World War I And

World War II
(History)
By – Indo Pathshala
Contact Number – 9123206137
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 World War I, also known as the Great War and First World War, was a deadly global conflict
that originated in Europe. Beginning from July 28th, 1914 and lasting until 11th November
1918, the First World War left with an estimated nine million combatant deaths and 13
million civilian deaths as a direct result of the conflict

 The war was fought between Allied Powers and Central Powers

 Allied Powers-France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and Britain. The United States joined after 1917.
Won against Central Powers-Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

 It ended with the defeat of the Central Powers

 The war was virtually unprecedented in the slaughter, carnage, and destruction it
caused. World War I was one of the great watersheds of 20th-century geopolitical
history

 It led to the fall of four great imperial dynasties (in Germany, Russia, Austria-
Hungary, and Turkey), resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and, in
its destabilization of European society, laid the groundwork for World War II

 India made a huge contribution to Britain’s cause of the war. Almost 1.5 million Indians from parts
such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra volunteered for the war.

 The immediate cause of World war was the assassination of one of the most famous personalities of
that time Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. and his wife by
Bosnian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip and other members of the Black Hand in Sarajevo, Bosnia on
28th June 1914. Black had organization was supported by Serbia

 Timeline of First World War

Date Events
28 June Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia are killed by Black
1914 Hand Serbian nationalists
28 July Austria declares war on Serbia along with Russia
1914
1 Aug Germany declares war on Russia
1914
3 Aug Germany declares war on France
1914
4 Aug Germany invades neutral Belgium so as to attack France. Britain declares war
1914 on Germany. The United States declares neutrality
6 Aug Austria declares war on Russia
1914
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12 Aug France and Britain declares war on Austria
1914
26-30 Aug Battle of Tannenberg between Russia and Germany. Russians are defeated
1914
5-9 Sept Allied forces halt Germany’s advance into France during the Battle of the
1914 Marne
31 Oct First battle of Ypres between allies and Germany
1914
25 Dec Christmas Truce observed on Western front
1914
22 Apr-25 Second Battle of Ypres. Poison gas was used by Germany
May 1915
7 May German U-Boat torpedoes the Lusitania
1915
23 May Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary
1915
21 Feb Battle of a Verdun where France successfully attack of Germany
1916
10 May Germans suspends submarine warfare
1916
31 May Battle of Jutland Germans defeated Britain
1916
24 June Battle of Somme between Britain and France against Germany begins
1916
15 Sept Britain deploys tanks for the first time
1916
7 Nov The United States re-elect Woodrow Wilson as its president
1916
31 Jan Germany uses Submarine warfare unrestricted
1917
3 Feb 1917 Diplomatic relations between US and Germany is ended
1 Mar The United States discovers Zimmerman Telegram plot
1917
2 Apr 1917 Wilson delivers war message in US congress
6 Apr 1917 United States declares war on Germany
15 Jun Congress enacts espionage act
1917
25 Jun First American troops lands in France
1917
31 Jun -10 Third battle of Ypres by Britain against Germany
Nov 1917
25 Oct First American soldier killed- James B Gresham
1917
2 Nov The Balfour Declaration passed in London
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 1917
7 Nov Bolshevik seize power in Russia
1917
Dec 1917 Russia signed a ceasefire with Germany after Russian Revolution
8 Jan 1918 President Wilson declares fourteen points
3 Mar Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed between Russia and Germany
1918
28 May Battle of Cantigny, First American war against Germany
1918
6 Jun 1918 U.S. Marines launch attack at Belleau Wood
18 Jun- Allies launch Aisne-Marne offensive
Aug 5
1918
12-16 Sept Americans take offensive at St. Mihiel
1918
26 Sept First phase of the U.S. Meuse-Argonne offensive underway
1918
6 Oct 1918 Germany requests armistice – Allies refuse
11 Nov Germany signs Armistice
1918
Jan-19 The peace conference begins in Paris.
Feb-19 Draft of the covenant of the League of Nations is completed
Jun-19 Allied and German representatives signed the treaty of Versailles. The US
signed the treaty of guaranty, pledging to defend France in case of an
unprovoked attack by Germany
Jan-20 Treaty of Versailles takes effect
Mar-20 US Senate fails to ratify the Treaty of Versailles for the second time.
Aug-21 The US signed a separate peace treaty with Germany, Austria, and Hungary

Mutual Defense Alliances

 Countries throughout the world have always made mutual defense agreements with
their neighbours, treaties that could pull them into battle. These treaties meant that
if one country was attacked, the allied countries were bound to defend them

 Hence, as a result of these agreements, many passively affected countries were pulled
into the war

 Triple Alliance or Central Powers (1882) – Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary

 Triple Entente or Allies (1907) – Britain, France, Russia

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  The Alliance of Austria- Hungary was attacked by Serbia since Russia was in an alliance with Serbia
it came to defend Serbia. Germany being in alliance with Austria – Hungary attacked Russia. France
attacked Germany, Austria – Hungary.

