The Second World War and the West

The series of battles and conquests concerning the superpowers of the world from 1939 to 1945 is known as the Second World War or World War II. The war basically involved to sides: the Allied and the Axis forces.

Almost two decades after World War I, Germany, Italy and Japan were eager to redeem and expand their power. Since the early 1930s, after the defeat of Germany in WWI along with the effects of the Great Depression and the peace settlements created to end the First World War, Germany, Italy and Japan all assumed dictatorship. They considered themselves supreme over other nations. Thus, they decided to expand their territories by taking over their neighboring countries.

Ineptitude on the part of the League of Nations added fuel to the fire. This organization was able to promote and advance disarmament. Situations at the time also contributed to the seemingly unprepared actions of the Allied Forces-the effects of long economic depression and the paranoia sweeping the nations.

Prior to the actual war, Germany, Italy, and Japan violated numerous treaties and performed acts of aggressions. Some of the most notable events during this time are the following: the rise of Adolf Hitler and resurrected German army in 1933; the fall of Ethiopia via Italy led by Benito Mussolini (Martel 187); the annexing of Austria to Germany; and the surrender of most of Czechoslovakia to Germany via the Munich Pact (Kitchen 13). Finally when Germany has seized the whole Czechoslovakia and Italy occupied Albania, Great Britain and France deserted their pacification policies and started to establish alliances with Romania, Turkey, Poland and Greece as means of anti-aggression. Germany likewise found an ally in Italy and signed a non-aggression pact with Soviet Union in May of 1939 (Muller, et. al. 4).

On the first of September 1939 at 4:45 AM, World War commenced as Germany began to invade Poland without a declaration of war. (Lightbody 1) Members of the Commonwealth of Nations with the exception of Ireland declared war on the third of September. Through various new military techniques and advanced weaponry, the Polish defenses crumbled easily.

Germany then sought to conquer Denmark and Norway by surprise on the 9^th of April-Denmark who bade no resistance, was easily seized and Norway finally fell on the 9^th of June. Germany then targeted Belgium and the Netherlands. On the 22th of June, France had signed a peace agreement with Germany, then Italy. The remaining Allied force at the time that made no efforts in submitting is Great Britain led by Winston Churchill (Kitchen 62). The British army was slowing the Germans in taking them over.

In the latter part of 1940, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary merged with the Axis. However, Yugoslavia and Greece continued to resist and were seized easily. By 1941, Slovakia and Finland also joined the Axis and invaded the Soviet Union in violation of the non-aggression agreements signed earlier. The Soviet Army joined the Allied Forces. Though the Soviet Army was less modern than the German's the extremely cold weather of Russia slowed them down.

Throughout this time, the United States remained neutral. However in the turn of events strained the United States' relationship with Germany-the attack of their shipping bases and Japan's acts of aggression against Indochina, China and Thailand.

The United States finally abandoned their neutral stance when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on the 7^th of December 1941 unprovoked (Satterfield 21). The Philippines, then a US protectorate was likewise threatened. At this point all hopes of trying to settle the war diplomatically died. On December 11 from the United States (Kimball) declared war against Japan. Within days the Commonwealth of Nations and the Netherlands also followed suit. Germany and Italy likewise declared war on US.

Initially the war in the Pacific was devastating-the Philippines, Malaya, Burma, Indonesia, and a number of islands in the Pacific were conquered and an Allied Fleet was wiped out in the Java Sea. In Australia, an Allied base was making tactical plans of counteracting Japan.

Late in the summer of 1942, the Axis gained more ground having penetrated North Africa and Caucasus and sank many Allied ships in the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. However, in North Africa the American and British armada together with the Free French Forces was able to rid the place of the Axis forces by May of 1943. The Soviet troops on the other hand were able to gain the surrender of the German 6^th Army in Stalingrad. Eventually, the Allies were able to conquer Sicily, Rome, Monte Cassino and Anzio until the surrender of Italy on the 9^th of September 1944. Within the parts of Europe occupied by Germans, clandestine initiatives began to fight back.

Early in 1944, Allied air strikes were successful in destroying German cities and industries. By October of the same year, France and Belgium were rid of German forces. The Soviets were also successful in forcing the capitulation of Bulgaria, Romania, and Finland and ultimately Hungary by January of 1945. Eventually they entered and seized Eastern Germany. The defeat of Germany finally came as the Western (Britain, France, etc.) and Eastern (Soviet) initiatives teamed up in Torgau in Saxony. The surrender of Germany was signed on the 7^th of May and ratified the following day after the death of Hitler and the ruin of Berlin.

