv failed), Smolensk. Anglo-French troops liberate Lebanon, Syria, Ethiopia
August-September 1941	Anglo- Soviet troops occupy Iran
October 1941	Captured Crimea (without Sevastopol), Kharkov, Donbass, Taganrog
December 1941	The Germans are losing the battle for Moscow. Japan attacks US military base at Pearl Harbor, captures Hong Kong
January-May 1942	Japan takes over Southeast Asia. German-Italian troops are pushing the British in Libya. Anglo-African troops capture Madagascar. The defeat of the Soviet troops near Kharkov
	The American fleet defeated the Japanese in the battle for the Midway Islands
	Lost Sevastopol. started Battle of Stalingrad(until February 1943). Captured Rostov
August-October 1942	The British liberate Egypt, part of Libya. The Germans captured Krasnodar, but lost to the Soviet troops in the foothills of the Caucasus, near Novorossiysk. Variable success in the battles for Rzhev
November 1942	The British occupied the western part of Tunisia, the Germans - the east. The beginning of the third stage of the war (11.1942-06.1944)
November-December 1942	The second battle near Rzhev was lost by the Soviet troops
	Americans win against the Japanese in the Battle of Guadalcanal
February 1943	Soviet victory at Stalingrad
February-May 1943	The British defeated the German-Italian troops in Tunisia
July-August 1943	The defeat of the Germans in the Battle of Kursk. Allied victory in Sicily. British and American aircraft bombing Germany
November 1943	Allied forces occupy the Japanese island of Tarawa
August-December 1943	A series of victories of the Soviet troops in the battles on the banks of the Dnieper. Left-bank Ukraine liberated
	Anglo-American army captured southern Italy, liberated Rome
	The Germans retreated from the Right-Bank Ukraine
April-May 1944	Crimea liberated
	Landing of the allied troops in Normandy. The beginning of the fourth stage of the war (06.1944-05.1945). The Americans occupied the Marianas
June-August 1944	Belorussia, south of France, Paris recaptured
August-September 1944	Soviet troops recaptured Finland, Romania, Bulgaria
October 1944	The Japanese lost to the Americans a naval battle off the island of Leyte
September-November 1944	The Baltic states, part of Belgium, were liberated. Bombing of Germany resumed
	The north-east of France was liberated, the western border of Germany was broken through. Soviet troops liberated Hungary
February-March 1945	West Germany was captured, the crossing of the Rhine began. Soviet army liberates East Prussia, northern Poland
April 1945	The USSR launches an attack on Berlin. Anglo-Canadian-American troops defeated the Germans in the Ruhr region and met with the Soviet army on the Elbe. Italy's last defense broken
	Allied troops captured the north and south of Germany, liberated Denmark, Austria; Americans crossed the Alps and joined the Allies in northern Italy
	Germany surrendered
	The Yugoslav Liberation Forces defeated the remnants of the German army in northern Slovenia
May-September 1945	Fifth final stage of the war
	Indonesia, Indochina recaptured from Japan
August-September 1945	Soviet-Japanese War: Japanese Kwantung Army defeated. US drops atomic bombs on Japanese cities (August 6, 9)
	Japan surrendered. End of the war

Rice. 3. Surrender of Japan in 1945.

results

Let's sum up the main results of the Second World War:

The war affected 62 countries to varying degrees. About 70 million people died. Tens of thousands destroyed settlements, of which only in Russia - 1700;
Germany and its allies were defeated: the occupation of countries and the spread of the Nazi regime ceased;
Changed world leaders; they were the USSR and the USA. England and France have lost their former greatness;
The borders of states have changed, new independent countries have appeared;
War criminals have been convicted in Germany and Japan;
The United Nations Organization was created (10/24/1945);
The military power of the main victorious countries has increased.

Historians consider the serious armed resistance of the USSR against Germany (the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945), American supplies military equipment(lend-lease), obtaining aviation of the Western allies (England, France) air superiority.

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The Second World War was the bloodiest and most brutal military conflict in the history of mankind and the only one in which nuclear weapons were used. 61 states took part in it. The dates of the beginning and end of this war (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) are among the most significant for the entire civilized world.

The causes of World War II were the imbalance of power in the world and the problems provoked by the results, in particular territorial disputes.

The United States, England and France, who won the First World War, concluded the Treaty of Versailles on the most unfavorable and humiliating conditions for the losing countries (Turkey and Germany), which provoked an increase in tension in the world. At the same time, adopted in the late 1930s. Britain and France's policy of appeasing the aggressor made it possible for Germany to sharply increase its military potential, which accelerated the transition of the fascists to active military operations.

The members of the anti-Hitler bloc were the USSR, the USA, France, England, China (Chiang Kai-shek), Greece, Yugoslavia, Mexico, etc. On the part of Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, China (Wang Jingwei), Thailand, Iraq, etc. participated in World War II. Many states participating in the Second World War did not conduct operations on the fronts, but helped by supplying food, medicines and other necessary resources.

Researchers identify the following stages of World War II:

first stage: from September 1, 1939 to June 21, 1941 - the period of the European blitzkrieg of Germany and the allies;
second stage: June 22, 1941 - approximately mid-November 1942 - attack on the USSR and the subsequent failure of the Barbarossa plan;
the third stage: the second half of November 1942 - the end of 1943 - a radical turning point in the war and the loss of strategic initiative by Germany. At the end of 1943, at the Tehran Conference, in which Roosevelt and Churchill took part, it was decided to open a second front;
the fourth stage: from the end of 1943 to May 9, 1945 - was marked by the capture of Berlin and the unconditional surrender of Germany;
fifth stage: May 10, 1945 - September 2, 1945 - at this time, battles were fought only in South-East Asia and on Far East. The United States used nuclear weapons for the first time.