 Germany Attacked Belgium and France which brought Britain into the war. Japan came to defend
Britain. Lastly, Italy and the United States Joined.

Imperialism

 Before World War I, several European countries had made competing imperialistic
claims in Africa and parts of Asia, making them points of contention. Because of the
raw materials these areas could provide, tensions around which country had the
right to exploit these areas ran high
 The increasing competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in
confrontation that helped push the world into World War I

Nationalism

 Much of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in B osnia
and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria-Hungary, but instead be part of
Serbia

 This specific essentially nationalistic and ethnic revolt led directly to the
assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, which was the event that tipped the scales to
war

 But more generally, nationalism in many of the countries throughout Europe

contributed not only to the beginning but to the extension of the war across Europe
and into Asia

Militarism

 The arms race and the build-up of military forces among European nations contributed to a
volatile atmosphere. Accelerated Naval rivalry (Britan Vs Germany).

Balkan Crises

 Nationalist and ethnic conflicts in the Balkan region, such as the Bosnian Crisis and the
First and Second Balkan Wars, heightened tensions and created a volatile atmosphere

Failure of Diplomacy

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  Diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts, such as the July Crisis, proved unsuccessful due to
miscommunication, miscalculations, and inflexible alliances

The course of World War I

The Start of the War

 World War I began on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
 This seemingly small conflict between two countries spread rapidly: soon, Germany,
Russia, Great Britain, and France were all drawn into the war, largely because they
were involved in Treaties that obligated them to defend certain other nations

The Western and Eastern Fronts

 The first month of combat consisted of bold attacks and rapid troop movements on
both fronts.
 In the west, Germany attacked first Belgium and then France. In the east, Russia
attacked both Germany and Austria-Hungary. In the south, Austria-Hungary attacked
Serbia.
 Following the Battle of the Marne (September 5 –9, 1914), the western front became
entrenched in central France and remained that way for the rest of the war. The
fronts in the east also gradually locked into place.

The Ottoman Empire

 Late in 1914, the Ottoman Empire was brought into the fray as well
 First, Britain and France launched a failed attack on the Dardanelles. This campaign
was followed by the British invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Britain also launched
a separate campaign against the Turks in Mesopotamia

Trench Warfare

 The middle part of the war, 1916 and 1917, was dominated by continued Trench
Warfare in both the east and the west
 Soldiers fought from dug-in positions, striking at each other with Machine Guns,
Heavy Artillery, and Chemical Weapons
 Though soldiers died by the millions in brutal conditions, neither side had any
substantive success or gained any advantage

The United States’ Entrance and Russia’s Exit

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  Despite the stalemate on both fronts in Europe, two important developments in the
war occurred in 1917
 In early April, the United States, angered by attacks upon its ships in the Atlantic,
declared war on Germany
 Then, in November, the Bolshevik Revolution prompted Russia to pull out of the war

The End of the War and Armistice

 Although both sides launched Renewed Offensives in 1918 in an all-or-nothing effort

to win the war, both efforts failed
 A deadly outbreak of Influenza, meanwhile, took heavy tolls on soldiers of both sides
 The war ended in the late fall of 1918, after the member countries of the Central
Powers signed Armistice Agreements one by one
 As a result of these agreements, Austria-Hungary was broken up into several smaller
countries
 Germany, under the Treaty of Versailles, was severely punished with hefty economic
reparations, territorial losses, and strict limits on its rights to develop militarily