Japan, still refusing to surrender even after the loss of control over the Pacific islands and the appeal aired at the Potsdam Conference was bombed on the 6^th of August 1945 in Hiroshima by the United States. This was the first time an atomic bomb was used. An estimate of about 50,000 Japanese died (Breuer 217). Three days later, Nagasaki was also bombed (Lee 110). Finally, on the 14^th of August, Japan admitted defeat.

The aftermath of the war was filled with physical and moral desolation. Countless people suffered from the effects of the nuclear bombings. Many people were forever scarred from the Holocaust. Countless men, women, and children, both military and civilians have lost their lives. Millions of people lost their homes and their livelihoods.

The Axis forces have suffered humiliation through their defeat. Great Britain and France seemed to have lost their political powers to the two new emerging superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States. Thus the cold war was born (Divine 348).

Discussion

Perhaps like all wars, the main ingredients are greed and pride. Greed signifies the desire to want more. Germany, Italy and Japan, although considered to be powerful nations at the time of post World War I wanted more power, a wider expansion of territory, and more right to inflict their ideals on other people.

Pride on the other hand is the belief that oneself is better than the others. Pride coupled by ambition can be a dangerous thing. These three countries pioneering the Axis Forces believed that they were special; that they had the right to lead people, and that they were better than everyone else. This pride is perhaps the main driving force behind the Holocaust. Pride can lead to hatred.

Lightbody sums this up as World War II rising out "of the unfettered ambitions of a minority for territory and dominance and provided the most extreme example of the consequences of the promotion of racial hatred" (272).

Nothing in this world is ever strictly black or white-there are always gray areas in history, and in everyday life. There is no distinct good and evil in wars. We are perhaps judged by our actions-on the things we do. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are truly horrible events. The physical effects of these bombings spanned decades. What was probably the most disturbing about the bombing was that the war was practically over-Germany and Italy admitted defeat. Was it really necessary to bomb Japan who was probably minutes away from surrendering? Was it really about Japan or was the United States showing off their power to the rest of the world? Lee quotes Kagan's book Why America Dropped the Bomb in explaining that while the act of dropping the bombs is "repugnant," they chose the "least bad course" (114). Furthermore Kagan adds, "Americans may look back on that decision with sadness, but without shame" (Lee 114). In this case, the gray are even murkier than ever,

I think one of the lessons of World War II is that it is very necessary to choose good leaders. The events of World War II are mainly due to the key players in the involved countries: Germany's Hitler, Italy's Mussolini, Great Britain's Churchill, United States' Roosevelt, and so on. Had there been other leaders, history may have turned out quite differently-the war may not have happened or the war may still not be over or certain events in the war may have been avoided.

Two centuries ago, Edward Gibbon wrote that a "person called to rule over us should approach the task with awe" and he adds that this leader should "aspire to the perfection of the divine nature; he should purify his soul from her mortal and terrestrial part; he should extinguish his appetites, enlighten his understanding, regulate his passions, and subdue the wild beast which, according to the lively metaphor of Aristotle, seldom fails to ascend the throne of the despot." (Steinberg 244). In short, he must make himself worthy of the honor given to him/her.

Works Cited

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Divine, Robert A., ed. Causes and Consequences of World War II. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1969: 309-325. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Kimball, Warren F. "Franklin D. Roosevelt and World War II." Presidential Studies Quarterly 34.1 (2004): 83+. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Kitchen, Martin. A World in Flames A Short History of the Second World War in Europe and Asia, 1939-1945. London: Longman, 1990: 12-38; 62-89. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Lee, Loyd E., ed. World War II in Asia and the Pacific and the War's aftermath, with General Themes: A Handbook of Literature and Research. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998: 104-114. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Lightbody, Bradley. The Second World War: Ambitions to Nemesis. New York: Routledge, 2004: 267-272. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Martel, Gordon, ed. The Origins of the Second World War Reconsidered: A.J.P. Taylor and the Historians. London: Routledge, 1999: 155-198. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Müller, Rolf-Dieter, and Gerd R. Ueberschär. Hitler's War in the East, 1941-1945: A Critical Assessment. Trans. Bruce D. Little. Providence, RI: Berghahn Books, 1997: 3-41. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Satterfield, Archie. The Day the War Began. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1992: 1-26. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .

Steinberg, Jonathan. All or Nothing: The Axis and the Holocaust 1941-1943. London: Routledge, 2002: 242-244. Questia. 24 Apr. 2008 .