The beginning of World War II fell on September 1, 1939. On this day, the Wehrmacht suddenly began aggression against Poland. Despite the retaliatory declaration of war by France, Great Britain and some other countries, no real assistance was provided to Poland. Already on September 28, Poland was captured. The peace treaty between Germany and the USSR was concluded on the same day. Having received a reliable rear, Germany began active preparations for war with France, which capitulated already in 1940, on June 22. Nazi Germany began large-scale preparations for war on eastern front from the USSR. was approved already in 1940, on December 18. The Soviet top leadership received reports of the impending attack, however, fearing to provoke Germany and believing that the attack would be carried out at a later date, they deliberately did not put the border units on alert.

In the chronology of World War II, the period from June 22, 1941 to May 9, 1945, known in Russia as . The USSR on the eve of World War II was an actively developing state. Since the threat of a conflict with Germany increased over time, defense and heavy industry and science developed first of all in the country. Closed design bureaus were created, whose activities were aimed at developing the latest weapons. Discipline was tightened to the maximum at all enterprises and collective farms. In the 30s. more than 80% of the officers of the Red Army were repressed. To make up for the losses, a network of military schools and academies was created. However, there was not enough time for full-fledged training of personnel.

The main battles of World War II, which were of great importance for the history of the USSR:

(September 30, 1941 - April 20, 1942), which became the first victory of the Red Army;
(July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943), which marked a radical turning point in the war;
(July 5 - August 23, 1943), during which the largest tank battle World War II under s. Prokhorovka;
which led to the surrender of Germany.

Important events for the course of World War II took place not only on the fronts of the USSR. Among the operations carried out by the allies, it is worth noting:

the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which caused the United States to enter World War II;
the opening of a second front and the landing of troops in Normandy on June 6, 1944;
application nuclear weapons August 6 and 9, 1945 to attack Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The date of the end of the Second World War was September 2, 1945. Japan signed the act of surrender only after the defeat of the Kwantung Army by the Soviet troops. The battles of World War II, according to the most rough estimates, claimed about 65 million people on both sides.

Soviet Union suffered the greatest losses in World War II - 27 million citizens of the country were killed. It was the USSR that took the brunt of the blow. These figures, according to some researchers, are approximate. It was the stubborn resistance of the Red Army that became the main reason for the defeat of the Reich.

The results of World War II horrified everyone. Military operations have put the very existence of civilization on the brink. During the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials, fascist ideology was condemned, and many war criminals were punished. In order to prevent the possibility of a new world war in the future, at the Yalta Conference in 1945 it was decided to create the United Nations (UN), which still exists today.

The results of the nuclear bombardment of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to the signing of pacts on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and a ban on their production and use. It must be said that the consequences of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are felt today.

The economic consequences of the Second World War were also serious. For Western European countries, it turned into a genuine economic disaster. Country influence Western Europe decreased significantly. At the same time, the United States managed to maintain and strengthen its positions.

The significance of the Second World War for the Soviet Union is enormous. The defeat of the fascists determined future history countries. According to the results of the conclusion of the peace treaties that followed the defeat of Germany, the USSR significantly expanded its borders.

At the same time, the totalitarian system was strengthened in the Union. In some European countries, communist regimes were established. Victory in the war did not save the USSR from those that followed in the 50s. mass repression.

, Asia, Africa, as well as all four ocean theaters (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Northern).

On the part of the states of the fascist bloc, it was a war of conquest and predatory, it was waged in order to establish world domination, enslave and destroy entire peoples. The fascist bloc was opposed by the anti-Hitler coalition, which came out in defense of the freedom and independence of their countries and peoples.

There are 5 periods of war.

First period (September 1, 1939 - June 21, 1941)

The first period is associated with the beginning of the war, Germany's invasion of the countries of Western Europe, the occupation of 13 European states.

In the face of a common threat, an anti-Hitler coalition began to form. Great Britain and the USA declared their support for the USSR. In August, the Soviet Union and Great Britain, on the basis of a joint agreement, sent their troops into Iran to prevent the creation of fascist strongholds in the Middle East.

In the summer of the year, the Nazi military-political leadership attempted to organize another (third) offensive in the Kursk region (Operation Citadel), but suffered a crushing defeat and was forced to head for a protracted defensive positional war. In the subsequent battle for the Dnieper, the Soviet Army frustrated the enemy's intention to hold the occupied territories on the line of the so-called "Eastern Wall".

As a result, a radical change was made in the Great Patriotic War and the entire Second World War. The military-political and strategic situation has undergone irreversible changes in favor of anti-Hitler coalition. The collapse of the fascist bloc began. Germany faced the prospect of imminent defeat.

In Africa, British troops inflicted a major defeat on the Italo-German troops in the El Alamein area. At the same time, a large contingent was landed in Casablanca (Morocco). US troops. In the subsequent North African and Tunisian operations, the Allies defeated the expeditionary German-Italian troops and forced them to surrender (220 thousand people). In the middle of summer, as a result of the Sicilian and South Italian operations, the allied forces captured the island of Sicily and landed in Italy, which led to the latter's withdrawal from the war.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan switched to strategic defense, trying to hold on to the conquered territories. For their part, the Anglo-American troops, going on the offensive, seized the initiative in the air and at sea, inflicted a number of defeats Japanese fleet (naval battles off Midway Island and in the area of the Solomon Islands), landed in New Guinea and liberated the Aleutian Islands. In this period of the war, in all the territories occupied by Germany, the partisan and people's liberation movements sharply intensified, major air operations of the allies were undertaken with attacks on cities and industrial facilities on German territory.