World War I: List of Important Battles

 First Battle of Ypres 1914- Between allied powers and Germany, Marked the beginning of
the Trench Warfare system
 Battle of Mons 1914 – Germans against British
 First Battle of Marne 1914 – French against Germany
 Battle of Dogger Bank 1915- British against Germany
 Battle of Verdun 1916 – French checked German
 Sussex Incident 1916- Sinking of French passenger steamer Sussex led to Germany’s
unrestricted submarine warfare
 Second Battle of Somme 1916-British and French against Germany
 First Battle of Somme 1916- British and French against Germany
 Battle of Passchendaele or Third battle of Ypres 1917- Between allied powers and Germany
 Battle of Jutland 1916 – British and German Battle fleets
 Gallipoli Campaign 1916 – Anglo French Operation
 June Offensive 1917- Launched by Russia
 Battle of Isonzo 1917- 11 battles between Austria and Italy
 First Battle of Cambrai 1917- first use of tanks in warfare by British offensive
 Battle of Mons 1918- Canadian forces against Germans
 Battles of the Meuse-Argonne 1918- Allied army against Germany
 Second Battle of Marne 1918- Last major German offensive
 Second Battle of Cambrai 1918- Hundred days battle by Canadian troops

 Battle of Amiens 1918- Collapse of Germany army and end of war

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Consequences of the war

 Economic consequences: World War I cost the participating countries a lot of

money. Germany and Great Britain spent about 60% of the money their economy
produced. Countries had to raise taxes and borrow money from their citizens. They
also printed money in order to buy weapons and other things they needed for war.

 This led to inflation after the war

Political Consequences

 Rule of the king ended in Germany and it became a Republic in Nov 1918
 The fall of the Russian revolution led to the formation of the USSR IN 1922
 The United States emerged as a superpower
 European Supremacy began to end and Japan emerged as powerful in Asia
 Emergence of Independent countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia
 Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – became independent
 Austria Hungary break into several states
 Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Russia moved towards monarchy

New technology

 One of the most significant impacts of World War One was huge advances in
technology, which would transform the way that people all around the
world travelled and communicated, in particular, in the years after the conflict

 New weapons and technologies were developed and used that led to more
destruction than any war had seen in the past

 The scientists and engineers worked hard to develop planes that were stronger,
quicker and capable of being used in battle

 The first bombs were dropped from the air (by hand at first by the pilot!) and planes
were used to spy on enemy territory

 Also, tanks were also used for the first time, which could drive across muddy
battlefields and fire lethal weapons

 New methods of photography, sound recording and ways to communicate were

developed during the war, which had a long-lasting impact
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Medical innovation

 The war meant that medicine had to catch up to be able to deal with new Medical
[Link] and giving blood started during World War One during need of
intense causalities. A special rod called a Thomas splint, which was used on soldiers
who had broken their leg, was also developed

Treaties after World War I

 Three treaties were signed during the course of the Paris Peace Conference between Allied
and Central powers
 The first and most important is the Treaty of Versailles, a peace document signed between
allied and central powers on 28 June 1919. This treaty included a contract of the League of
Nations under which members guaranteed each other’s independence and territorial
integrity
 The first and most important is the Treaty of Versailles, a peace document signed between
allied and central powers on 28 June 1919. This treaty included a contract of the League of
Nations under which members guaranteed each other’s independence and territorial
integrity
 The treaty of Saint – Germain 10 Sept 1919, dissolved the Austria-Hungary Empire, and
independence was given to the new Republic of Austria
 Treaty of Sevres- Signed between 1920between allied and Ottoman Empire

Treaty of Versailles (1919): Key Features

 War Guilt Clause: Germany was held solely responsible for the war.
 Territorial Losses: Germany ceded territories including Alsace-Lorraine, its colonies and
new independent nations were formed. Saar and Danzig were placed under the
administration of the League of Nations.
 Disarmament: Germany was disarmed, with restrictions on military forces, battleships, and
prohibited use of planes, tanks, and submarines.
 War Reparations: Initially set at 6600 pounds but reduced to 2000 million pounds, the aim
was to cripple Germany's economy and prevent it from becoming a future threat.
 Prohibition of Austria-Germany Union: Despite a significant German population, the union
between Austria and Germany was forbidden.

