WORLD WAR II

CAUSES
1) DIS SATISFACTION WITH THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES.
• The Treaty demanded annexation of German territories and creation of many states which created
bitterness and conflicts.
• German colonies were taken forcibly from her and she was divided into two parts for Poland's benefit.
• She was burdened with huge war indemnity and her military was reduced.
• This humiliation was too painful for Germany for Germany giving a spirit of revenge and to do away
with the Treaty.
• This was only possible through aggressive policy and armaments thus making war inevitable.

2) RISE OF FASCISM AND NAZISM.

• Italy wanted to revive the glory of the Old Roman Empire so she joined Germany to strengthen her
position and opposed the Treaty Of Versailles and showed its imperialism by attacking Abyssinia.
• Germany also wanted to re establish its prestige opposed the Treaty of Versailles by annexing Austria.
• Thus rise of extreme nationalism in Italy and Germany in the form of Nazism and Fascism
contributed to the causes which led to the World War II.

3) POLICY OF APPEASEMENT
• Appeasement means the policy of conciliating ( stop someone from being angry ) an aggressive
power at the expense of some other country. It meant accepting the hostile demands of an aggressive
nation to gain peace.
• Britain and France followed the Policy Of Appeasement towards the dictatorial countries like
Germany because they felt that the dictators had a real cause of grievances due to the humiliating
terms of the Treaty of Versailles and if their grievances would be removed than it would destroy
world peace.
• They wanted to keep a check on the rising tide of communism.
• They therefore allowed Germany to remilitarize the Rhine Valley and capture Austria and
Czechoslovakia.
• All this happened because of the Policy of Appeasement.

4) JAPANESE INVASION OF CHINA

• After World War I Japan was ambitious to dominate Far East. So in !931 she captured Manchuria in
China and started an undeclared War with China.
• China appealed to the League of Nation to declare sanctions against Japan but Britain and France the
leading nations of the League did not pay any attention to the appeal.
• Japan then joined Germany and Italy to form the Berlin- Rome - Tokyo Axis and to carry on its
expansion and conquest.
• Japan who was the member of the League had quit the League and had started conquering the Britain
and American colonies in China.
• Britain and France followed the Policy Of Appeasement thinking that Japanese would be used to
weaken China. Thus war was inevitable.

5) FAILURE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATION

• USA did not join the League though she suffered no losses.
• Other League members showed interest in principle of collective security.
• League failed to maintain international peace .
• Countries of Europe lost faith .

6) IMMEDIATE CAUSE; HITLER'S INVASION ON POLAND.

• As per the Treaty Of Versailles ,Germany was divided into two parts in order to give a land route to
Poland up to the Baltic Sea and the Port of Danzig was also given to Poland. German wanted to
regain back her lost territories.
 • The city of Danzig was inhabited mainly by the Germans and by occupying the Danzig Corridor
Germany could only then connect with East Prussia.
• Germany signed a non aggression Pact with Russia in August 1939, Poland was accused of
committing atrocities against Germans living there.
• Therefore on September 1,1939, the German armies marched into Poland . Thus invasion of
Poland . Thus invasion of Poland marked the beginning of the World War II

THE WAR
• By 1940 Germany conquered three countries Norway, Holland , Denmark. Then she used
Blitz Krieg to capture Paris from France.
• But in case of Britain she resisted German forces.
• With Russia ,Germany broke her non aggression pact and invaded Russia. But the Russians
used the Scorch earth Policy and trapped the Germans.They surrendered due to Frigid
temperature and lack of stock of fresh supplies.
• The Americans started to liberate the islands taken by Japan but Japan was firmly established
in China.
• Though America was neutral still she did not lend arms to Britain and China because their
defence was important for her safety.
• The only military base which feared Japan was American Pearl Harbour which had US Pacific
fleets.
• Japan surprisingly attacked the Pearl Harbour and all the fleets were destroyed.
• But Japan made a mistake of not destroying the ship repair facilities unit and so all the
damaged ships were back into action.

BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

• Before the first bomb was dropped on Japan,American planes had dropped leaflets warning about the
deadly weapons and urging the Japanese people and the government to surrender.
• On 6th August ,1945 the first atomic bomb ever to be used on humans was dropped on Hiroshima.
• It destroyed half of the city killing thousands of people.
• Despite the terrible destruction , the Japanese still refused to surrender.
• On 9th August1945,another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.
• On 2nd September,1945 Japan surrendered unconditionally and the six long World War II came to an
end.

CONSEQUENCES OF WORLD WAR II

1) DEFEAT OF AXIS POWERS
• Germany was divided into zones,each zone under the army of each of the Allied Powers.
• The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) also known as West Germany was administered by UK,
France, and US with Bonn as the capital and followed capitalist ideology.
• The German Democratic Republic (GDR) also known as East Germany was administered by
USSR(Russia or Soviet Union ) with East Germany as the capital and followed communist ideology.
• Italy and Germany had also become weak.

2) FORMATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION (UNO)

• Roosevelt ( President of the USA) , Churchill (Prime Minister of Britain ), Stalin (Premier of USSR)
decided to establish an international organization for world peace.
• The UNO was established on October 24,!945 after the horror of the two World Wars and the failure

3)COLD WAR
• Towards the end of World War II, the so called harmony between USA and the Soviet Union
declined and old suspicion and ideological differences between them started.
• Though both the countries were not into actual fight with each other ,still a state of extreme political
tension emerged between the two.
• This state of tension where both the countries adopted policies to strengthen themselves and weaken
the opposition without armed conflicts is called Cold War.
• It involved armaments race, piling of nuclear weapons, formation of military alliances,civil war with
opposition sides.
• USA and USSR continued to maintain diplomatic relations but treated each other with envy.
• This led to division of the World into two blocs which were known as Western blocs and Eastern
blocs,
• Western Blocs believed in liberty and democracy based on Capitalism and comprised of Britain,
France and Italy, They projected USSR as the enemy of world peace.
• Eastern Blocs believed that democracy makes no sense and wanted Communism and comprised of
Poland, Hungary , Romania, Bulgaria. They influenced other nation by giving economic aid to
different countries.