World War II (1939 - 1945)
Devastation of Europe, Change in Global Balance of Power

Go to European History Interactive Map

World War II Interactive Map

Effect of World War II on Each Country

Pact of Steel Between Germany and Italy (1939): Germany and Italy both conquered territories each felt were rightfully theirs, in Czechoslovakia (for Germany) and Albania (Italy). The Allies responded with strong rhetoric and threats of a military response if territorial conquests continued. This compelled Germany and Italy to enter into a new pact, pledging military support to one or the other if either was attacked.

(Timeline Continued Below)

First Vienna Award to Hungary (1939): Nazi Germany awards the southern borderlands of Czechoslovakia to Hungary, to entice them to join the Axis Powers.

German-USSR Non-Aggression Pact (1939): Before the outbreak of WWII, Nazi Germany and the USSR were eager to end the status quo, and extend their respective spheres of control. Therefore, they signed a secret pact where they divided central and eastern Europe in half, with Germany being ceded all lands to the west, and the Soviets being ceded all territories to the east. Both were determined to regain lands lost during WWI, and with each other eliminated as a threat, there was little to stop them. Nazi Germany would strike first, invading and occupying most of Poland,. Within a few weeks, the Soviet Red Army pushed west, reclamining its lost territories in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) as well as Eastern Poland. It struggled to gain only minimal territory from Finland though.

Spanish Dictator Attempts to Join Axis Powers (1939): General Franco ascends to the head of the Spanish government in 1939, as his faction gains victory against the socialist opposition in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Victory was achieved with the support of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. Since Franco's authoritarian regime was ideologically-compatible with the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy), Franco attempted to reach an agreement with Hitler and Mussolini. However, Franco's proposal was insufficient, since a weakened Spain did not have enough to offer Europe's emerging powers. Nonetheless, Spain remains supportive to the Axis cause, offering naval bases for German ships. However, Franco's Spain refuses to adopt the Nazi's anti-Jewish policies, serving as a safe haven for Jews within Spain, and those escaping German-controlled France.

Maps.com - The World's Largest Maps Store!

German Invasion of Poland, Start of WWII (Sept. 1, 1939): Germany invades Poland, officially beginning World War II in Europe (it had already begun in East Asia between China and Japan). Hitler was adamant about restoring ownership of the "Polish Corridor" (northern handle of Poland) since it was lost during WWI, reconnecting East Prussia to the rest of Germany. Poland and its ally, UK, attempted to negotiate with Nazi Germany, to cede the Polish Corridor in order to avoid war with a militarily superior Germany. Hitler preferred invasion and occupation of Poland, knowing that it had a secret non-aggression pact with the USSR, and that without Russia, Germany could not be stopped. When negotiations briefly stalled as Poland gave consideration to the final Nazi demand, Hitler seized the moment and invaded, under the misleading notion that talks had broken down. Poland was no match for the Nazi army, quickly placing most of it under German control, with the eastern portion coming under USSR occupation.

Allies Declare War on Germany (Sept 3, 1939): The United Kingdom and France declare war on Germany shortly after launching its invasion of Poland, commencing WWII.

Save as much as 70% on select National Geographic merchandise!

 Further Understanding:  World War II Causes

Unlike WWI, where a variety of complex factors were at play, WWII (in Europe) was primarily the result of two nations (Germany and Italy) unsatisfied with the status quo imposed by WWI.
German Ambitions: Germany was on the losing side of the Central Powers during WWI. It lost significant portions of territory, including the Polish Corridor, border lands along the Polish border, and critical industrial sectors along the western French border. It was also forced to pay suffocating reparations to pay for the damage from WWI. It was natural for it to seek to regain its military might. Once this was achieved, it was prepared to avenge its loss in WWI, and reassert itself as the dominant power in Central Europe, and perhaps most or all of Europe.
Italy Ambitions: Italy was on the victorious Allied side during WWI, paying a steep price in its contribution to victory. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives fighting the Austrians, in which Italy was ultimately victorious. Despite this, the Allies reneged on promises of land awards along the eastern banks of the Adriatic Sea, which was instead awarded to Yugoslavia. Italians were seriously disenchanted at the minimal gains they were ceded in light of the heavy cost they paid to fight the Austrians along their own border.
Appeasement: The Allied powers who enforced the status quo established after WWI, such as the UK, France and the USA, were unwilling to intercede when Germany began to once again assert itself as a militarized power. Although in violation of the peace treaty ending WWI, the Allies stood by as Germany rebuilt its military, annexed Austria, and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. They also refused to act when Italy invaded Albania in 1939. As a result, Germany was emboldened to continue its invasions into Poland in 1939, which did finally elicit a declarations of war from the Allies.
Racism: Germans viewed ethnic Slavs as an inferior race, and were therefore self-empowered and self-justified to invade and capture their lands without inhibition to the east in order to expand its territorial control.
Fascism: The social and economic turbulence that gripped Europe during the Global Depression gave rise to dictatorship-led governments, in order to establish order (although at the expense of individual liberties). When democracy and capitalism failed to pull nations out of the depression, fascist governments gained favor throughout much of Europe, including Germany and Italy. Hitler and Mussolini instituted tight social and economic controls, typical of fascist governments. Fervent nationalism and militarism are also typical of fascism, which drove both nations to build-up their militaries and seek to expand at the expense of neighboring nations.