 Absence of Major Powers: Many great powers remained outside the Treaty of Versailles,
such as USA, Russia etc., weakening it from the start

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Social Consequences

 Around 1 crore people were [Link] rate declined due to decrease in no of males due to
death and exodus in large [Link] to fewer males available women were employed in
major works such as factories and offices and were given more rights, their position
changed and were uplifted

Territorial Cause

 Alsace and Lorraine went back to [Link] regained Eupen and Malmedy
 Poland annexed Eastern territories and thus East Russia became territorially
[Link] Baltic German cities Danzig and Memel were declared free
 Northern Schleswig-Holstein was annexed by [Link] Lost all Colonies

Military Consequences

 Decline in the numbers of the German [Link] reduction of the Army to

100,[Link] region was demilitarized

India’s contribution

 India made a huge contribution to Britain’s war effort. It sent staggering numbers of
volunteers to fight and die on behalf of the allied forces
 The country also supplied 170,000 animals, 3,7 million tonnes of supplies, jute for
sandbags, and a large loan (the equivalent of about £2 billion today) to the British
government

India’s reaction to the War

 The nationalist response to British participation in the First World War was three -
fold:the Moderates supported the empire in the war as a matter of duty
 The Extremists, including Tilak (who was released in June 1914), supported the war
efforts in the mistaken belief that Britain would repay India’s loyalty with gratitude
in the form of self-government
 The revolutionaries decided to utilise the opportunity to wage a war on British rule
and liberate the country

Impact of WW1 on India

Political influence

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  The withdrawal of Punjabi troops into India after the end of the war stimulated
political activities against colonial rule in the province which later took th e form of
widespread protests. Also after the war, a large section of soldiers became active in
Punjab to spread nationalism in a big way
 Nationalism and mass civil disobedience emerged in India when the 1919 Montagu -
Chelmsford Reforms failed to meet the expectations of ‘home rule’.
 The resentment generated by the forced recruitment of soldiers for the war set the
backdrop for the promotion of nationalism

Social Impact

 Between 1911 and 1921, there was a significant increase in the literacy rate among
the enlisted military communities. In those days, soldiers learned to read and write
for their foreign campaigns
 In addition, a large number of non-combatants were also recruited from India – such
as nurses, doctors, etc. Therefore, during this war, the work are a of women also
expanded and they also gained social importance

Economic impact

 The demand for Indian goods in Britain increased rapidly as the war on production
capabilities in Britain was adversely affected
 Although the war caused a disruption in the shipping lanes, it meant that Indian
industries had to suffer inconvenience due to the lack of inputs previously imported
from Britain and Germany. Hence supply constraints were present along
with additional demand
 Food inflation also increased drastically due to an increase in demand for food
supplies, especially grain
 At the same time, the decline in British products in domestic manufacturing sectors
like cotton also benefited which dominated the pre-war market
 Export of cash crops like jute also suffered heavy losses due to loss of European
market

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 World War II

 World War Two, also known as World War II, was a devastating global conflict that began in 1939
and ended in 1945. It involved 100 million people from over 30 countries

 World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities. Tens
of millions of people died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), premeditated death from
starvation, massacres, and disease. To this date, it remains the deadliest conflict in human history

 The major belligerent countries were the Axis powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan; and
the Allies – France, Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union

 USA Entry: Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into World War II in
December 1941

 Result: Allied powers won the War. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in August 1945, and Japan's formal surrender formally ended the war

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CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II
 The German invasion of Poland in September 1939 gave immediate trigger to the outbreak
of the second world war. Following this, Britain and France got involved by declaring war
on Germany, and soon Europe and the world plunged into the war

The Treaty of Versailles

 In 1919, representatives from more than two dozen countries gathered in France to
draft peace treaties that would set the terms for the end of World War I
 Negotiations dragged on for months, but in the end, the Treaty of Versailles
forced Germany to accept blame for the conflict, give up its overseas colonies and 13
percent of its European territory, limit the size of its army and navy, and pay
reparations (financial damages) to the war’s winners.
 Germans were incensed and staged protests over what they saw as harsh and
humiliating terms

Failure of League of Nations to Fullfil its Mandate:

 The League of Nations was constituted in 1919-20 (Paris Peace Conference) so as to

provide a platform for disputes resolution and to avoid another world war. The failure of
its mandate could be regarded as one of the most important reasons behind the Second
World War
 Its debacle as an International peacekeeper and in efforts towards disarmament, etc., gave
way to the catastrophe of the Second World War. The incompetency of the League during
the invasion of Manchuria, Italian aggression against Ethiopia, Abyssinian crisis, etc.,
undermined its authority and mandate as an International peacekeeper. US’s coming out of
the League also gave a big blow to the legitimacy of the League

