Imagine a mentally unstable man attacking a group of people with a machine gun, killing them. When the victims' families turn to the law, they are told, "He's mentally unstable; are you going to treat him like a sane person?" Then, the attacker continues his assaults, targeting the victims' families and even the law enforcers themselves. This analogy helps set the stage for the outbreak of World War II.
The Story Begins:
While there are different opinions on what sparked World War II, everyone agrees that the main reason was the rise of Hitler to power in Germany. Hitler had a troubled past; his childhood was harsh, with his father beating him until his death, and his mother, whom he loved dearly, died of cancer. Afterward,
Hitler attempted to join an art school in Vienna but was rejected twice and advised to study architecture. However, instead of becoming an architect, he became a political and colonial leader who occupied most of Europe.
World War II:
Almost all countries worldwide were involved in this war, except for the neutral ones, shown in light yellow on the map.
Although Germany was the main country leading the war against most of the world, with help from a few other nations, the warring sides can be divided as follows:
Allied Powers: (United States - Soviet Union - Britain - France - China - Poland - Canada - Australia - New Zealand - Norway - Denmark - Belgium - Netherlands - Greece - Yugoslavia - Czechoslovakia - Brazil - Argentina - Ethiopia - South Africa - India - Philippines) among others.
Axis Powers: (Germany - Italy - Japan - Hungary - Bulgaria - Romania), but in reality, Germany and Japan were the two main forces fighting, while the others played lesser roles.
Critical Events in Chronological Order:
Japan (Land of the Samurai and Ninja):
The war effectively began in Japan in 1931. Japan was aiming to expand into China. Despite being smaller in size, Japan had a much stronger military.
Japan provocatively planted a bomb on a railway used for trade with China, and although the bomb caused no damage, Japan declared war on China. Japan invaded China, committed atrocities against civilians, and took control of several Chinese regions. Later, Japan tried to expand into Russia through Mongolia but failed.
Japan fought alongside the Allies in World War I, but in World War II, it formed an alliance with Germany. This alliance angered the U.S. and Britain, which imposed economic sanctions on Japan. Japan responded by attacking the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1940 and seized several islands in the Pacific.
Later, the U.S. and its allies captured the islands surrounding Japan, cutting off supplies and halting Japan's advance. At the end of the war, after Japan refused to surrender, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, forcing Japan to surrender.
Italy (A Country Under Gang Rule):
Italy was under the rule of Mussolini, who was essentially a gang member. After coming to power, he expanded Italy's colonial reach and invaded Ethiopia in 1935, capturing the capital, Addis Ababa. Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations, but the significant powers ignored its plea.
Mussolini continued his expansion and allied with Hitler, supporting a military coup in Spain. When Mussolini saw Hitler's successes in Europe, he decided to follow suit and invaded Albania in 1939, declaring war on Britain. However, Italian forces were less effective than the Allies, leading to a series of defeats and, ultimately, the collapse of Italy.
Germany (A Madman Leading 50 Million Sane People):
After World War I, Germany was suffering from economic and military collapse. Hitler took advantage of the situation and rebuilt the German army, convincing the German people that they were the superior race. Hitler began annexing neighboring countries, starting with Austria in 1938, then Czechoslovakia, and later Poland.
When Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany. However, Britain and France provided little help to Poland, and Germany continued its expansion, capturing Norway, Denmark, and then France in 1940.
Later, Hitler decided to attack the Soviet Union in 1941 in Operation Barbarossa, the largest military operation in history. Although the Germans made rapid progress initially, they faced strong resistance from the Soviets, and the campaign failed.
In North Africa, German forces led by Rommel, known as the Desert Fox, attempted to expand into Egypt but were eventually defeated by the Allies. In 1944, Allied forces launched the Normandy invasion in France and began their assault on Germany.
In 1945, the Allies entered Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker, and the war ended.
Results of World War II:
Between 50 and 65 million people died during the war, and more than 80 million others were affected (injured or displaced).
Many European countries went bankrupt and sought aid from the United States.
Britain lost its status as a superpower, while the U.S. and the Soviet Union emerged as the new superpowers, leading to the start of the Cold War.
Germany was divided into two parts: one under Soviet control and the other under Allied control, with the Berlin Wall being built, which was eventually torn down in the late 1980s.
Independence movements against colonialism increased significantly after the war, especially in British and French colonies.
The United Nations was founded in 1945 with 50 member countries and became a major international force.
Arab countries were influenced by the major powers during the war, and after the war, the Arab League was established in 1945. However, just three years later, the state of Israel was declared in Palestine, challenging the Arab League.
This simplified version covers World War II's key aspects and consequences, focusing on the major players and events.