At the same time, the situation in the Atlantic also changed radically in favor of the Western powers.

Fourth period (January 1, 1944 - May 9, 1945)

This period is characterized by the creation of a second front in Europe, the final expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the territory of the USSR, the liberation of the occupied countries of Western Europe, the complete collapse of Nazi Germany and its unconditional surrender.

The main events, as in previous periods, took place on the Eastern Front. the Soviet Army by carrying out major strategic offensive operations in the city, it defeated the most important groupings of German troops, liberated the Baltic States, Belarus, Left-Bank Ukraine, Moldova, and carried military operations beyond its state borders.

In the operations that followed, they were withdrawn from the war

The Second World War is considered the largest in the history of mankind. It began and ended on September 2, 1945. During this time, sixty-two countries took part in it, which accounted for eighty percent of the world's population. Three continents and four oceans have experienced warfare, and atomic weapons have also been used. It was the most terrible war. It started quickly and took a lot of people from this world. We will talk about this and much more today.

Background of the war

Many historians consider the outcome of the first armed conflict in the world to be the main prerequisite for the outbreak of World War II. The peace treaty that ended the First World War put the countries that were defeated in it in a powerless position. Germany lost a lot of its lands, it had to stop developing its weapons system and military industry, to abandon the armed forces. In addition, she had to pay compensation to the affected countries. All this oppressed the German government, there was a thirst for revenge. Discontent in the country with a low standard of living made it possible for A. Hitler to come to power.

Conciliation policy

What happened September 1, 1939 we already know. But shortly before this, the USSR, which appeared during the First World War, worried many politicians in Europe, since they in every possible way did not allow the spread of socialism in the world. Therefore, the second reason for the start of the war was the opposition to the popularization of communism. This gave impetus to the development of fascism in many countries. England and France, which initially restricted Germany, subsequently removed all restrictions and ignored many violations German state Treaty of Versailles. There was no reaction to the fact that Germany annexed Austria, building up military power. The Munich Treaty also approved the annexation of part of Czechoslovakia to Germany. All this was done in order to direct the country's aggression against the USSR. European politicians began to worry when Germany extended its annexation without asking anyone. But it was too late, because the plan for a new military conflict was drawn up and began to be implemented.

Role of Italy

Together with Germany aggressive foreign policy Italy began to lead. In 1935 she invaded Ethiopia, to which world society responded negatively. However, fascist Italy a year later annexed all the Ethiopian territories and proclaimed itself an empire. The deterioration of relations with Western countries contributed to its rapprochement with Germany. Mussolini allows Hitler to take over Austria. In 1936, the Third Reich and Japan conclude an agreement on the fight against communism by joint forces. Italy joined a year later.

The collapse of the Versailles-Washington system

The centers of the Second World War were formed gradually, so the outbreak of hostilities could have been prevented. Consider the main stages of the collapse of the Versailles-Washington system:

In 1931, Japan occupied Northeast China.
In 1935, Hitler began to deploy the Wehrmacht in Germany, violating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
In 1937, Japan took over all of China.
1938 - Germany captured Austria and part of Czechoslovakia.
1939 - Hitler captured the whole of Czechoslovakia. In August, Germany and the USSR signed a non-aggression pact and the division of spheres of influence in the world.
September 1, 1939 - German attack on Poland.

Armed intervention in Poland

Germany set itself the task of expanding space to the East. At the same time, Poland should be captured as soon as possible. In August, the USSR and Germany signed a non-aggression pact against each other. In the same month, the Germans, dressed in Polish uniforms, attacked the radio station in Gleiwitz. German and Slovak troops advance on Poland. England, France and other countries that were in alliance with Poland declare war on the Nazis. At half past five in the morning, the German dive bombers made their first flight to the control posts of the city of Tcheva. The first Polish aircraft was shot down. at four forty-five minutes in the morning, a German battleship opened fire on the fortifications of the Poles that were located on Westerplatte. Mussolini put forward a proposal for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but Hitler refused, citing the Gleiwitz incident.

Years in the USSR military mobilization is introduced. In a short period of time, the composition of the army reached five million people.

Fascist strategy

Poland and Germany have long had claims to each other regarding territories. The main clashes began near the city of Danzig, which the Nazis had long claimed. But Poland did not go towards the Germans. This did not upset the latter, since they had long ago prepared the Weiss plan to seize Poland. September 1, 1939 Poland was to become part of Germany. A plan was developed for the rapid capture of its territory, the destruction of all infrastructure. To achieve the goal, Hitler planned to use aviation, infantry and tank forces. The Weiss plan was worked out to the smallest detail. Hitler counted on the fact that England and France would not start hostilities, but considered the possibility of opening a second front, sending troops to the borders with the Netherlands, France and Belgium.

