it is the largest armed conflict that
humanity has known a deadly war that
involves tens of millions of fighters
around the world let's retrace on a map
a summary of the main events of world
war 2 at the end of World War one
Germany and its allies are defeated and
held solely responsible for the war with
heavy sanctions imposed upon them the
austro-hungarian and Ottoman empires are
dismantled while Germany has to repay
what many consider an unreasonable debt
its colonies and some of its territories
are ceded to the victors and to Poland
which is recreated these sanctions are
seen as humiliation by the German people
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the German economy is weakened by
excessive debt and suffers
hyperinflation national mints try to
address this by printing banknotes
causing a devaluation of his currency
between 1914 and November 1923 the value
of the mark grew by 1000 billion the
following year radical measures are
taken to halt inflation and stabilize
and revive the economy but in 1929 the
Wall Street Crash in New York causes the
worst economic crisis of the 20th
century its impact is felt worldwide
with Germany not spared either causing
the unemployment rate to explode
severely weakened Germany sees a rise of
nationalism in 1933 that allows the rise
to power of the nazi party with adolf
hitler at a tell
despite the strict conditions imposed
upon Germany after World War one the new
totalitarian regime resets the country
and restores military service the
country also begins an aggressive
foreign policy with a dream of uniting
all german-speaking people
Italy despite its victory with the
Allies is frustrated by the amount of
territory it gained after World War one
since 1922 the country is ruled by the
dictatorial fascist party of Benito
Mussolini Italy begins a colonial policy
by seizing Ethiopia and prepares a
future invasion in Albania
in Spain begins three years of civil war
opposing the Republican government
supported by the USSR and the
International Brigades
and the nationalist camp led by
Francesco Franco and aided by Italy and
Germany the two countries took the
opportunity to test their armies and to
get closer diplomatically in Asia Japan
continues its expansionist policy the
country takes advantage of the civil war
in China to invade new territories the
Japanese army uses chemical and
biological weapons and commits massacres
of populations Germany is now powerful
enough to launch its territorial
expansion its first annex Austria with
support from the local Nazi Party next
the west of Czechoslovakia was invaded
the Slovak Republic becomes a German
satellite state while Hungary grows
closer diplomatically after the
occupation of a part of Lithuania
Germany signs with the USSR a
non-aggression pact and a plan to carve
up Europe it then attacks Poland which
provokes the United Kingdom and France
to declare war marking the beginning of
World War two
although the German forces are
concentrated in the East the Allied
troops do not take initiative in the
West instead France and the United
Kingdom try to cut the strategic iron
all route that passes through Norway and
supplies a German military industry
Germany reacts by invading Denmark and
Norway within days the country captures
Luxembourg the Netherlands and Belgium
Hitler's new military strategy is called
blitzkrieg which surprises opposition
defences with rapid high-intensity
attacks in a concentrated area British
forces retreat in the face of this
German military prowess and the German
army bears down on Paris the French army
is defeated and an armistice is signed
Germany occupies the north and west of
France leaving its other territory and
colonies under the control of the new
government Germany Duss has indirect
control of French colonies without
having to send an army there however
part of the French colonies and the
Belgian Congo chooses to stay in the
camp of the Allies in London which
already hosts several governments in
exile general charles ago creates free
france which continues to five nazi
germany Brazzaville is named as its
capital
pursuant to the agreement signed with
Germany the Soviet Union seizes the
Baltic States and a part of Romania
Germany Italy and Japan combined to form
the Axis powers all dominions and
British colonies with the exception of
Ireland enter the war in Africa fighting
begins between Italian colonies and
Allied forces while in Europe despite
the massive
aerial bombing of British cities Germany
fails to take over the country Hitler
then changes his plans he now wants to
invade the USSR but the plan is delayed
by Italy that fails to invade Greece and
is forced to retreat by Allied forces
after the accession of Hungary Romania
and Bulgaria to the Axis forces the
German armies head south to invade
Yugoslavia and Greece everywhere in
Europe the resistance is organized in
different forms sometimes people
organize strikes demonstrations or
protect wanted persons some groups spy
for the Allies conduct sabotage or print
resistance newspapers in Eastern Europe
guerrilla forces undermine the axis
armies in Yugoslavia and Greece
resistant Communists and Royalists
groups confront each other
Germany isn't spared the anti-nazi
resistance with some attempts to
assassinate Hitler which fail
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On June 22 Axis forces launched on some
counts the largest military operation in
history to attack USSR which now passes
de facto into the camp of Allied forces
the bulk of the German troops well
equipped and motorised rushed to the
east to support the Soviets allies
occupy Iran which then opens a supply
route through the caucuses German armies
arrive in Leningrad and begin a siege of
the city that would last 872 days and
cause more than 1 million civilian
deaths further south
German troops were stopped at the gates
of Moscow where they suffer a harsh and
deadly winter behind the front lines the
SS massacre Slavic and Jewish
populations
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in Asia Japan occupies French Indochina
to counter its expansionist policy the
United States imposes upon it an embargo
on oil and steel in response the
Japanese conduct a surprise attack on
the United States at Pearl Harbor a
massive aerial bombing damages a large
part of the US naval fleet the United
States enters the war on the Allied side
at first they concentrate their forces
on the Pacific front the country also
provides supplies to the USSR which
continues resisting the German advance
Japan for its part conquers new
territories in the Pacific
in addition to the massacres Japan sends
ten million Chinese civilians into
forced labor camps in Indonesia millions
of prisoners suffer the same fate on the
island of Java in Burma and Thailand
Allied prisoners are exhausted in the
construction of a railway line
moreover hundreds of thousands of women
are forcibly recruited into prostitution
for the Japanese Army in Europe
concentration and extermination camps
are built to Massacre among others Jews
resistance fighters political opponents
gypsies homosexuals and people with
disabilities fearing a second front in
Europe Hitler built the Atlantic wall a
series of military installations
protecting the coast from invasion but
the Allies first landed in Morocco and
Algeria Italian Libya finds itself
caught between the two fronts having
lost control of its colonies Vichy
France is invaded in the East Axis
forces try to cut the supply route of
the caucuses but for the first time the
German offensive undergoes a major
military setback the Soviets take the
initiative and counter-attack Africa is
now entirely controlled by allies who
organize a landing in Sicily the new
Italian government requests an armistice
causing the Germans to invade
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the USSR advances rapidly westward
forcing the German army to concentrate
on that front on June 6 1944 the Allies
land in Normandy their armies quickly
take over and liberate Paris in the West
as in the East countries are liberated
or switch camps with victory in sight
Allied powers announce the creation of
the United Nations countries that
declared war on Germany and Japan would
be admitted at its founding conference
this triggers a wave of declarations of
war but without major consequence on
April 30 Hitler commits suicide in his
bunker just before the arrival of the
Soviets 8 days later the country
surrenders the United States and USSR
joined forces to overcome the Empire of
Japan
the Soviets begin a military invasion
via Manchuria while the u.s. drops two
atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
on August 15 Japan surrenders marking
the end of World War two
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after six years of war the human toll is
heavy with at least sixty million dead
mostly civilians many cities are
completely destroyed Europe and the USSR
subject millions of German prisoners of
war to bonded labor many of whom would
die Germany and Austria are carved up
among the victors the old guard of
European powers are left exhausted and
ruined by war the United States and USSR
emerge as a remaining global superpowers
despite the role of the UN which aims to
maintain peace and international
security both sides would eventually
engage in indirect confrontations around
the world
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