Great Depression of 1929

 The worldwide economic depression of the 1930s took its toll in different ways in Europe
and Asia

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  In Europe, political power shifted to totalitarian and imperialist governments in several
countries, including Germany, Italy, and Spain
 In Asia, a resource-starved Japan began to expand aggressively, invading China and
maneuvering to control a sphere of influence in the Pacific

Rise of Hitler and NSDAP

 The National Socialist German Workers Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party, was
anti-semitic (anti-Jews), anti-Marxist, believed in the Superiority of the Aryan Race, and
that all other races should be excluded. Hitler became Chancellor (PM) of Germany in
January 1933, though he was elected, it was not a complete majority, rather hung
Parliament still he was called to make government, and slowly, he transformed into a
Dictator
 After the treaty of Versailles, Germany was not allowed to make an army. But Hitler started
building a huge army and air force. He allotted special symbols for Jews people to
distinguish them from the mass. He also declared to restore the glory of Fatherland

Japanese Imperialism

 Japan had long sought to accumulate imperial [Link] became Japan’s first
colony in 1895, and more territory [Link] 1931, Japan in vaded China’s
Manchuria region
 But Japan’s ascendancy and the conflict in Europe concerned USA So, the United
States declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, one day after the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbour

New Wave of Imperial Expansion

 The economic miseries also cleared the ways for the demagogic, hence dictatorial leaders
like Mussolini, Hitler, etc. These conditions rather proved to be a fertile ground for the
coming up of such fascist parties. These fascist states, under miserable economic
conditions, resorted to imperialist and expansionist policies. Most of the interventions and
invasions during 1919-39 were solely guided by economic ends. The fascist rulers saw the
solution of their economic problems in military conquests and military expansion. The
formation of Rome-Berlin Axis was an evident outcome of all this

Rise of Fascism

 Victors’ stated aims in World War I had been “to make the world safe for democracy,” and
postwar Germany was made to adopt a democratic constitution, as did most of the other
states restored or created after the war
 In the 1920s, however, the wave of nationalistic, militaristic totalitarianism known by its
Italian name, fascism

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  It promised to minister to peoples’ wants more effectively than democracy and presented
itself as the one sure defense against [Link] Mussolini established the first
Fascist, European dictatorship during the interwar period in Italy in 1922

Liberal Policies

 The most depressing was the irrational policy of Appeasement followed by the west. They
followed this policy of Appeasement in order to save them from any upcoming social and
communist revolution. They saw the growing fascist states as safety valves against such
revolutions. This policy of Appeasement, in some way or the other, cemented the irrational
belief of indomitability of fascist forces
 It skyrocketed the confidence of the fascists against the whole world. This was evident from
the statement of Hitler after the meeting at Munich (1938 Munich Pact). Addressing his
Generals, he said, ‘Our enemies are little worms, I saw them at Munich’

Timeline Details
Jan-33 Hitler appointed as the German Leader
Sep-39 World War 2 begins
Sep-39 Germany and USSR invade Poland
Sep-39 Warsaw was Captured
Apr-40 Norway was invaded by Germany
Jun-40 Paris falls to the Nazis
Dec-41 Japan Attacked Pearl Harbour
Jan-42 Entry of the USA into the war
Jul-42 Battle of Stalingrad beginning of the end for the Germans

Jun-44 Normandy Landing, France was liberated

Apr-45 Hitler committed suicide in his bunker

Aug-45 Two Atomic Bomb over Japan bring WW II to an end

WW2: A Glimpse

 Events Around 1936: Hitler re-militarized the Rhineland in. Although as per the Treaty of
Versailles, it was decided not to militarize the area, because it was a threat to France. There
was a treaty between Italy and Germany, called Rome-Berlin Axis, from this event the name
Axis Power came into the picture. Later, Germany signed a pact with Japan too.

