World War 2 continues to the biggest mass war known to man. When you take into account the countries involved, the death toll and the continuous anguish it caused there’s no denying this was a historical event people will never forget. But what are some of the key facts about world war 2? Who was involved? How many people were killed? Generations which follow us need to be educated on these facts as it’s an important part of modern history and has shaped the democracy based lifestyle we lead today.
Here are some of the key important facts about world war 2:
1: 50-70 Million people died in World War 2.
Probably the most compelling and important fact you will read. Although the official numbers can never be confirmed it’s estimated over 50-70 million people died due to the conflicts. When you take into account the number it’s the equivalent of the whole of the United Kingdom losing their lives. A quite mind blowing figure.
2: 80% of Soviet males born in 1923 didn’t survive World War 2
A staggering statistic when you take into account the vast majority of a whole generation didn’t survive the war. This led to economic problems for the country post war.
3: Women were first used within the Military by England During WW2:
Given the time period this was seen as a bold step by the British however women began to be utilized within the military set up within this period.
4: The leaders of the allies were Franklin D. Roosevelt , Winston Churchill & Joseph Stalin:
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill have become legends in their respective countries for decisions within the war. Two brave men who made decisions which impacted the lives of many.
5: The most well known leaders of the axis were Adolf Hitler, Emperor Hirohito & Benito Mussolini:
Adolf Hitler been the initial catalyst of the war will always go down as the most well known. His decisions and ruthless behaviour made him stand out most from the crowd.
6: 40% of aircrafts built by Nazi Germany in World war 2 were destroyed in accidents:
Engineering advancements within WW2 were far behind today so accidents did happen.
7: 40,000 men served on U-Boats during the war and a huge 30,000 never returned from combat:
The U-Boats were unforgiving for those who served. A high proportion of those involved never returned from combat.
8: Japanese men were trained to fight from the age of 9.
The Japanese tactics within the war were always questions with the age of those fighting and the suicide missions they gave their air force (also known as Kamikaze pilots)
9: 84 German Generals were executed by Hitler:
Nobody escaped the regime of Hitler, even those who served under him. These 84 German generals were executed for various reasons.
10: Australian men enlisted in huge numbers after the town of Darwin was attacked by the Japanese, same as the New Zealanders.
The threat of war and attacks on peoples home lands caused the sign up numbers to increase considerably against the axis forces.
11: Between the period of 6th June 1944 to 8th May 1945 in Europe the Allies had 200,000 dead and 550,000 wounded
The casualty and injury rate across Europe was huge within this period.
12: It is estimated over 5.3 million axis forced died across World War 2:
An actual number of 6.9millions including civilian deaths has been mentioned however the true numbers will never be known.
13: The Soviet Union saw the biggest casualty numbers which estimated between 9 and 14 million.
There were a variety of factors why the Soviet union saw such high casualty numbers including the lack of modernisation within their military equipment, lack of preparation from the leaders and other factors.
14: The Holocaust saw the death of approximately Six million European Jews during World War II.
A programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, throughout German-occupied territory during the war years.
15: Over one million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust:
Probably the most shocking statistic that even children aren’t safe from Nazi Germany. The most famous of Jewish children within this period was Anne Frank who wrote the compelling diary on her quest to escape the Nazi’s.
16: Between 1939 and 1945, it is estimated that the Allies dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs, which on average is around 27,700 tons per month.
The destruction within WW2 cannot be imagined however bombing statistics try and bring it to the reality.
17: The swastika is an ancient religious symbol. It derives from the Sanskrit name for a hooked cross, which was used by ancient civilizations as a symbol of fertility and good fortune.
The swastika was the symbol of Nazi Germany. This was the emblem used by the army across World War 2.
18: The Battle of the Bulge is the largest and deadliest battle for U.S. troops to date, with more than 80,000 American deaths.
One of the main battles of World War 2 which saw huge casualties to the US troops involved.
19: The Nazis murdered approximately 12 million people, nearly 6 million of those being Jews killed in the Holocaust
It wasn’t just the Jewish population who were affected by the Nazi’s. They were determined to cause mass destruction globally affecting innocent citizens across the world.
20: WWII ended on September 2, 1945, when Japan signed a surrender agreement on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay:
Essentially the most key and important fact of WW2. The signing of the surrender agreement which ended the war and then began the rebuilding of broken lives
Sources:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_50_facts_on_world_war_2
http://www.findfast.org/facts-about-world-war-2.htm
http://world-war-2.info/facts/
http://facts.randomhistory.com/world-war-ii-facts.html
Link/cite this page
If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.
Link will appear as World War 2 Facts: https://worldwar2.org.uk - WorldWar2.org.uk, June 22, 2013