Readiness for military conflict

Invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 year was obvious, as was the very outcome of the fascist operation. The German army was much larger than the Polish one, as was the technical equipment. In addition, the Nazis organized a rapid mobilization, which Poland knew nothing about. The Polish government concentrated all forces along the entire border, which contributed to the weakening of the troops before a powerful blow from the Nazis. The Nazi offensive went according to plan. The Polish troops turned out to be weak in front of the enemy, especially in front of his tank formations. In addition, the President of Poland left the capital. The government followed him four days later. The Anglo-French troops did nothing to help the Poles. Only two days later they, together with New Zealand and Australia, declared war on Hitler. A few days later they were joined by Nepal, Canada, the Union of South Africa and Newfoundland. On September 3, at sea, a Nazi submarine attacked an English liner without warning. When the war, Hitler hoped to the last that the allies of Poland would not enter into an armed conflict, everything would happen the same way as with Munich. Adolf Hitler was shocked when Britain gave him an ultimatum, demanding the withdrawal of troops from Poland.

Germany

Nazi Germany made several diplomatic steps to expand the circle of states that were involved in the division of Polish territory. Ribbentrop offered Hungary to annex part of Polish Ukraine, but Budapest shied away from these questions. Germany offered Lithuania to conquer the Vilnius region, but the latter declared neutrality for a year. From the first days of the war, the leader of the OUN was in Berlin, to whom the German side promised the formation of the so-called independent Ukraine in southeastern Poland. A little later, he was informed about the possibility of forming a Western Ukrainian state on the border with Soviet Russia.

In the summer of 1939, when the OUN was preparing for military operations on the territory of Poland, a division of Galicians called VVN was formed in Slovakia. It was part of the German-Slovak unit, which struck from the territory of Slovakia. Hitler wanted to create states on the border with the USSR that would be subordinate to the Third Reich: Ukraine, the so-called Polish pseudo-state and Lithuania. Ribbentrop pointed out that it was necessary to destroy the Poles and Jews with the help of VVN. At the end of September, Ukrainian nationalists raised uprisings during which military and civilians were killed. At this time, actions were taken in Germany against the USSR. Ribbentrop invites Hitler to discuss the issue of the entry of Russian troops into the lands of Poland to occupy that part that is in the circle of interests of the USSR, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Moscow refused such an offer, pointing out that the time had not yet come. Molotov pointed out that the intervention of the Soviet Union could be a reaction to the advance of the Nazis, to protect Ukrainians and Belarusians from the Nazis.

Officially, the Union was notified that Europe began war, September 1, 1939. The border troops were ordered to strengthen the protection of the Soviet-Polish border, military mobilization was introduced, the number of vehicles, horses, tractors, etc., was increased in the army. Ribbentrop calls on the Union to finally crush Poland within two or three weeks. Molotov argued that the USSR did not want to take part in the war, ensuring its own security. Stalin said that there was a war going on in the world between two camps (rich and poor) for the redivision of the world. But the Union will watch from the sidelines as they well weaken each other. He claimed that the communists were against the war. But in the meantime, the SIK directive said that the Union could not defend fascist Poland. A little later, in the Soviet press, it was indicated that the German-Polish war was taking on a threatening character, so a call-up of spares was being carried out. A large number of army groups were created. On September 17, the Red Army advanced to Poland. Polish troops offered no resistance. The partition of Poland between the Union and Germany ended on 28 September. Western Belarus and Western Ukraine went to the USSR, which later joined the Ukrainian SSR and the BSSR.

The mood for war with Germany, which existed in the Union since 1935, lost its meaning, but mobilization continued. About two hundred thousand conscripts continued to serve under the new conscription law that was created September 1, 1939 (event what happened that day is familiar to us).

Poland's reaction

Having learned about the crossing of the Polish border by the Soviet army, the command of Poland sent an ambassador with the question of who the Soviet army crossed their border in. He was confronted with a fact, although the Polish government believed that the Red Army was brought in to limit the zone of occupation by the Nazis. It was ordered to retreat to Romania and Hungary, not to conduct hostilities.

German reaction

For the control of the armed forces of Germany, the appearance of the Soviet army in Poland came as a surprise. An emergency meeting was convened, where options for further actions of the Nazis were considered. At the same time, armed clashes with the Red Army were considered inappropriate.

France and England

When September 1, 1939 World War II began with the invasion of Poland, England and France remained on the sidelines. After the appearance of the USSR in Poland, these two states did not focus on Soviet intervention in the Polish-German war. They tried to find out what position the Union takes in this conflict. There were rumors in these countries that the Red Army in Poland opposed the German troops. In mid-September, the British government decided that England would defend Poland only from Germany, so the USSR did not send a protest, thereby recognizing the Soviet action in Poland.

Withdrawal of German troops

On September 20, Hitler ordered the withdrawal of troops to the west. He demanded an immediate end to the fighting. But this order did not take into account the fact that there were a large number of wounded, prisoners and equipment on the territory of Poland. It was planned to leave the wounded on the ground, providing them with medical staff. All the trophies that could not be evacuated were left to the Russian soldiers. Military property was left by the Germans on the ground for further export. Damaged tanks made using new technologies were ordered to be destroyed so that it would not be possible to identify them.

On September 27-28, it was planned to hold negotiations between Germany and the USSR. A proposal was received from Stalin to transfer Lithuania to the Union in exchange for part of the Warsaw and Lublin provinces. Stalin was afraid of the division of the Polish population, so he left the entire ethnic territory of the country to Germany, as well as part of the Augustow forests. Hitler approved this version of the division of Poland. On September 29, the Treaty of Friendship and Border between the Soviet Union and Germany was signed. Thus, the basis of peace in Europe was created on long time. The liquidation of the impending war between Germany, England and France ensured the interests of many peoples.

