In many ways, the entry into World War II was very similar to World War II for all the countries involved. Germany, just as before, was the main instigator of the war, and many people feel they would not have had the strength and opportunity to do this if their army had been disbanded after their defeat at the end of World War I. This was not done, and it gave them enough power to attempt to take over most of Europe under their leader, Adolph Hitler. German aggression started this war, and it helped develop new allies among European nations, and ultimately the world.
In March 1939, the Germans took over Czechoslovakia, and in September, they invaded Poland. The Nazis, under Hitler, were aligned with Italy and later signed a "non-aggression" pact with Russia, while Great Britain was aligned with Poland and France. Germany was bent on taking over as much territory as possible, and in alliance, Russia joined in the war by attacking the Baltics, which they took with little trouble. As a result, Russia was expulsed from the League of Nations, but they continued to fight for territory and split their conquered territories with Germany. In addition, Germany made a pact with Japan, and part of the treaty stated that if anyone went to war with Germany, Italy, or Japan, they would be considered fighting all three countries. This pact is what eventually helped draw the United States into the war.
Great Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939, and the battles began in earnest. Again, Great Britain was threatened by Germany's nearby location, and Germany was launching air attacks, making it clear they wanted to invade the country. Great Britain was bound to defend France its allies, but it was also bound to enter the war simply to save itself from German occupation and domination.
In May 1940, Germany invaded France, and yet the U.S....
still did not enter the war. Again, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt hoped to remain removed from the conflict, desiring to send aid and materials to the allies, rather than sending troops. In early 1941, the Soviets began to realize that even though they had a pact with Germany, there were growing tensions with the country, and Germany was planning to attack the Soviets. In July 1941, Great Britain and the Soviet Union formed an alliance. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing over 3,000 victims, and the next day, the United States entered the war. Because they declared war on Japan, they were bound to enter the European conflict, as well.
Just as with World War I, Germany was the initial aggressor in World War II, they attacked allies of Great Britain, drawing Great Britain and all of its satellite countries into the war, and then, the United States waited several years to join in the fight. The United Nations was formed at the end of the war in an attempt to keep another global conflict like this from happening again. However, it seems there will always be aggression and power-hunger in the nations of the world, and that realistically, another World War could certainly occur. World War II ended with the division of Germany, the defeat of Japan, and the development of the atomic bomb. Today's war would be much different, and it probably would not be Germany that instigated it. Germany has finally become less of a worldwide threat, and so has Japan, as a result of demilitarization after the war ended. Today, many other countries are threats, including North Korea and Iran, and the weapons are far more accurate and deadly. Seeing what caused countries to enter into these wars should give us an idea of what to look for in the future and to stop another world war before it starts.
References
Pullman, P. The…
