The start of a war?

Some would say that World War II began with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, and Britain's ultimatum that without a German withdrawal there would be a state of war. Needless to say, there was no German withdrawal and World War II began, Britain, France, Australia, and New Zealand declared war on September 3, 1939

Others would argue that World War II was simply the second round of World War I. Although the major powers had yet to realize it, a continuation of the war between the Axis and the Allies would result at the end of European world domination and the destruction of their colonial empires. By renewing the fight, they only ensured their demise regardless of who won the outcome.

Some have argued that the Treaty of Versailles was "harsh and unreasonable" and was therefore the seed that guaranteed World War II. Germany will try to right this wrong. The Treaty of Versailles was no harsher than the very terms that the Germans tried to impose on the Russians in 1917/18 when Russia was forced to cede large territories and pay large indemnities in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

The bigger cause of World War II was the belief of many Germans that they never lost World War I. German territory was not attacked, and the soldiers felt that they had never lost. The army had to return to Germany to protect the state from social collapse, as Germany was in greater danger from internal enemies than from the Allies. Hence the belief that Germany only lost the war by backstabbing at home. However, this collapse was the result of the state being subjected to immense pressure and succumbing to economic pressure and political facts, to win a modern war it is no longer enough to win on the field, victory must be gained over the other's entire system. nation. (ie destroy his will to fight). Germany lost the strategic battle, its system collapsed, and therefore lost the war. The British Navy was successful in its blockade of the German economy, causing its destruction and defeat (although the Navy was ineffective in open battle).

Germany lost its allies, Turkey and Austria, and failed in production with fewer planes, few tanks, and no manpower. Germany may not have lost the battle, but it lost the war.

However, this myth that he was not truly defeated led to resentment at being labeled as defeated. Soon every problem in Germany was related to past grievances. The Great Depression was the last straw. Mass unemployment and hyperinflation created the perfect environment for an extremist political party to garner enough support to take center stage. In this case, the Nazis, with a combination of nationalism, racism, authoritarianism, and the promise of better times, gained enough political power to launch a coup and turn democracy into a dictatorship. Carefully staged events such as the burning of the Reichstag and downright tyrannical tactics led to a total dictatorship. For Hitler, who was the embodiment of the state, to continue to fulfill his promises, he continued to expand, first through appeasement and then through outright war.

The fatal blow was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed on August 23, 1939, in which Hitler was free to partition Poland with the consent of the USSR.

Thanks to Blitzkrieg tactics and superior ordnance, the German army quickly overran Poland. France and Britain were ashamed of having done nothing on the Western Front.

Once Poland gained supremacy, Germany consolidated its position by invading Denmark and Norway on April 9, 1940, which guaranteed it access to Swedish iron ore and opened up the North Atlantic. The invasion of France began on 10 May 1940, it also included a coordinated invasion of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium with careful German planning to great effect, France failed before it even started. Lack of will only hastens defeat. However, the beginning of the final German defeat was already sown by the failure to destroy the British at Dunkirk (which they began to evacuate on May 26, 1940) and by the failure to seize the French navy. This, combined with oppressive occupations, produced a hardened determination. The victory gained Italy as a partner, but it was to prove a fatal marriage with Italy, more of a hindrance than a help. However, the Third Reich was still rejoicing in the demise of France, and the French signed an armistice on June 22, 1940. Less than two months from the start of its offensive, Germany had defeated all of its enemies except the British Empire.

Turning East:-

The historical record showed that Germany could not invade Britain, nor did Hitler have the patience to take the time he needed to allow his current superior position to pay dividends to secure the situation and build up the necessary naval superiority. he needed a landing craft to invade Britain. Not even building the heavy bombers needed to seriously bomb Britain into oblivion. This lack of patience and overconfidence in what had already been achieved led to the fateful decision to turn east and invade Russia.

This plan was further doomed by the unnecessary invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece on 6 April 1941, caused by the failure of Italy and the rescue of Germany, which was later repeated in North Africa. Delaying Operation Barbarossa would be costly.

Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941. Three German army groups and Axis forces of over four million men were lying in wait to invade Russia, and Comrade Stalin was 'asleep at the wheel' when he ignored British intelligence about Hitler's invasion plans.

The German success was doomed in the Kremlin's view with the onset of winter and Stalin's confirmation that Japan had no intention of invading, freeing up the Siberian Army to be transferred to the defense of Moscow and the winter offensive in which the Russians began. counterattack on December 5, 1941. The unprepared German army froze.

Russian counterattack on Moscow

Stupidly on December 11, 1941, Germany declared war on the US (after Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941). Unofficially, the nations were already at war with the US supplying arms to Britain and the USSR and US destroyers fighting U-boats in the Atlantic. However, for Hitler to formalize this by declaring war was stupidity personified.

Second roll of the dice.

After failing to take Moscow or capture Leningrad and link up with the Finns, on August 22, 1942, Hitler rushed Stalingrad and the Caucasian oil fields. The Blitzkrieg tactics at first reigned supreme again when the Germans reached Stalingrad on 8 September. Hitler failed again when he allowed his army to get into an urban firefight for which it was ill-suited and allowed the Russians to go into battle.