When Hitler occupied Poland in 1939, it marked the beginning of Second World War. In the next six years (1939-1945), this war cost approximately 60 million lives around the world with Europe having maximum number of casualties. In this chapter, we would analyse the origins, course and the final outcome of this war especially focussed on the European region.The original idea behind Hitler's military build-up was to have control of natural resources spread outside Germany. Hence a war over these regions not only gives access to these resources but shows its domination and retains its lost glory from the previous world war. He believed that Jews are mainly responsible for Germany's and hence wanted a new world order of Aryan domination. Thus he targeted the businesses run by Jewish community and alienated them through racial division as people fell for Nazi claims that Jewish community was responsible for Germany's downfall.
As Hitler continued with his expansion plan, he made his decision clear to bring in Sudetenland, the industrialized western territory of Czechoslovakia which was highly populated with Germans under Germany's control. He held a conference with leaders of Italy, Britain and France but excluded the presidents of Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union. The leaders feared that denying Hitler's demand would lead to war hence agreed to him thus Sudetenland came under Germany's rule. The decision by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain didn't go very well with Winston Churchill as he didn't like the Chamberlain's appeasement of the German Chancellor. Churchill warned that Hitler won't stop by annexing German populated areas but would go for further expansion. As feared by Churchill, the Nazi leader broke his promise and occupied the entire region of Czechoslovakia with his Nazi army in early 1939. After annexing the regions of Czechoslovakia, Hitler kept Czech regions under Germany and handed over the Slovak region to Hungary, a supporter of Germany which became a part of the future war alliance known as the Axis Powers. Apart from Hungary and Italy, the other countries that allied with Germany to complete the Axis Powers are Japan, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Hitler continued his racial proliferation against the Jews and used the army as well as civilians of German origins to attack their businesses. As he gained complete support from people through his actions back home, he eventually went ahead to capture Poland that signalled the beginning of Second World War.
During the course of war, the Nazi army continued its atrocities against the Jewish community. It captured military officers, educationists and business class and kept them in prison camps in an unhygienic environment. Many of these prisoners either died of starvation or got killed by the Nazi regime. By this time, the friendly alliance that included Britain, France and the Polish army were fighting losing battles. By the mid of 1940, Hitler's Nazi army defeated France thus spread his empire over Czechoslovakia, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway. As Britain is now left alone, it started inducting soldiers from its colonies like India and supported by Australia and New Zealand. By mid-1941, America signed an agreement with Britain known as Lend-Lease Agreement that provides complete military support to the friendly alliance in the war. As Hitler is now a strong force in Europe, its alliance partner Japan continue to spread its empire in Asia-Pacific region. However, Japan's attacked America in December 1941 and it changed the course of war completely.
After the attacks on Pearl Harbour, America entered the Second World War which gave confidence to Churchill. In the next four years, with Soviet Union joining the friendly alliance as well, the Axis Powers started losing the war. Hitler's hold over Europe slowly diminished. By mid-1945, Germany lost the war and Hitler committed suicide following the defeat. With US attack over Japan with atom bombs eventually brought the end of war with the defeat to Axis Powers. However, the German holocaust to exterminate the Jewish community was clearly evident with an example of Auschwitz concentration which added to the death of more than one million Jewish civilians. Second World War is always remembered as the bloodiest war in the history of making. With a leader like Hitler who wanted to wipe out the entire Jewish community from Europe, fell for his own evil plans and beliefs.
Works Cited
“Chapter 24: World War II”. Western Civilization II Guides. 2007. Web. Accessed on 1 July 2015.