Anglo-French reaction

England was satisfied with this course of events. She told the Union that she wanted Poland to be smaller, so there could be no question of returning the territories occupied by the USSR to her. France and England informed the President of Poland not to declare war on the Soviet Union. Churchill spoke of the need for Russian troops to enter Poland in order to provide security against the Nazi threat.

Operation results

Poland ceased to exist as a state. As a result of its division, the USSR received territories with an area of about two hundred thousand square kilometers, which is half the area of the country, and a population of thirteen million people. Lithuania passed the territory of the Vilnius region. Germany received the entire ethnic territory of Poland. Some lands were ceded to Slovakia. The lands that did not join Germany became part of the general government, which was ruled by the Nazis. Krakow became its capital. The Third Reich lost about twenty thousand people, thirty thousand people were injured. The Polish army lost sixty-six thousand people, two hundred thousand people were injured, seven hundred thousand were taken prisoner. The Slovak army lost eighteen people, forty-six people were wounded.

Year 1939 ... September 1 - the beginning of World War II. Poland was the first to take the hit, as a result of which it was divided between the Soviet Union and Germany. In the territories that became part of the USSR, Soviet power was established, industry was nationalized. There were repressions and deportations of representatives of the bourgeoisie, rich peasants, intellectuals, and so on. In the territories that became part of Germany, the so-called racial policy was carried out, the population was divided by rights, depending on their nationality. At the same time, Gypsies and Jews were destroyed. In the general government, there was more aggression against the Polish and Jewish population. No one suspected then that this was only the beginning of the war, that it would take six long years and end with the defeat of Nazi Germany. Most of the world's population took part in the military conflict.

World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries - including all the great powers - have formed two opposing military alliances.
The Second World War was the reason for the desire of the world powers to revise the spheres of influence and redistribute the markets for raw materials and sales of products (1939-1945). Germany and Italy sought revenge, the USSR wanted to establish itself in Eastern Europe, in the Black Sea Straits, in Western and South Asia, to increase influence in the Far East, England, France and the USA tried to maintain their positions in the world.

Another reason for the Second World War was the attempt of bourgeois-democratic states to oppose each other totalitarian regimes - fascists and communists.
World War II was chronologically divided into three major phases:

From September 1, 1939 to June 1942 - the period in which Germany had the advantage.
From June 1942 to January 1944. During this period, the anti-Hitler coalition took over the advantage.
From January 1944 to September 2, 1945, the period when the troops of the aggressor countries were defeated and the ruling regimes in these countries fell.

World War II began on September 1, 1939 with the German attack on Poland. On September 8-14, in the battles near the Bruz River, the Polish troops were defeated. Warsaw fell on 28 September. In September, Soviet troops also invaded Poland. Poland became the first victim of the World War. The Germans destroyed the Jewish and Polish intelligentsia, introduced labor service.

"Strange War"
In response to the aggression of Germany, England and France on September 3 declared war on her. But active hostilities did not follow. Therefore, the beginning of the war on Western front called "The Strange War".
On September 17, 1939, Soviet troops captured Western Ukraine and Western Belarus - lands lost under the Riga Treaty of 1921 as a result of an unsuccessful Polish-Soviet war. The Soviet-German treaty "On Friendship and Borders" concluded on September 28, 1939, confirmed the fact of the capture and partition of Poland. The treaty defined the Soviet-German borders, the border was set aside a little to the west. Lithuania was included in the sphere of interests of the USSR.
In November 1939, Stalin offered Finland to lease the port of Petsamo and the Hanko peninsula for the construction military base, as well as push back the border on the Karelian Isthmus in exchange for more territory in Soviet Karelia. Finland rejected this proposal. On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union declared war on Finland. This war went down in history under the name " winter war". Stalin organized a puppet Finnish "workers' government" in advance. But the Soviet troops met fierce resistance from the Finns on the "Mannerheim Line" and only in March 1940 did they overcome it. Finland was forced to accept the conditions of the USSR. On March 12, 1940, a peace treaty was signed in Moscow. The Karelian-Finnish SSR was created.
During September-October 1939, the Soviet Union sent troops into the Baltic countries, forcing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to conclude agreements. On June 21, 1940, Soviet power was established in all three republics. Two weeks later, these republics became part of the USSR. In June 1940, the USSR took Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania.
In Bessarabia, the Moldavian SSR was created, which also became part of the USSR. And Northern Bukovina became part of the Ukrainian SSR. These aggressive actions of the USSR were condemned by England and France. On December 14, 1939, the Soviet Union was expelled from the League of Nations.

Military operations in the West, Africa and the Balkans
For successful operations in the North Atlantic, Germany needed bases. Therefore, she attacked Denmark and Norway, although they declared themselves neutral. On April 9, 1940, Denmark surrendered, and on June 10, Norway. In Norway, the fascist V. Quisling seized power. The king of Norway turned to England for help. In May 1940, the main forces of the German army (Wehrmacht) concentrated on the Western Front. On May 10, the Germans suddenly occupied Holland and Belgium and pressed the Anglo-French-Belgian troops to the sea in the Dunkirk area. The Germans occupied Calais. But on the orders of Hitler, the offensive was suspended, and the enemy was given the opportunity to get out of the encirclement. This event became known as the "Miracle of Dunkirk". With this gesture, Hitler wanted to propitiate England, conclude an agreement with her and withdraw her from the war for a while.

