World War II

Cole Preister
Mr. Spiegel
American History
April 11, 2017
 World War II was flourishing time of cooperation, but at the same time it was also one of

the most horrific conflicts in human history. The cooperation of countries founded some of our

greatest allies and organizations that help countries communicated, settle different ordeals, and

overall prevent war, such as the United Nations. World War II taught countries all several

lessons of what can happen if countries start to defi treaties and pacts, but yet it also modernized

warfare and gave birth to some of the most catastrophic weapons known to man, but yet the

weapons also have great benefits that keep our own countries safe from one another.

Life before the war was a confusing time for most people around the world. With the

Great Depression starting 10 years before the declaration of war, many people around the globe

were unemployed and hopeless. China and Japan were already in a war since 1931, and the

Mexican civil war was escalating to a climax. As Germany was growing stronger the nationalism

was building causing the Nazi party to take complete control over Germany’s government.

Nationalism lead tensions to grow between Germany and France’s Treaty of Versailles as the

Nazi party was becoming a threat. As Germany, Italy, and Japan were building power back up

from World War I they started to test the boundary lines of what the newly founded League

Nations would allow. They started with numerous small invasions of different parts of different

countries.1

The Treaty of Versailles was a major conflict immediately after it was signed due to the

fact many countries were very harsh on Germany. They Victorious countries of World War I

gave Germany zero negotiations abilities and no say on final terms, and all oversea colonies were

stripped for Germany’s possession and given the the victors of the first war. All of these actions

1
Alan Taylor, "World War II: Before the War," The Atlantic, June 19, 2011, , accessed April 05, 2017,
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/world-war-ii-before-the-war/100089/.
boiled Germany’s people and the country started to defy the “Fourteen Points” given to the

League of Nations by President Woodrow Wilson.2 When the Germans, Italians, and Japanese

discovered that if they chose to ignore the League's pronouncements, there was nothing the

League of Nations could do to stop them.3

Once Germany and Italy realised that the League could not stop their actions, Italy was

the first when Benito Mussolini, Italy’s leader, started a conquest to conquer modern day

Ethiopian, Abyssinia, in 1935.4 The Germany acted next when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party

rearmed the nation, signed several strategic treaties with Italy and Japan to further his ambitions

of world domination, and invaded and Conquered Poland in September 1939.Which then drove

Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939, and World War II

started.5 Once this started the world began to see Italy, Germany, and Japan as an untrustworthy

and aggressive country, and countries blamed World War I solely on Germany.6 When the war

started the major Leaders called the League of Nations a organization that just provided a twenty

year stalemate.

When the war started countires where deciding their allies and enemies and whether or

not they would remain neutral in the war or declare war on each other. Countries were broke into

2 major allied groups: Allied powers consisted of England, United States, Soviet Union (present

day Russia), and France. There was also fifteen smaller countries allied with the Allied Powers,

while most of them had small roles in the war they all played key roles in the cooperation of

2
Ross, Stewart. World War II. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 1995.
3
Taylor, 1
4
Ross, 25
5
History.com Staff, "World War II History," History.com, 2009, , accessed April 06, 2017,
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history.
6
Ross, 33
countries to win the war.7 The other power was the Axis Powers which were the three major

countries of Germany, Italy, and Japan. They were also supported by the smaller countries

Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.8 It seemed highly improbable that the Allied Powers and the

Soviet Union would forge an alliance. U.S. and the Soviet-Union relations had decreased

significantly after Stalin’s decision to sign a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany in August

of 1939. This Ally was a great deed of cooperation because although the Soviet was fighting for

the protection of the USSR Communism and the United States were fighting for Democracy,

they were both fighting to defeat the common enemy. For President Franklin Roosevelt said, “I

would rather hold hands with the devil than lose to Fascism,” as he was referring to the devil as

