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World War 2

A comprehensive World War 2 history guide with facts and information on one of the most important events in British history.

  • Overview
    • World War 2 Summary
    • World War 2 Facts
    • World War 2 Timeline
    • World War 2 Prisoners Of War
    • Soldiers In World War 2
    • WW2 FAQ
      • Who Started World War 2?
      • Causes of World War 2
      • When Did WW2 Finish?
      • Which countries were involved in World War Two
      • When was World War 2?
      • Who won World War 2?
      • How Many People Died In World War 2
    • WW2 Planes: A History of World War 2 Aircraft
  • Battles
    • The Blitz
    • Pearl Harbour
    • Battle Of Britain
    • Dday
    • Operation Barbarossa
    • The Battle Of Kursk
    • Operation Overlord
    • Battle Of Midway
    • Battle of Stalingrad
    • The Invasion Of Poland
    • Operation Cerberus
  • Leaders
    • Winston Churchill
    • Franklin D Roosevelt
    • Adolf Hitler
    • Benito Mussolini
    • Emperor Hirohito
    • Joseph Stalin
  • Home Front
    • Evacuees Of World War 2
    • World War 2 Recipes
    • World War 2 Shelters
  • Anne Frank
  • Miscellaneous
    • World War 2 Books
    • World War 2 Movies
    • World War 2 Poems
    • World War One
    • The Phoney War
    • Blitzkrieg
    • World War 2 Allies
  • World War 2 For Kids
    • World War 2 Facts Kids
    • Children in World War 2

World War One

The First World War, (1914-1918), was the first conflict to involve so many countries from across the world. It was also the first conflict to really make use of mechanical warfare, and as such it is remembered as one of the most brutal wars in modern history. Many historians believe that the causes of the Second World War are intrinsically tied up in the outcome of the First World War, since Germany was left with an enormous debt to pay in reparations, as well as enormous political tensions which many argue laid the foundations for Hitler’s popularity.

The trigger cause of World War One was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand – who was heir-presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire – by a Serbian activist, Gavrilo Princip. In 1914, a series of alliance agreements had been established between various European powers, so when – in retaliation – Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia was obliged to declare war on Austria-Hungary, since Russia was an ally of Serbia. Russia’s involvement led Germany to declare war in defence of her ally, Austria-Hungary, which in turn meant France and Britain declared war in accordance with their allegiance with Russia. Within a very short space of time, what could well have remained a small, domestic issue between Serbia and Austria-Hungary had escalated into a conflict which engulfed the major powers in the continent, and since many of these powers had colonies overseas, an enormous amount of people outside of Europe were called up to fight on behalf of the empires. The Triple Entente – France, Britain, and Russia – were supported by countries from all five major continents, including South Africa, Brazil, India, China, Australia, the USA, and Canada. Countries fighting on the side of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary), were fewer in numbers, including Iraq, Namibia, Jordan, Turkey, Ghana, Micronesia, and Saudi Arabia.

Roughly 13 million soldiers fighting for the Triple Entente died during the war, and 8.5 million on the side of the Central Powers. Conscription was used by many of the countries participating, meaning that it was not just professional soldiers who were fighting in the war. It was one of the first times that soldiers could adequately express the horrors of warfare to people back at home, and it no longer seemed ‘gentlemanly’ to fight for one’s country. Trench warfare caused an enormous amount of casualties, both physical and mental, and the political implications of the war saw much change occur in the governmental structures in many of the participating countries.

As more and more countries joined on the side of the Triple Entente, the Central Powers essentially exhausted themselves. Though Russia left the war in 1917, the USA joined in the same year, which gave the Triple Entente forces a tremendous boost, whereas the German and Austro-Hungarian armies were running out of supplies fast. Once the Central Forces had sufficiently over-stretched themselves, they became easier to defeat, and on November 11th 1918, the Armistice that ended the war was signed, with the Triple Entente victorious.

As the main aggressor of the war, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. This meant that Germany had to accept almost all the blame for the outbreak of the war, undergo significant disarmament, and pay some £6.6 billion in reparations. The Kaiser of Germany abdicated in 1918, leaving the country without leadership and vulnerable to political tensions. In the years up to 1933, a number of different leaders and political parties enjoyed power in Germany, but none for very long. Economic troubles increased the social pressures, and resentment brewed under the surface over the responsibility element of the Treaty of Versailles. German citizens also considered themselves short-changed by those in power in 1918, feeling that they had been lied to about the war effort. The situation was ripe in 1933 for a charismatic leader who shared these sentiments, and Hitler stepped up for the role.

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Overview

WW2 Summary
WW2 Facts
WW2 Timeline
Soldiers in WW2
WW2 Planes
WW2 Prisoners Of War

Leaders

Winston Churchill
Franklin D Roosevelt
Adolf Hitler
Benito Mussolini
Emperor Hirohito
Joseph Stalin

Home Front

Evacuees of WW2
WW2 Recipes
WW2 Shelters

Misc

WW2 Books
WW2 Movies
WW2 Poems
World War One
The Phoney War
Blitzkrieg
WW2 Allies

Kids

WW2 For Kids
Children in WW2
WW2 Facts For Kids

Battles

The Blitz
Pearl Harbour
Battle of Britain
D-Day
Operation Barbarossa
The Battle Of Kursk
Operation Overlord
Battle Of Midway
Battle Of Stalingrad
The Invasion Of Poland
Operation Cerberus

Common Questions

Who started WW2?
Causes of WW2
When did WW2 finish?
Which countries were involved in WW2?
When was WW2?
Who won WW2?
How many people died?

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