On May 26, Germany launched an offensive against France, achieved victory near the Aime River and, breaking through the Maginot Line, on June 14 the Germans entered Paris. On June 22, 1940, in the Forest of Compiègne, at the very spot where Germany surrendered 22 years ago, Marshal Foch, in the same staff car, signed the act of surrender of France. France was divided into 2 parts: the northern part, which was under German occupation, and the southern part with the center in the city of Vichy.
This part of France was dependent on Germany; a puppet "Vichy government" was organized here, headed by Marshal Pétain. The Vichy government had a small army. The fleet was confiscated. The French constitution was also abolished, and Pétain was given unlimited powers. The Vichy collaborationist regime lasted until August 1944.
The anti-fascist forces of France grouped around the Free French organization, created by Charles de Gaulle in England.
In the summer of 1940 he was elected Prime Minister of England ardent opponent Fascist Germany Winston Churchill. Since the German Navy inferior to the English fleet, then Hitler abandoned the idea of landing troops in England, and was content with only air bombardments. England actively defended itself and won the "air war". This was the first victory in the war with Germany.
On June 10, 1940, Italy also joined the war against England and France. The Italian army from Ethiopia captured Kenya, strongholds in Sudan, and part of British Somalia. And in October, Italy attacked Libya and Egypt in order to seize the Suez Canal. But, having seized the initiative, the British troops forced the Italian army in Ethiopia to surrender. In December 1940, the Italians were defeated in Egypt, and in 1941 - in Libya. The help sent by Hitler was not effective. In general, during the winter of 1940-1941, British troops, with the help of the local population, drove the Italians out of British and Italian Somalia, from Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
September 22, 1940 Germany, Italy and Japan signed a pact in Berlin ("Pact of Steel"). A little later, Germany's allies - Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovakia - joined him. In essence, it was an agreement on the redistribution of the world. Germany invited the USSR to join this pact and participate in the occupation of British India and other southern lands. But Stalin was interested in the Balkans and the Black Sea straits. And this was contrary to Hitler's plans.
In October 1940, Italy attacked Greece. German troops helped Italy. In April 1941, Yugoslavia and Greece capitulated.
Thus, the most severe blow to the positions of the British was dealt in the Balkans. The British Corps was returned to Egypt. In May 1941 the Germans took the island of Crete and the British lost control of the Aegean. Yugoslavia ceased to exist as a state. An independent Croatia emerged. The remaining Yugoslav lands were divided among themselves by Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Hungary. Under pressure from Hitler, Romania gave Transylvania to Hungary.

German attack on the USSR
Back in June 1940, Hitler instructed the leadership of the Wehrmacht to prepare for an attack on the USSR. A plan for a "lightning war" was prepared and approved on December 18, 1940, codenamed "Barbarossa". A native of Baku, intelligence officer Richard Sorge in May 1941 announced the impending German attack on the USSR, but Stalin did not believe it. On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union without declaring war. The Germans intended to reach the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line before the onset of winter. During the first week of the war, the Germans took Smolensk, approached Kyiv and Leningrad. In September, Kyiv was taken, and Leningrad was under blockade.
In November 1941, the Germans launched an offensive against Moscow. On December 5-6, 1941, they were defeated in the battle near Moscow. In this battle and in the winter operations of 1942, the myth of the "invincibility" of the German army collapsed, and the plan for a "blitzkrieg" was thwarted. The victory of the Soviet troops inspired the resistance movement in the countries occupied by the Germans, strengthened the anti-Hitler coalition.
Creation of the anti-Hitler coalition

The territory of Eurasia to the east of the 70th meridian Japan considered the sphere of its influence. After the capitulation of France, Japan appropriated its colonies - Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and stationed its troops there. Sensing the danger to their possessions in the Philippines, the United States demanded that Japan withdraw its troops and established a ban on trade with Japan.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese squadron launched an unexpected attack on the US naval base in the Hawaiian Islands - Pearl Harbor. On the same day, Japanese troops invaded Thailand and the British colonies of Malaysia and Burma. In response, the United States and Great Britain declared war on Japan.
At the same time, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. In the spring of 1942, the Japanese took the British fortress of Singapore, which was considered impregnable, and approached India. Then they conquered Indonesia and the Philippines, landed on New Guinea.
Back in March 1941, the US Congress passed a law on Lend-Lease - an "assistance system" with weapons, strategic raw materials and food. After Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States became in solidarity with the USSR. W. Churchill said that against Hitler he was ready to enter into an alliance even with the devil himself.
On July 12, 1941, an agreement on cooperation between the USSR and Great Britain was signed. On October 10, a trilateral agreement was signed between the USA, the USSR and Great Britain on military and food aid to the USSR. In November 1941, the United States extended the Lend-Lease Act to the Soviet Union. An anti-Hitler coalition emerged, consisting of the USA, Great Britain and the USSR.
In order to prevent a rapprochement between Germany and Iran, on August 25, 1941, the Soviet army entered Iran from the north, and the British from the south. In the history of World War II, this was the first joint operation between the USSR and England.
On August 14, 1941, the United States and Britain signed a document called the Atlantic Charter, in which they declared their refusal to seize foreign territories, recognized the right of all peoples to self-government, and renounced the use of force in international affairs, showed interest in building a just and secure post-war world. The USSR announced the recognition of the governments of Czechoslovakia and Poland, who were in exile, and on September 24 also joined the Atlantic Charter. On January 1, 1942, 26 states signed the "Declaration of the United Nations". The strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition contributed to the onset of a radical turning point in the course of World War II.