Comments

Save up to 85% on over 1300 magazines at BlueDolphin.com

USSR Invasions of East Poland (Sept. 17, 1939): USSR invades Eastern Poland as part of its secret agreement with the Nazis, allowing Germany to take over the remaining majority of Poland.

Allies Engage Germany in Phony War (1939): The UK and France had pledged their support for Poland if invaded. When Poland was invaded, the British and French engaged in only minor skirmishes with Germany along the French-German border. This negligible level of intervention did nothing to aid the Poles in their struggle to defend themselves, which came to a quick end.

Soviets Take Control of Eastern Poland (1939): As part of the German-USSR Non-Aggression Pact, the Eastern borderlands of Poland were assigned to Soviet control. A few weeks after the Germans invaded Poland from the west, the Soviets began their invasion from the east to claim their agreed-upon portion. Officially, the USSR claimed now that Poland was no longer a sovereign state, it could not guarantee the protection of the ethnic Belarusians and Ukrainians in the eastern borderlands, necessitating Soviet occupation. In reality, the USSR was interested in expanding its sphere of control westward as far as possible to regain territories lost during the Russian Civil War. It also felt a need to recreate the large buffer territory to protect against threats from the west.

(Timeline Continued Below)

Individual    First Name Last Name For females, use maiden name (last name before marriage) Father    First Name Last Name   Mother    First Name Last Name Visit OneGreatFamily.com

Baltic Nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia Accept USSR Control (1939): The German-USSR Non-Aggression Pact assigned the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to Russia. The USSR had a guarantee that Germany would not intervene. Also, the Soviets knew that the western nations that supported the independence of these nations (UK, France, USA) would be unwilling to intercede on their behalf. After Germany invaded Poland, the USSR dispatched warships to the coast of each Baltic nation to satisfy their part of the pact. They arrived with an ultimatum, to either accept Soviet occupation, or prepare for an invasion. Within a few weeks (by October of '39), each of the three states had accepted the USSR's terms, essentially losing their independence.

Soviets Invade, Finland Holds Strong (1939): As part of the Soviet-Nazi non-agression pact, Finland was ceded to the USSR, along with the Baltic nations and Eastern Poland. The Soviet Red Army experienced little difficulty conquering the other nations, but ran into difficulties with Finland. With the large number of army officer executions under Stalin, much of the Red Army was inexperienced, enabling Finland to largely protect its borders.

Primary Combatants as of 1939:

Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Poland

Axis Powers: Germany Italy Hungary

German U-Boat Submarine Warfare in the Atlantic (1939): U-boats sink a few commercial boats and carriers, but Allies learn from WWI, and travel in convoys to minimize damage. However, Allies fail to successfully seek and destroy U-boats.

UK Naval Blockade of Germany (1939): United Kingdom imposes a naval blockade of German ports, which has a minimal effect upon German industry.

Save 20% off and Free Shipping on Select Language Learning Software

Next: World War II (1940)

Previous: Inter-War Period (1919 - 1939)

Effect of World War II on Each Country

Go to European History Interactive Map

World War II Interactive Map

World's Largest Selection of Maps World Maps Antique Maps Classic Maps 10% OFF all orders of $100 or more! Use promotion code FALL5 upon checkout to receive your discount. Expires October 31. Specialty/History Maps USA Maps Globes

Comments (0)

Name

Comment

To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly. »