World War II

History

Background

See also: World War I#Aftermath

In the aftermath of World War I, the Central Powers collapsed. Among the collapsed empires were the Sublime Ottoman State, which lost territory to Britain and France, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which collapsed into Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, with some of their territory going to Serbia, the country Austria-Hungary declared war against, and Montenegro, which merged to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (which was an Allied member but signed a truce with the Central Powers after the Bolsheviks took over, thus they still lost territory), which lost Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Poland was formed from territories lost from the German Reich, Austria-Hungary, and Russia, with the Polish corridor, which gave Poland access to the Baltic Sea through the Free City of Danzig (which was under League of Nations protection), separating East Prussia from the rest of Germany.

Germany was blamed for the war, despite the fact that he did not start it, and was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, which placed him into a debt of $33 billion, and forced him to downsize his military. Germany is upset at the fact that he was the fall guy in the larger scale of the war, and that he had to agree to the terms of the treaty. An Austrian-born German by the name of Adolf Hitler started tempting Germany by promising to restore the German nation to its former glory.

Germany attempted to bail out some money from America. America agrees to loan Germany some money to repay their debt, but Germany is dissatisfied, claiming that the debt, coupled with the Great Depression, is making everything too expensive. In this brief moment of outrage, Hitler takes control of Germany and starts yelling at the Allies. Germany then leaves, and Hitler ceases control of Germany's body.

After returning home, Germany is tempted again by Hitler, who denounced communism and stated that fascism is glorious, claiming that it is the only way to unify the German people. Germany gets transported outside of the Reichstag, seeing it on fire. Hitler tells Germany that he had given the Germans a violent dream to remedy their desperation, and stated that Germany had enemies to keep them afraid. Hitler then takes control of Germany, and establishes the next German Reich in its place.

Second Sino-Japanese War

Main article: Second Sino-Japanese War

The Empire of Japan was busy expanding their operations in East Asia, and in 1937, launched a full invasion of the Republic of China, which was currently toen in a civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China. The two argued with each other about the better political system for China, even while Japan was invading them, but both parties decided to temporarily settle their differences when they realized that neither of them could control China if Japan took over, forming the Second United Front to fight against the Japanese.

German Expansion

See also: German Reich#Expansion

After taking control of Germany, Hitler would start annexing countries. He returned to the Allies, asking for Czechoslovakia. America directs Germany to the bathroom of the building, where Czechoslovakia was in. As the Allies started to question whether or not the Great Depression had an effect on Germany and caused a dictator to rise to power, Czechoslovakia broke out of the bathroom, with Hitler having seized the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. After Hitler departs the building, the Allies assure that a dictator taking over Germany isn't something that could happen.

Returning home, Hitler insisted to the previous German Reich that he was right, and plans on taking over Poland. Germany pleaded to Hitler to not take Poland, fearing that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which now owned the RSFSR, would not like it, but Germany instead decided to negotiate a deal with the USSR.

The USSR had previously negotiated a deal with Britain and France to defend Poland against Germany, but Britain and France refused to let the USSR help, stating that Poland's forces were enough, and if they weren't, Britain and France would come to Poland's defense. Upset, the USSR leaves the conference. On August 23, 1939, the USSR went to the bathroom, only for Hitler to appear next to him. Hitler negotiated a deal with the USSR to invade Poland together; the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact said that Germany would not attack the USSR, and vice versa. Despite pleas from the German Reich to not attack Poland, Hitler ignored him and continued with his plan.

Hitler and Italian Duce Benito Mussolini sign the Pact of Steel, guaranteeing their alliance. Mussolini warns Hitler that Britain and France have made an alliance to defend Poland should Germany. On August 31, Hitler made his way into the German city of Gleiwitz, entered the Sender Gleiwitz radio tower, disguised himself as a Polish man, and announced to the Germans that Poland was superior to Germany. Hitler then drops a dummy, and transfers his Polish disguise onto it. With the news reporting that a Polish terrorist has made his way into Germany and broadcasted the announcement, Hitler had justified an invasion of Poland. To finalize the invasion plans, Hitler called the USSR and told him to attack in two weeks.

Outbreak of War

Main article: Invasion of Poland

On September 1, German troops enter the Polish capital of Warsaw. With the invasion initiated, and true to their pact, Britain and France declare war on Germany two days afterwards, although they do not send any troops to Poland. Poland tries to fight back, but realizes his horses are too weak against the German tanks. With Warsaw captured, Germany flees east, only to encounter the USSR sixteen days later. Poland fights against the USSR, but the USSR overpowers Poland, cornering him. The USSR laments at how he would have protected Poland had he just accepted the deal. As the USSR holds a knife to Poland, Hitler appears next to both of them. The USSR dreams of expanding communism across the entire globe, but Hitler snaps him out of it. Hitler then transports Poland to a concentration camp.

Hoping to further expand their territory, the USSR then headed to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, to annex the three countries. All three countries initially refused to join the USSR, but reluctantly signed the Mutual Assistance Treaty when the USSR threatened to them that Germany would invade them next. With the Baltics annexed, the USSR would then head to Finland, with the hopes of re-annexing them. The Finns, however, prove to be formidable to the USSR, even with the USSR's vastly superior size and strength.

War in Europe

Main articles: Western Front and Eastern Front

In 1940, Germany invades Denmark and Norway easily, then turn westward towards France. Germany invades Belgium and the Netherlands to little resistance, and France, who fights back hard, but falls regardless. As France falls, Germany's allies Italy and Japan start to embrace German expansionism, or Lebensraum, hoping to claim territories for their own. France refuses to surrender, but has been declared defeated regardless.