The beginning of a radical fracture
The second period of the war is characterized as a period of radical change. The first step here was the Battle of Midway Atoll in June 1942, in which the US Navy sank a Japanese squadron. Having suffered heavy losses, Japan lost the ability to fight in the Pacific.
In October 1942, British troops under the command of General B. Montgomery surrounded and defeated the Italo-German troops at El Apamein. In November, US troops under the command of General Dwight Eisenhower in Morocco pressed the Italo-German troops against Tunisia and forced them to surrender. But the allies did not keep their promises and in 1942 they did not open a second front in Europe. This allowed the Germans to group large forces on the eastern front, break through the defenses of the Soviet troops on the Kerch Peninsula in May, capturing Sevastopol and Kharkov in July, and move towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus. But the German offensive was repulsed near Stalingrad, and in a counterattack on November 23 near the city of Kalach, Soviet troops surrounded 22 enemy divisions. The Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted until February 2, 1943, ended with the victory of the USSR, which seized the strategic initiative. A radical turning point took place in the Soviet-German war. The counteroffensive of the Soviet troops in the Caucasus began.
One of the important conditions for a radical turning point in the war was the ability of the USSR, the USA and Britain to mobilize their resources. So, on June 30, 1941, the State Defense Committee was created in the USSR under the chairmanship of I. Stalin and the main Logistics Directorate. A card system was introduced.
In 1942, a law was passed in England giving the government emergency powers in the field of management. In the United States, the Office of War Production was created.

Resistance movement
Another factor that contributed to the radical change was the resistance movement of the peoples who fell under the German, Italian and Japanese yoke. The Nazis created death camps - Buchenwald, Auschwitz, Maidanek, Treblinka, Dachau, Mauthausen, etc. In France - Oradur, in Czechoslovakia - Lidice, in Belarus - Khatyn and many more such villages around the world, the population of which was completely destroyed. A systematic policy of extermination of Jews and Slavs was pursued. On January 20, 1942, a plan was approved for the extermination of all Jews in Europe.
The Japanese acted under the slogan "Asia for Asians", but ran into desperate resistance in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, and the Philippines. The unification of anti-fascist forces contributed to the strengthening of resistance. Under pressure from the allies, the Comintern was dissolved in 1943, so the communists in some countries took an active part in joint anti-fascist actions.
In 1943, an anti-fascist uprising broke out in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto. In the territories of the USSR conquered by the Germans partisan movement was especially widespread.

Completion of a radical fracture
The radical change on the Soviet-German front ended with a grandiose Battle of Kursk(July-August 1943), in which the Nazis were defeated. In naval battles in the Atlantic, the Germans lost many submarines. Allied ships began to cross Atlantic Ocean as part of special sentinel convoys.
A radical change in the course of the war caused a crisis in the countries of the fascist bloc. In July 1943, the allied forces captured the island of Sicily, and this caused a deep crisis of the fascist regime of Mussolini. He was overthrown and arrested. The new government was headed by Marshal Badoglio. The Fascist Party was outlawed, and political prisoners were granted amnesty.
Secret negotiations began. September 3 Allied troops landed in the Apennines. An armistice was signed with Italy.
At this time, Germany occupied northern Italy. Badoglio declared war on Germany. A front line arose north of Naples, and the regime of Mussolini, who had fled from captivity, was restored in the territory occupied by the Germans. He relied on the German troops.
After the completion of the radical change, the heads of the allied states - F. Roosevelt, J. Stalin and W. Churchill met in Tehran from November 28 to December 1, 1943. The central place in the work of the conference was occupied by the question of opening a second front. Churchill insisted on opening a second front in the Balkans to prevent the penetration of communism into Europe, and Stalin believed that a second front should be opened closer to the German borders - in Northern France. So there were differences in views on the second front. Roosevelt sided with Stalin. It was decided to open a second front in May 1944 in France. Thus, for the first time, the foundations of a common military concept anti-Hitler coalition. Stalin agreed to participate in the war with Japan, on the condition that Kaliningrad (Königsberg) be transferred to the USSR, and the new western borders of the USSR would be recognized. Tehran also adopted a declaration on Iran. The heads of the three states expressed their intention to maintain the integrity of the territory of this country.
In December 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill signed the Egyptian Declaration in Egypt with Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek. An agreement was reached that the war would continue until the complete defeat of Japan. All the territories taken from it by Japan will be returned to China, Korea will become free and independent.

Deportation of Turks and Caucasian peoples
The German offensive in the Caucasus, which began in the summer of 1942, in accordance with the Edelweiss plan, failed.
In the territories inhabited by the Turkic peoples (North and South Azerbaijan, central Asia, Kazakhstan, Bashkiria, Tatarstan, Crimea, North Caucasus, Western China and Afghanistan) Germany planned the creation of the state "Great Turkestan".
In 1944-1945, the Soviet leadership declared some Turkic and Caucasian peoples in cooperation with the German occupiers and deported them. As a result of this deportation, accompanied by genocide, in February 1944, 650,000 Chechens, Ingush and Karachais, in May - about 2 million Crimean Turks, in November - about a million Turks - Meskhetians from the regions of Georgia bordering Turkey were resettled in eastern regions THE USSR. In parallel with the deportation, the forms government controlled these peoples (in 1944 the Chechen-Ingush ASSR, in 1945 the Crimean ASSR). In October 1944, the independent Republic of Tuva, located in Siberia, was incorporated into the RSFSR.