 1938 German Annexation: Hitler annexed the entire area of Austria, and the process was
called Anschluss. Hitler claimed that Austria had historically been a part of Germany. It was
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 never supposed to be a different country. It was artificially created after WWI. So, he
demanded Austria become part of Germany again. Initially, it was a bloodless coup. The
people of Austria welcomed Hitler. Sudetenland was annexed by Germans; it lay on the
border of Czechoslovakia and Germany and Hitler claimed that area too
 The allied countries thought that it was just a matter of 1-2 countries, and then Hitler
would stay silent. They didn’t want war for a small country like Austria, So, they didn’t stop
Hitler from doing so. This let Hitler think that UK & France were weak and didn’t want war

 Events Around 1938: Hitler after annexing Sudetenland attacked and conquered the entire
Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Still, no country said against Hitler. The next target was
Poland- but it was promised protection by UK & France. There was a pact between Germany
and USSR, called Molotov Ribbentrop Pact, by which USSR was bound to help Germany in
war. Because he knew that sooner or later, he would have to go to war against UK & France

Phoney War

 The western Europe was very quiet during the first few months of the [Link] period of
war is known as 'phoney war'
 Preparations for war continued in earnest, but there were few signs of conflict, and
civilians of the western european countries (allied powers) evacuated to safe places

Ribbentrop Pact

 By the early part of 1939 the German dictator Adolf Hitler had become determined to
invade and occupy Poland

 Poland, for its part, had guarantees of French and British military support should it be
attacked by Germany. Hitler intended to invade Poland anyway, but first he had to
neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion of its western
neighbor

 Secret negotiations in August 1939, led to the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression
Pact in [Link], Russia followed Germany into Poland in September and Poland
was carved up between the two invaders before the end of the year

Winter War 1940

 The 'winter war' between Russia and Finland concluded in March, and in the following
month Germany invaded Denmark and [Link] surrendered immediately, but
the Norwegians fought on - with British and French assistance - surrendering in June 1940


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Fall of France 1940

 After war with scandenavian countries got over, Germany invaded France, Belgium and
[Link] this phase, the western Europe encountered the Blitzkrieg - or 'lightning
war'
 Blitzkrieg: Germany's combination of fast armoured tanks on land, and superiority in the
air, made a unified attacking force that was both innovative and effective
 Despite greater numbers of air and army personnel in Allied powers, they proved no match
for German [Link] France an armistice was signed with Germany, with the puppet
French Vichy [Link] conquered France, Hitler turned his attention to Britain,
and began preparations for an invasion

Battle of Britain 1940

 Lasting from July to September 1940, it was the first war to be fought solely in the
[Link] took decisions to attack from airfields and factories to the major cities, but
somehow the Royal Air Force managed to squeak a narrow victory
 This ensured the - ultimately indefinite - postponement of the German invasion plans

War Getting Global

 With continental Europe under Nazi control, and Britain safe - for the time being - the war
took on a more global dimension in [Link] the defeat of Mussolini's armies in
Greece and Tobruk, German forces arrived in North Africa and invaded Greece and
Yugoslavia in April 1941

Operation Barbarossa

 After facing defeat in Britain, Hitler broke the Ribbentrop Pact and invaded Russia in
[Link] initial advance was swift, with the fall of Sebastopol at the end of October, and
Moscow coming under attack at the end of the year
 The bitter Russian winter, however, like the one that Napoleon had experienced a century
and a half earlier, crippled the [Link] Soviets counterattacked in December and the
Eastern Front stagnated until the spring

Pearl Harbour

 The Japanese, tired of American trade embargoes, mounted a surprise attack on the US
Navy base of Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, on 7 December [Link] ensured that global conflict
commenced, with Germany declaring war on the US, a few days later.
 Also, within a week of Pearl Harbor, Japan had invaded the Philippines, Burma and Hong
Kong

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American Entry Into the War

 Through the Battle of Midway 1942, the US entered World War II. In this battle, US sea-
based aircraft destroyed four Japanese carriers and a cruiser, marking the turning point in
World War II
 Also, the news of mass murders of Jewish people by the Nazis reached the Allies, and the US
pledged to avenge these crimes

Reversal of German Fortunes

 By the second half of 1942, British forces gained the initiative in North Africa and Russian
forces counterattacked at [Link] February 1943, Germany surrendered at Stalingrad
to Soviet Union. This was the first major defeat of Hitler's armies

 Further, German and Italian forces in North Africa surrendered to the [Link] the Russian
advance on the Eastern Front gathered pace, recapturing Kharkiv and Kiev from Germany.
Moreover, Allied bombers began to attack German cities in enormous daylight air raids

 The Russians reached Berlin (capital of Germany) on 21 April [Link] killed himself on
the 30th, two days after Mussolini had been captured and hanged by Italian partisans

 Germany surrendered unconditionally on 7 May, and the following day was celebrated as
VE (Victory in Europe) day. The war in Europe was over

