World War II
• The first half of the twentieth century witnessed two wars which devastated the world.
• World War I was fought from 1914 to 1918 and World War II began in 1939 and ended
in 1945.
• While the world at large had experienced many wars, these two wars are referred to as
“World” wars because of the extended areas of the conflict and the very high death toll
of civilians as well as armed combatants.
• Both wars were fought on several fronts across Europe, Asia and Africa.
• In both wars, the combined forces of Great Britain, France, Russia and the United
States fought against a war alliance led by Germany.
• Germany’s allies were Italy and Japan in World War II.
(a) Causes
• The devastation caused by World War I
was of such magnitude that it was
referred to as The Great War, or The War
to End All Wars.
• The belligerent nations, especially the
Allies, had no desire for a second
prolonged conflict, and this was the main
driving force behind their actions after
the end of World War I.
• The immediate and primary cause of
World War II was the aggressive military
offensive undertaken by a resurgent
Germany and a fast developing Japan.
Munich Pact
• A further factor was that the western powers
and the Soviet Union distrusted each other.
• In 1938, Prime Minister Chamberlain
concluded the Munich Pact with Germany,
which was a shameful acceptance of
Germany’s invasion of Czechoslovakia to annex
German speaking Sudetenland.
• In 1939 the Soviet Union independently
concluded a non-aggression pact with
Germany.
• The continued passivity of the Allies and the
reluctance to start building up their armies
were also contributory causes of the extended
scale of World War II.
Outbreak of War
• Britain and France declared war
on Germany in September 1939.
• In June 1940, Italy joined
Germany, and in September
1940, Japan also joined the Axis
powers.
• There was little action
immediately after the
declaration of war.
• Britain had already begun to
build up its military capabilities,
and all young men were
conscripted for military duty.
Battle of El Alamein 1942
• In the early years of the War, German
forces under General Rommel were
remarkably successful in occupying
North Africa rapidly, leaving the
British with only Egypt.
• The Allied forces under General
Montgomery counterattacked and
defeated the German and Italian
forces at El Alamein in North Africa.
• The German army was chased across
the desert, out of North Africa.
• This provided the base for the Allied
forces to invade Italy.
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