Military operations 1944-1945
At the beginning of 1944, the Soviet army launched a counteroffensive near Leningrad and in right-bank Ukraine. On September 2, 1944, an armistice was signed between the USSR and Finland. The lands seized in 1940, the Pechenga region, were transferred to the USSR. Finland's access to the Barents Sea has been closed. In October, with the permission of the Norwegian authorities, Soviet troops entered the territory of Norway.
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces under the command of American General D. Eisenhower landed in northern France and opened a second front. At the same time, Soviet troops launched "Operation Bagration", as a result of which the territory of the USSR was completely cleared of the enemy.
The Soviet army entered East Prussia and Poland. In August 1944, an anti-fascist uprising began in Paris. Before the end of this year, the Allies completely liberated France and Belgium.
At the beginning of 1944, the United States occupied the Marshall Islands, the Mariana Islands and the Philippines, and blocked Japan's sea lanes. In turn, the Japanese captured Central China. But due to difficulties in providing the Japanese, the “campaign to Delhi” failed.
In July 1944, Soviet troops entered Romania. The fascist regime of Antonescu was overthrown, and the Romanian King Mihai declared war on Germany. September 2 - Bulgaria, and September 12 - Romania signed a truce with the allies. In mid-September, Soviet troops entered Yugoslavia, most of which by this time had been liberated by the partisan army of I.B. Tito. At this time, Churchill resigned himself to the entry of all the Balkan countries into the sphere of influence of the USSR. And the troops subordinate to the Polish government in exile in London fought both against the Germans and against the Russians. In August 1944, an unprepared uprising began in Warsaw, suppressed by the Nazis. The Allies did not agree on the legitimacy of each of the two Polish governments.

Crimean Conference
On February 4-11, 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met in the Crimea (Yalta). Here, a decision was made on the unconditional surrender of Germany and the division of its territory into 4 occupation zones (USSR, USA, England, France), the collection of reparations from Germany, the recognition of new western borders USSR, the inclusion of new members in the London Polish government. The USSR confirmed its consent to enter the war against Japan 2-3 months after the end of the war with Germany. In return, Stalin expected to receive South Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, railway in Manchuria and Port Arthur.
At the conference, a declaration "On a liberated Europe" was adopted. It guaranteed the right to create democratic structures of their own choosing.
Here, the order of work of the future United Nations was determined. The Crimean Conference was the last meeting of the "Big Three" with the participation of Roosevelt. In 1945 he died. He was replaced by G. Truman.

The defeat at the fronts caused a severe crisis in the bloc of fascist regimes. Realizing the disastrous for Germany to continue the war and the need to conclude peace, a group of officers organized an assassination attempt on Hitler, but unsuccessfully.
In 1944, the German military industry reached high level, but there was no longer any strength to resist. Despite this, Hitler announced a general mobilization and began to use a new type of weapon - V-rockets. In December 1944, in the Ardennes, the Germans went on the last counterattack. The position of the allies worsened. At their request, the USSR launched the Vistula-Oder operation ahead of schedule in January 1945 and approached Berlin at a distance of 60 kilometers. In February, the Allies launched a general offensive. On April 16, under the leadership of Marshal G. Zhukov, the Berlin operation began. On April 30, the Banner of Victory was hung over the Reichstag. Mussolini was executed by partisans in Milan. Upon learning of this, Hitler shot himself. On the night of May 8-9, on behalf of the German government, Field Marshal W. Keitel signed an act of unconditional surrender. On May 9, Prague was liberated and the war in Europe ended.

Potsdam conference
From July 17 to August 2, 1945, a new conference of the "Big Three" was held in Potsdam. Now the United States was represented by Truman, and Britain, instead of Churchill, by the newly elected Prime Minister, Labor leader C. Attlee.
The main purpose of the conference was to determine the principles of the Allied policy towards Germany. The territory of Germany was divided into 4 zones of occupation (USSR, USA, France, England). An agreement was reached on the dissolution of fascist organizations, the restoration of previously banned parties and civil liberties, the destruction of the military industry and cartels. The main fascist war criminals were tried by the International Tribunal. The conference decided that Germany should remain a single state. In the meantime, it will be controlled by the occupying authorities. The country's capital Berlin was also divided into 4 zones. There were elections after which peace would be signed with the new democratic government.
The conference also determined the state borders of Germany, which lost a quarter of its territory. Germany has lost everything it has gained since 1938. Earth East Prussia were divided between the USSR and Poland. The borders of Poland were determined along the line of the Oder-Neisse rivers. Soviet citizens who fled to the west or remained there were to be returned to their homeland.
The amount of reparations from Germany was set at 20 billion dollars. 50% of this amount was due to the Soviet Union.

End of World War II
In April 1945, US troops entered the island of Okinawa during the anti-Japanese operation. Before the summer, the Philippines, Indonesia and part of Indo-China were liberated. On July 26, 1945, the United States, the USSR and China demanded the surrender of Japan, but were refused. To demonstrate its strength, the United States on August 6 dropped atomic bomb to Hiroshima. On August 8, the USSR declared war on Japan. On August 9, the United States dropped a second bomb on the city of Nagasaki.
On August 14, at the request of Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese government announced its surrender. The official act of surrender was signed on September 2, 1945 aboard the battleship Missouri.
Thus, the Second World War, in which 61 states participated and in which 67 million people died, ended.
If the First World War was mainly of a positional nature, then the Second World War was of an offensive nature.