Causes:    

     The Treaty of Versailles had ended the "War to end all wars," but it had also been a major factor in creating the Second World War. The treaty had severely punished the Central Powers--mainly Germany--both militarily and economically.

     The treaty had humiliated the German people. The Guilt Clause had put the entire blame for the war on Germany. Germany was also forced to pay outlandish debts to the victorious Allies. Belgium wanted a sum worth more than what the entire county of Belgium was worth at the time! If Germany had to repay France, the amount would total upwards of 1 trillion francs. Georges Clemenceau refuted the paying of the debt as "nothing practical." Because of this punishment, Germany's economy suffered greatly. They also lost all of their colonies. There African colonies had been a source of income for Germany. This only made it harder for them to pay the large debt.

     Militarily, Germany suffered. As part of the treaty, Germany's military was limited to only 100,000 troops. Conscription, the act of training young citizens for the military, was outlawed. Heavy artillery such as aircraft, submarines, and tanks were forbidden.

     The harsh treatment of post-World War I Germany was an attempt to stop Germany from introducing another World War.

Pre-War Tensions:

     Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1936. He had been head of the Nazi party. Hitler was a shrewd politician—very skilled at manipulating others' pro-peace sentiment. In 1938, Hitler sent troops to parts of Czechoslovakia whose inhabitants were historically German. He annexed the eastern portions of the country and declared the western part (Slovakia or the Slovak Republic) independent. Though aggressive, Germany was unopposed in their Napoleonic-like conquest of Europe. Later, in 1939, the German Nazis and the Soviet Communists had signed a peace treaty—citing similar interests. Russia was interested in expansionism mainly into the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) and parts of Poland.

1939:

     September 3 marked the official beginning of World War II. Germany had invaded Poland two days before. The new style of German warfare, called blitzkrieg, was introduced with stunning effects. Blitzkrieg, which means "lightning war," utilizes the mobility of the German army, over 1 million strong (ten times the allowed number of solders). Blitzkrieg also put to use the German air force (luftwaffe), which provided air support and pounded opposing targets.

     Russia, following Hitler's lead, rolled into Finland, at first with formidable resistance. Finland, however, did eventually fall into Russian hands. Expeditionary forces from the Allies, at this time England and France, had to be evacuated from Finland with the onset of Russian forces.

1940:

     Hitler's Third Reich (the First Reich being the Holy Roman Empire and the Second being the united Germany under Bismarck) commenced the invasion of France in 1940. France, also a victim of blitzkrieg, fell to Germany within a month. Before the war, the French had built the Maginot Line, a military disaster. The Line was a large wall spanning the Franco-German border. It was meant to keep any future German invasion at bay. The attempt, though, was futile because the German went over the Line with planes and around the Line through Belgium. Some French had fled to England whereas others had stayed and become part of the resistance movements. Meanwhile in France, Nazi and Fascist sympathizers had gained substantial influence promising peaceful relations with Germany.

     At the same time, towards the end of the siege of France, Mussolini's Italy landed troops in Southern France and also invaded Greece and parts of Africa that were under British control.

1940:

     With the fall of France, seen as a great power prior to its downfall, Nazi Germany focused its conquests on Great Britain, the last stronghold for democracy. In 1938, then Prime minister Neville Chamberlain had declared "peace in our time." Only a year after, they were at war. The "Battle of Britain" is the name given to the air war the Nazis launched over Britain in the early '40s. Ultimately the British RAF (Royal Air Force) succeeded and managed to stave of the Third Reich long enough for American intervention to take place.

1941:

     In the same year, Germany launched its invasion of ally Russia. Hitler was a staunch opponent to Communism. Hitler, however, chose a bad time to launch the invasion. He chose the winter of '40. Winters in Russia, at least back then, were extremely treacherous to anyone unprepared; the Germans were not well prepared.

1941:

     December 7,1941 was the day Admiral Yamamoto of the Japanese Imperial Navy launched the surprise attack on the United State's naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. The attack was in response to an American embargo of oil to Japan for its aggression against neighboring China and other islands. On Monday December 8, 1941, President Roosevelt officially obtained a declaration of war against the Empire of Japan. Within several days, Germany declared war against the U.S. The United States was no longer neutral.

     In World War I, Japan had fought on the side of the Allies. Terms of the Treaty of Versailles, however, left Japan's thirst for colonies in China unquenched. They saw their war with China, beginning before the Nazi invasion of Poland, as a way to gain the overseas colonies they wanted so much.

1942:

     1942 marks the year of heavy fighting between Allied and Axis powers in Russia and Africa. The Russian and German militaries were almost deadlocked—each side suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps secured land in Northern Africa. The Allied activity inside Africa was known as "Operation: Torch." It was the first real test of American military might against Nazi Germany.

1942-1943:

     1942 and 1943 were the years that marked "turning points" that lead to the Allied victory in Europe in 1945. Russia had long been embattled with Germany in Stalingrad. The Soviet Union lost millions of live—most of them civilian casualties. In 1942, Russia launched a devastating offensive against Germany. Though taking many casualties, Russia prevailed thus saving Stalingrad and further weakening the Nazi Eastern Front. Meanwhile in North Africa, the Allies launched a surprise attack on Axis forces there.

     The Allies eventually cleared North Africa from Axis powers that were headed by the "Desert Fox" Erwin Rommel. With a base in North Africa, the Allies turned their attention to Fascist Italy—controlled by Hitler's protégé Benito Mussolini.

     The Allies, in 1943, first took the island of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. Mussolini fled to the north retaining a leadership role in a new "Italian Socialist Republic" only to be assassinated by an anti-fascist. The new government set up in Italy wanted to make peace with the Allies. Hitler, in turn, turned to military action against pro-Allies and Allied forces. Italy, under new leadership, fought against Hitler's Third Reich.

     The war in the Atlantic was a conflict between German "U-Boats" and Allied warships. For most of the start of the war, Germany had effectively cut off Great Britain, the last-standing European power, from American shipping. With new radar and warplanes such as the American-made Liberator, the Allies were able to stave off and re-claim the Atlantic to continuously re-supply England with goods for the military. In Great Britain were the Allied command-and-control centers. Bombing runs against German factories started on runways in England.

1943:

     1942-1943 marked the years of successful Allied campaigns—including the Russian securing of Stalingrad and Operation Torch in North Africa. The next year, however, would mark the beginning of the end of Hitler and his Third Reich (which was supposed to last for centuries).

1944:

    For some time, now, everyone had expected an invasion of Europe by the Allies but no one quite new exactly when it was to take place. After having to reschedule the invasion several times due to bad weather, the date was ultimately set for June 6,1944—D-day. As expected, the invasion was launched from Great Britain, but the area where the invasion took place was south of where the Germans expected it to occur. Because of the position of the invasion (and plenty of pre-invasion dummy attacks), Nazi reinforcements in the north (where the invasion was thought would have taken place) were unable to arrive in time to stave off the Allied offensive.

1944-1945:

     The closing years of the war were devastating for Nazi Germany. Defeat, made out to be inconceivable by Nazi propagandists, was in sight—literally. Germany was surrounded by the Allies. Russia had taken over most of Eastern Europe and the rest of the Allies were bordering German's Western Front. On April 31, 1945, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker with his mistress Eva Braun and their children. To this day, it is debated about how they committed suicide. Some believe it was due solely to a gunshot; others poison; others both. He was succeeded by Hermann Goering, head of the Luftwaffe. No matter how hard Goering tried, defeat was imminent. The last defenses in Germany were the Hitler Youths—young boys bred by Hitler's regime specifically to wage war and conquer Europe. The war in Europe officialy ended May 8, 1945.