Nuclear Bombing And The End

 Plans were being prepared for an Allied invasion of Japan, but fears of fierce resistance and
massive casualties prompted Harry Truman - the new American president to sanction the
use of an atomic bomb against Japan
 Such bombs had been in development since 1942, and on 6 August 1945 one of them was
dropped on the Japanese city of [Link] days later another was dropped on
Nagasaki
 No country could have withstand such attacks, and the Japanese surrendered on 14
[Link] the surrender of Japan, World War II was finally over

WW2: Outcomes
 The Atlantic Charter set goals for the post-war world and inspired many of the
international agreements that shaped the world thereafter, most notably the United
Nations
 The Charter stated the ideal goals of the war with eight principal points

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  No territorial gains were to be sought by the United States or the United
Kingdom;
 Territorial adjustments must be in accord with the wishes of the peoples
concerned;
 All people had a right to self-determination;
 Trade barriers were to be lowered;
 There was to be global economic cooperation and advancement of social
welfare;
 The participants would work for a world free of want and fear;
 The participants would work for freedom of the seas;
 There was to be disarmament of aggressor nations, and a post -war
common disarmament.
 The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the post-war
independence of European colonies, and many other key policies are
derived from the Atlantic Charter

The United Nations

 As a replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the United Nations

organization was established after World War II to prevent another such conflict
 The United Nations Charter was drafted at a conference in April –June 1945; this
charter took effect October 24, 1945, and the UN began operation
 The great powers that were the victors of the war—France, China, the United
Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States—became the permanent members
of the UN’s Security Council

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a non-binding declaration adopted by

the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, partly in response to the barbarism of
World War II.
 The UDHR urged member nations to promote a number of human, civil, economic,
and social rights, asserting these rights are part of the “foundation of freedom,
justice and peace in the world.”
 Advances in technology and warfare
 During the War, Aircraft were used for reconnaissance, as fighters, bombers, and
ground-support, and each role was advanced considerably

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  Advances in technology and warfare : During the War, Aircraft were used for
reconnaissance, as fighters, bombers, and ground-support, and each role was
advanced considerably

 Advances were made in nearly every aspect of naval warfare, most notably with
aircraft carriers and [Link] warfare changed from the static front lines of
trench warfare of World War I, which had relied on improved artillery that
outmatched the speed of both infantry and cavalry, to increased mobility and
combined arms

 The tank, which had been used predominantly for infantry support in the First World
War, had evolved into the primary weapon

 Most major belligerents attempted to solve the problems of complexity and security
involved in using large codebooks for cryptography by designing ciphering machines,
the most well-known being the German Enigma machine

 Other technological and engineering feats achieved during, or as a result of, the war
include the world’s first programmable computers (Z3, Colossus, and ENIAC), guided
missiles and modern rockets, the Manhattan Project’s development of nuclear
weapons, operations research and the development of artificial harbours and oil
pipelines under the English Channel

World War 2 and India

 During the Second World War (1939–1945), India was a part of the British Empire,
with the British holding territories in India that included over six hundred
autonomous Princely States

 So, the British Raj, as part of the Allied Nations, sent over two and a half million
soldiers to fight under British command against the Axis powers

 Indians fought with distinction throughout the world, including in the European
theatre against Germany, in North Africa against Germany and Italy, in the South
Asian region defending India against the Japanese and fighting the Japanese in Burma

 At the height of the second World War, more than 5 million Indian troops were
fighting Axis forces around the globe

 Further, About 15 percent of all the Victoria Crosses — Britain’s highest decoration
for valour — awarded during the Second World War went to Indian and Nepalese
troops.
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  Also, India’s strategic location at the tip of the Indian Ocean, its large production of
armaments, and its huge armed forces played a decisive role in halting the progress
of Imperial Japan in the South-East Asian theatre

Impact on India

 In India, there were massive training, airfield-construction and port-development

efforts, which completely transformed the dockyards of Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin and
Trincomalee
 The number of airfields in the country increased from less than a dozen at the start
of the war to over 200. Most airports in India today are legacies of that effort

Grant of Independence to India

 The British had crushed the agitation and kept tight grip on India till end of the war
 But, they could not hold on to their colonies after warThey had to focus on rebuilding
their Economy from scratch again
 Also, the British failed in its Cripps Mission, failed to reconciliate in Cabinet Mission
as well

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