World War II: Global Conflict, Key Stages, and Impact (1939-1945)

World War II: Development of the Global Conflict (1939-1945)

Characteristics of the War

The war had an enormous reach, with operations spanning the Pacific, Europe, and Africa. It involved sixty countries, affecting up to 90% of the human population. Lasting six years—two more than the previous war—its duration was primarily due to the numerous German victories at the start, which necessitated a long and extensive recovery of lost territory.

It was also noteworthy for being the quintessential total war, forcing the economies of warring countries to be organized entirely around the conflict. Over 100 million soldiers were mobilized, and powerful weapons (tanks, bombs, aviation, etc.) were extensively used. Furthermore, it was an extremely merciless war. It is estimated that approximately 800 million civilians were occupied by enemies and suffered bombing and other hardships. The war involved widespread deportations, torture, murder, and genocide.

Stages and Major Events

Victories of the Axis Powers (1939-1941)

German tactics included the blitzkrieg, or lightning war, based on the combined use of tanks and planes. These tactics, along with Russia's neutrality, enabled Germany to occupy practically all of Western Europe by 1940. Later, with the support of Italy, Germany forced France to sign an armistice, occupied part of French territory, and compelled the formation of the Vichy government, essentially a puppet state of Germany. Germany also sought to defeat the United Kingdom through heavy bombing, conquered territories in North Africa and the Balkans (1940), and invaded the USSR in 1941, driven by a need for energy resources and food. This opened a second front in Eastern Europe. On the other hand, Japan sought to extend its influence in the Pacific, and in 1941, it destroyed the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii). This attack brought the United States into the war.

The War Evens Out (1941-1943)

During this period, Germany's advance was slowed by Britain in North Africa and by Russia at Stalingrad. Italy was invaded by the Allies, and Japan was halted by the U.S. in the Pacific.

The Allies Turn the Tide (1943-1945)

The Allies gained the advantage after a double offensive in Europe. In the west, following the Normandy landings (1944), the Allies liberated Paris and entered Germany. In the east, the Soviet Red Army occupied several Eastern European countries (1944), while partisan paramilitary units liberated Yugoslavia and Albania from the Nazis. In April 1945, Mussolini was captured and executed, and two days later, Hitler committed suicide in Berlin after the Russian army entered the city.

In the Pacific, Japan withdrew from Burma, the Philippines, and China after the battles of Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. Japan finally surrendered after two atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945. This definitively ended the war.