Introduction

     Do you want to learn about World War II? Here you can learn about all sorts of information about World War II, like weapons, theories, manpower, and…. inflatable tanks? If you want to learn about World War II, keep reading.

What was World War II?

     World War II was in many ways a continuation of World War I, which had ended about twenty years earlier. It included some of the most powerful countries at the time including Germany, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and eventually the United States. 

     The war was basically divided into two sides: the Axis powers and the Allies. The Allies were mainly made up of the U.S., the Soviet Union, France, Canada, and Great Britain. The Axis powers were mainly made up of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

     Some countries, such as Switzerland, remained neutral. This means they chose not to pick one side or the other. Other countries, such as Poland and the Netherlands, were invaded and taken over by the invading Nazi forces from Germany.

Axis Weapons 

     One German weapon is the MG-42 (machine gun 42). The MG-42 is a weapon so fast it has a beat like no other on the battlefield. This German gun shoots out 1,550 bullets of high speed 7.92 millimeter ammunition per minute, a rate of fire so fast it works out 25 bullets per second!!!

     Another Axis weapon is the Kar 98. This was the strongest firing rifle during WWII.

Allied Weapons

     The U.S. made one of the best rifles known, the M1 Garand. This was "the greatest battle tool ever made,” according to U.S. General George S. Patton. It was one of the first semi-automatic rifles in World War II. But some American infantry chose the M1 Carbine over the M1 Garand.

     Now on to the topic of artillery. The American’s artillery guns were a little heavier than German artillery guns and usually had a longer range. 

     American tanks in World War II were usually not as strong as the German tanks because the U.S. tanks had less firepower. But the American tanks were more maneuverable. This means they were able to move faster in and out of battle and reach some places that the more powerful German tanks couldn't reach.

Production

     During World War II, Germany was definitely the leader in the production of missiles. They had been preparing for war years ahead of time, so they were ahead of the Allies in their production.

     The United States tried not to get involved in World War II. So the United States did not join the war until December, 1941 when it was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. 

     World War II actually started more than two years earlier, when Germany invaded Poland causing Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany in September, 1939. So the Allies started World War II far below the Germans in their ability to produce the supplies needed for war.

     However, once the United States got involved and ramped up its war-time production, the U.S. was able to produce many weapons and gear for World War II. 

     The Germans had really on-point weapons, BUT their gear took precious time to make. So once they used up materials it took longer to make more, and the U.S. was able to produce new supplies more quickly.

Manpower 

     During World War II the total number of soldiers available to the Allies from the Soviet Union, America, and Great Britain was much more than the limited number of soldiers from Germany, Italy, and Japan. There was a total of 127.2 million people active during WWII. From that total two thirds were on the Allied side. So there were double the amount of Allied soldiers than Axis soldiers.

Theories 

     One theory why the Allies won was because of the Americans entering the war, and especially because of the Americans producing supplies for the war. American factories made about two-thirds of all the Allied military equipment made during World War II. Without this equipment, the Allies would not have had the materials they needed to defeat the Axis powers.

     Many of these American factory workers were women whose brothers, fathers, and husbands were away at war, fighting in the battles in Europe, the Pacific, and around the world. 

     Another theory is because of the Soviet Union. Without the army of the Soviet Union, the Axis powers might have taken over all of Europe! Since the Soviet Union joined with the Allies to fight against Hitler and the Nazis, the German army had to divide its forces by fighting against the Soviet Union on the eastern side and Great Britain and the United States on the western side.

     Another possible theory is because of tactics and tricks of the British, as well as the courage, bravery, and determination of the British people to keep fighting through the darkest times of World War II before the United States joined in to help. If the British had given up when the war was going badly the first few years, the Nazis would have been able to take over all of Europe and become too powerful to stop.

Who was Stronger? 

     At first the German military or Wehrmacht was stronger because of its weapons, training, discipline, beliefs, and preparation. The Nazi party encouraged a fighting spirit and a belief that the German people were superior to others. The Nazis also used force and terror to put down people who disagreed with them. This made the Nazis get stronger and stronger.

     Also, other leaders around the world were afraid another war would start so soon after World War I, so they didn't stand up to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. This allowed the Nazis to build up a powerful fighting force.

     Eventually, after the United States finally entered the war, the Allied powers caught up and surpassed the Axis powers because they had more manpower and were able to keep producing more and more supplies and weapons. The Allies used their air and sea power to destroy the air and sea power of the Axis. 

Did One Country Win THE War?

     No, winning World War II was a team effort. The U.S. did not win World War II alone. But the U.S. did make the difference in helping the Allies to win. If the United States had stayed completely out of World War II, the other Allied nations may not have been able to stop the Axis powers. The Axis may have kept growing stronger and stronger and taken over the world without being stopped.

 Interesting Facts

     Did you know that inflatable tanks were used in World War II as tricks in fake military bases?

     Why did the Allies use fake inflatable tanks?  They wanted to make the Axis powers waste their bombs on the fake bases and tanks. Once the Germans used their supplies, it was harder for them to produce new supplies. 

     Also did you know that during World War II pennies were made out of steel instead of copper in the United States?   This was because copper was needed for the war. The United States needed to produce millions of miles of copper wire to communicate on the battlefields.

     Another interesting fact is that women weren't able to buy pantyhose during the war. Instead of making pantyhose, nylon material was needed for parachutes! 

     Did you know that before WWII a Swastika meant good luck and future success? Today the Swastika is considered a symbol of hate and it is banned in many countries such as Germany, Austria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. 

     Another fact is D-Day is the name of any military operation, but the invasion of Normandy is the most famous D-Day. Also, the D-Day invasion of Normandy was called "Operation Overlord."

Conclusion 

     In conclusion, I think the Allies won World War II because of the United States since the U.S. made two thirds of the Allied equipment. Some people think it was because of the Soviet Union or because of Britain, but I think the most important reason the Allies won World War II was because of the United States. 

     Another huge factor in World War II was the development of a brand new superweapon, the atomic bomb.

    Both Germany and the United States were racing to develop this new weapon, and also trying to stop the other side from getting there first. 

    If Germany had been successful in building an atomic bomb during World War II, the destructive force from this one superweapon could have defeated and destroyed the Allies. The history of the world could have been completely different if the Nazis had won World War II. But the Germans were not successful.

     The Americans, led by Robert Oppenheimer in the Manhattan Project, were the first to build a working atomic bomb. By the time the atomic bomb was created and tested in 1945, Germany had already surrendered in Europe and Adolf Hitler was dead, so the atomic bomb was not used to defeat Germany.

      However Japan refused to surrender, so the war was not over. The Americans used the first atomic bomb to attack the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. They used the second atomic bomb to attack the city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. On August 15, 1945, Japan finally surrendered, which ended World War II.  

     It is estimated that about 140,000 people died as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima, and about 74,000 people died in the bombing on Nagasaki. 

    In the years following these atomic bombings, many more people who initially survived the bombings died because of the effects of radiation sickness and radiation poisoning.