Stalin, Soviet Union’s leader.9

As the war continued on many battle lines were pushed back by the Axis Powers and

some countries were completely conquered, such as France. Since France was one of the major

countries in the Allied power, it was one of the main focus points in the war. In order to take

back the country the Allies planned out one of the most know battles, D-Day, which involved the

cooperation of all the allies in the Allied Powers and need to be executed perfectly. On June 6,

1944 Allied Powers invaded the beach of Normandy in Northern France which involved the

Royal Navy, Royal Air force, and the land forces containing men from the countries of: United

States, Britain, Canada, and Free French forces.10 Another major victory and an achievement of

cooperation was when the Allied Powers invaded Italy and successfully captures Italy from the

7
"A Brief History of World War II," A Brief History of World War II, , accessed April 10, 2017,
http://www.worldwar2history.info/WWII/.
8
worldwar2history.com
9
U.S. Department of State, 1, accessed April 10, 2017, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-
1945/us-soviet.
10
"World War II," HistoryNet, , accessed April 10, 2017, http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii.
German control in May of 1945. One they took over Italy the Italians taught the Allies more

about amphibious warfare and how to communicate among different countries and act as one

country.11

The war had many more battles, but in the end the Allied Powers remained Victorious.

They divide Germany into four regions and and gave control the the major countries and

Germany was seen as the country that started both the World Wars. They also made sure the

Soviet Union was extra satisfied with the arrangements because the Allies still need their help in

the China and Japan front, but that front was ended in signed treat from Japan after the Atomic

bombs were used on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Once the war was ended the

countries had to decide what the consequences would be for the ones who started this war.12

Though it took years of planning before the war even ended the Countries came up with a

solution in January of 1942 that would keep countries united and peaceful, the United Nation.

The United Nations purpose was given definition to us the the UN Charter in 1945 as an

organization of countries that would,

Maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective

collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for

the suppression of acts of aggression or other branches of the peace, and to bring

about peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and

international law.13

11
HistoryNet, 1
12
History.com Staff, 1
13
United Nations Charter, 1, San Francisco Conference, 1945
The countries plan to achieve international cooperation was to focus on building an economic,

social, cultural, and humanitarian character.14 By 1945, 49 countries had subscribed in to the

United Nations and presently there are 193 members enrolled into the organization.15

Sometimes one has to think of what would happen if World War II never happened, and I

would assume there could be millions of different outcomes depending on how far in the past

you would go due to the fact a lot of people think the World War II was just a continuation of

World War I. So if World War II never happen no conflicts would be settled, and there would be

very strong tensions between countries and a conflict would have to happen sometime to fix

those ordeals. Yet also what if we never figured out about the holocaust and never fought to

defeat Germany from killing millions? How many more millions of Jews would be dead? The

moral integrity of everyone would be destroyed if we would just let the murder of millions

happen, and the whole religion and ethical history of Judaism could have been completely

destroyed.

14
UN Charter, 1
15
"Countries in the UN:." Countries in the United Nations - Worldometers. Accessed April 12, 2017.
http://www.worldometers.info/united-nations/.
 Works Cited

"A Brief History of World War II." A Brief History of World War II. Accessed April 10, 2017.

http://www.worldwar2history.info/WWII/.U.S. Department of State. Accessed April 10, 2017.

Excerpt of the United Nations Charter, ca. 1945 (Primary)

Ross, Stewart. World War II. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers, 1995

Overy, R. J. Why the Allies Won. London: Pimlico, 2006.

Taylor, Alan. "World War II: Before the War." The Atlantic. June 19, 2011. Accessed April 05,
2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/world-war-ii-before-the-war/100089/.

"World War II." HistoryNet. Accessed April 7, 2017. http://www.historynet.com/world-war-ii.

U.S. Department of State. Accessed April 05, 2017. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-

1945/us-soviet.

History.com Staff. "World War II History." History.com. 2009. Accessed April 05, 2017.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history.

"Countries in the UN:." Countries in the United Nations - Worldometers. Accessed April 12,
2017. http://www.worldometers.info/united-nations/.