World War I Was Believed to Be

World War I was believed to be the last general war that this world had to go through. Due to massive losses during the first major conflict, people believed that no country will ever want such an event to happen. However, twenty years after the Treaty of Versailles, Britain and France declared war on Germany. The Second World War caused the death of many more people than the first. Unlike the First War, which had Europe as a battlefield, the Second World War affected almost all the world. The war had three battlefields: air, sea and land.

In September 1939 Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, invaded Poland. This event determined the beginning of World War II. "Hitler had attained power in 1933 after years of attacking the terms of the peace agreement that ended World War I, the Versailles Treaty, with its harsh treatment of Germany." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xvi) Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party convinced Germans that their neighbors, communists, and Jews are planning to attack their country. After he convinced them they are in danger, he organized an army and devised a plan to conquer all Europe.

Benito Mussolini led the Italian government since 1922 and reorganized Italy after a fascist model. "As in Germany, political power was held by a select few; those who dissented were jailed, banished, or killed." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xvi) Also, the press could not make any negative commentaries regarding the leader and his ideal ruling. As the Nazi leader who wanted to expand the borders in order to build the Third Reich, Mussolini also wanted to take back the Roman Empire's lands. Having the same interests, Mussolini and Hitler entered war on the same side.

In 1936 Hitler sent his army into Rhineland although the Treaty of Versailles forbade that. Rhineland was a region in West Germany. "This action, the first in a series of violations of early agreements, went unchallenged by Great Britain and France." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xvii) After Hitler prepared Rhineland for war, in 1938 he invaded Austria. In 1939 Hitler got Sudetenland, a region with Germans from West Czechoslovakia, and invaded the rest of the country. With this action he successful won most of the territory from Central Europe. After he invaded Poland, France and Britain declared war on Germany, and came on Poland's aid.

Before he invaded Poland, Hitler signed a treaty with Stalin, the Russian leader, in which both countries guaranteed that they would not go to war against each-other. Also, this treaty helped Hitler to be free of enemies on the East, and concentrate his attention on the West. In 1940, Germany invaded Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, because France and Britain were not ready for a second major conflict and could not intervene effectively. "By the summer of 1940, France had fallen to the Germans. Across the English Channel, Great Britain stood alone. From August to October, in what became known as the Battle of Britain, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) fought the German air force, the Luftwaffe, for control of the air." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xviii) Due to its failure to destroy the British Royal Air Force, Hitler's army attacked English cities organizing huge bombing raids. However, the British were not significantly weakened by the raids, and continue to retaliate.

In 1931, Japan attacked Manchuria and in 1937 declared war on China. At the beginning of 1938 Japan had taken almost all the rich agricultural areas from China. "Japan was not able to grow enough food to feed its large population, nor did it have the raw materials necessary for continued industrial growth." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xviii-xix) A group of strongly nationalistic individuals was able to convince the Japanese that their problems will end only if they go to war. Japan believed that it was the most important power in the Pacific and Western Europe was trying to minimize its power. Japan saw Great Britain and the United States as their bigger enemies.

After Japan conquered the Eastern colonies of Great Britain, Holland and France, it ruled an empire which extended from South Asia to East Indies and incorporated islands from the South Pacific. As a result of this expansion; Japan was able to provide its armies with the needed weapons. Japan and Germany agreed to be allies and to support one another if a country will want to attack them.

"While proclaiming its neutrality, the United States spoke out against Japanese aggression, gave aid to the Chinese now fighting the Japanese invaders, and disdained Japan's desire for power in the Pacific." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xx-xxi) President Franklin Roosevelt ended trading with Japan when Indochina was attacked by the Japanese army. The Japanese government took this act as a declaration of war. Although in 1941 United States tried to reach an agreement with Japan, this action could not be finalized. As a result Japan prepared to attack the United States of America, but their plans were discovered by the Americans. The Japanese refused to retreat their armies from China and Indochina and attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

"Thus, war between United States and Japan, and also between the United States and Germany -- because of the pact between Germany and Japan -- began." (Adriane Ruggiero, page xx) It was a bloody war, in which men, women and child lost their lives.