The United States have remained neutral throughout the war, as in World War I, even with Britain calling for help, knowing that Germany would invade them next. America refuses to aid Britain, as he wants to remain out of the war, leaving Britain on his own. Germany then starts attacking Britain, bombing RAF bases, but due to American military aid and the Germans refocusing their attacking efforts to civilian targets rather than military bases, Britain was able to repel their invasion.

On June 22, 1941, Germany violated the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and sent troops to the east, starting the invasion of the USSR. Germany repeated what they did with Britain, including bombing Soviet military bases. Germany made huge gains in Soviet territory, capturing many cities, including the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. They approached Moscow, and reached the city just as a snowstorm arrives, causing the Germans to stop in their tracks. The Soviets then started pushing the Germans back.

War in the Pacific

Main articles: 

Continuing the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese troops continue push through China as members of the People's Liberation Army try to defend their nation, but Japan overpowered them. Japan complained that their limited amount of resources imported from America prevented them from having a good supply of weapons, which means that Japan would not be able to continue fighting if they run out of supplies. Italy gave Japan the idea to attack America, so that their navies would be too crippled to fight against Japan.

On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy approached the American Pacific Fleet Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, which was part of the Territory of Hawaii. Japanese planes sink American warships, as American and Japanese soldiers fight on American soil. America's ability to fight back was weakened, as Japan bombed American air bases as well. American troops resorted to using land cannons to shoot down Japanese planes. Despite the attack, America chose to go to war with Japan, even though Japan's intention was to keep America out of the war.

The next day, America assured their territory, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, that Japan would not attack them, but Japan appeared and  started fighting against the Americans and the Filipinos. After three months of fighting, American troops depart the Philippines, effectively surrendering the territory to Japan. Japan soon also captures the Dutch East Indies.

War in Africa

Main articles: 

Italy began to invade other countries in Africa through their colonies. in 1941, Britain attacked the Italian East African city of Keren, and although initially losing, the tides turned after Indian troops attacked Italian ones. In 1942, Indian troops similarly fought with Free French and British troops against Italian troops in the city of Bir Hakeim in Libya, where they once again defeated Italy.

Downfall of the Axis

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In June 1942, Hitler brought his supergun to the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol, causing major damage. He later brought it to Leningrad, the former Russian capital, but the Soviet resurgence forced him to tear it down to avoid it from falling into the hands of the Soviets. The Soviets approach Leningrad and recapture the city, noticing that the supergun has been disassembled. Germany lost their biggest ally, Italy, by 1943, when Italy surrendered after having deposed Mussolini.

On June 1944, the Western Allies land on Normandy, to massive German resistance. Despite the resistance, and thousands of lives lost for the Allies, they managed to capture Normandy and start pushing eastward, liberating Belgium and the Netherlands in the process.

By July 1944, the Germans had been rounding-up Polish citizens in German-occupied Poland, which was being approached by the USSR. Underground, the Polish radio received a message from Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who promised to liberate Poland when the Red Army approaches, but the Polish saw it as a scam. The Polish Underground State planned to destroy Warsaw before it fell into Soviet hands. Despite the resistance, the Germans managed to defeat the Polish, and sent them to camps in retaliation. With Warsaw cleared, the Soviets continued their advance towards Berlin.

The Japanese were also seeing their successes reversed. Through the Japanese-occupied territory of Burma, they attempted to invade India through Imphal, but India sneak-attacked them and forced the Japanese to retreat back to Burma.

In April 1945, Soviet troops entered Berlin, and in response, Hitler committed suicide in his Führerbunker on April 30. On May 5, German troops betrayed the government and sided with American troops to liberate Castle Itter and their French prisoners from German control, arresting those who were loyal to the German government in the process. On May 8, Germany capitulated, and was subsequently divided by the Allies.

Japan was the last major Axis power standing at that point. On August 6, America dropped the Little Boy atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, and three days later, dropped Fat Man over Nagasaki. Not wanting to risk getting nuked a third time, Japan surrendered on August 15, with the declaration of surrender being signed on September 2, ending the war.

Aftermath

See also: Cold War

"Am I ever glad that hecking war is over. Great that we've all grown closer though, eh?"

-Canada, WW2 Victory Party

World War II left an impact on the world like never before. Following the conclusion of the war in Europe, Germany was divided into four occupation zones, one British, one French, one American, and one Soviet. After Japan surrendered, it was also occupied; although the entire Japanese archipelago fell under American occupation, the Soviets reclaimed Karafuto, the southern half of the island of Sakhalin, as well as the Kuril Islands off the Kamchatka Peninsula, both of which are close to Japan's now-northernmost island, Hokkaido. Instead of Japan, Korea was divided by America and the USSR. Most occupied territories following Germany and Japan's surrender either regained independence or were returned to their previous owners.

America and the USSR emerged as the two global superpowers, and both of them wanted to spread their influence across Europe and the globe. With the USSR having captured a lot of territories in Eastern Europe formerly occupied by Germany, they were able to install communist puppet states to act as a barrier between them and the West. As relationships between the USSR and America broke down, America announced the Truman Doctrine in 1947, starting the Cold War.

The American, British, and French occupation zones of Germany became the Federal Republic of Germany, whereas the Soviet occupation zone became the German Democratic Republic. Similarly, the American occupation zone of Korea became the Republic of Korea, whereas the Soviet occupation zone became the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Japan gained independence from America in 1952, following the signing of the Treaty of San Francisco the same year.

The war had also damaged a lot of economies. America, who was mostly unaffected by the war, gave monetary support to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan, helping them recover quickly; most Western European countries, alongside Canada and the United States, founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In response, the USSR established the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, with the Soviet satellite states being their members. Unlike America, the USSR would take resources from the German Democratic Republic to repay for the damage Germany inflicted on them during the war.

The weakening of European navies left their colonial power vulnerable; consequently, a mass influx of decolonization movements around the world occurred.