Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The Allied Powers consisted of the British Empire, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America was known as “The Big Three”. The Axis Powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan, they were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940. There were many causes of World War II. Germany wanted to expand in Europe. Italy wanted to expand in Africa. Japan wanted to expand in Asia & the Pacific. Other causes of the War include: the Treaty of Versailles, rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany, expansionist policy of the Axis Powers, policy of Appeasement, and the weakness of the League of Nations. Hitler made clear to his generals that victory was the only important thing in war. Victory and Stalemate: while Hitler continued to move his troops eastward, Britain refused to back down under Churchill and Hitler was forced to invade Britain. The British rebuilt the air force and inflicted major losses on the Luffwaffe. Germany had lost the Battle of Britain and postponed the invasion of Britain. War in Asia: Dec. 7, 1941- Pearl Harbor attack. Also attacks on Philippines and advances on Malaya. US declared war on Japan the next day. The Turning Point (1942-1943): The Grand Alliance was created when the U.S. entered. June 4th, Battle of Midway Island, American planes destroyed all 4 attacking Japanese aircraft carriers est. Am. naval superiority in Pacific. Bitter engagements near the Solomon Islands led to faded Japanese fortunes. The Last Years: Axis forces first surrendered in Tunisia on May 13, 1943. Japan surrendered unconditionally on Aug. 14th 1945….marking the end of WWII.
In May of 1942, Japanese Admiral Isorosku Yamamoto devised a plan to draw the US Pacific fleet into battle where he could completely destroy it. To accomplish this master plan of his, he sought out the invasion of Midway Island which would provide a base for the Japan troops to attack Hawaii. Unfortunately for Yamamoto, America decrypted Japanese radio transmissions and Admiral Chester Nimitz was able to establish a counter attack against this offensive. Nimitz sent three aircraft carriers, The USS Enterprise, The USS Hornet and The USS Yorktown to destroy the Japanese. This is just a short overview of The Battle of Midway, or as commonly referred to as, the battle that changed the war. People argue that it had no affect on the war, but those critics couldn’t be farther from the truth. The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war because it fully enters America into the war, it kicked off the Pacific Campaign, and it had Japan on the defensive, thus preventing them from helping The Axis Forces.
World War II, along with its numerous battles, brought great tension between two of the strongest countries during the 1940s: the United States and Japan. Conflict between these two countries started with Japan’s push past Chinese borders into Manchuria in search of the natural resources Japan lacks. At first, the United States avoided military action with Japan by waging economic warfare on them. This economic pressure included the passing of the Neutrality Act, which prohibited the sale of weapons to nations at war (Nash 513). Additionally, the United States placed oil embargoes on Japan hoping it would force Japan to shut down military operations in China. Japan, at a critical decision point, decided to bomb the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. On December 7th, 1941 at 6 a.m., Japan pilots bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor, taking out the United States’ strongest battleships, killing thousands of people, and destroying hundreds of planes (Sherman). The day after Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan. Over the next few years, the United States and Japan fought fierce battles for dominance in the Pacific Ocean. One of the most important battles during the United States and Japanese war was the Battle of Midway. Japan was destroying the United States at sea, until the Battle of Midway gave the United States Pacific Fleet an edge on Japanese forces. The Battle of Midway was the most important naval engagement of World War II: it was a decisive battle that allowed the United States to be the dominant naval power in the Pacific and it marked a turning point in World War II for the United States.
The United States entered WW II immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The U.S. entry was a major turning point in the war because it brought the strongest industrial strength to the Allied side. The Americans helped the Allies to win the war in Europe with the surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945. However, the war in the Pacific continued. The war with Japan at this point consisted primarily of strategic bombings. America had recently completed an atomic bomb and was considering using this weapon of mass destruction for the first time. The goal was to force the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese. Roosevelt had used the term “unconditional surrender” in a press conference in 1943 and it had since become a central war aim. Truman and his staff (still feeling bound by FDR’s words) demanded unconditional surrender from the Japanese. Consequently on July 26, 1945 Truman issued an ultimatum to Japan. This ultimatum stated that Japan must accept “unconditional surrender” or suffer “utter devastation of the Japanese Homeland”. This surrender included abdication of the throne by their emperor. Japan was not willing to surrender their dynasty and ignored the ultimatum. On August 6th and August 9th, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively.
It all started on December 7th, 1941. America had entered their Second World War following the Pearl Harbor attacks. America started its Pacific Campaign against the Imperial Japanese Army. After three years, America joined with fellow allied nations and invaded Nazi- Occupied France codename Operation Overlord. This was the biggest amphibious invasion ever recorded. From Pearl Harbor to the fall of Berlin in the spring of 1945, the American bomber plane helped defeat the Nazi regime, end the war in the Pacific, and revolutionize modern warfare.
World War II began on September 1, 1939. It all started when Hitler wanted to expand his territory, and he had planned to invade Poland on this day. Then two years later in 1941 Japan bombed America in which is known as Pearl Harbor and General Eisenhower entered America into World War II. America then joined the Allied powers and helped fight against the Axis powers. The major countries that took part as the Allied Powers in World War II was the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and Russia.Their main goal was to stick together and to defend each other from the attacks of the Axis Powers. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan.General EIsenhower had been planning an attack on the beaches of Normandy in France.
Another factor in causing World War II was the Wall Street Crash of 1929 resulting in a 2-year economic depression all over the world. Not only did these cause countries such as Britain and France to take a less active foreign policy, but also it destroyed the newly found prosperity in Germany and made many people jobless. This led to Hitler
Ultimately the Pacific Theater, and WWII ended on August 15th 1945 after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, however, The Battle of Midway, the turning point of the Theater would not have been won had it not been for the various technological advantages and desires for revenge of pearl harbor.
The causes of World War II can be attributed to the following ideas or events: the mentality of power is strength by Heinrich von Treitschke, the Treaty of Versailles, the global depression following the end of World War I, and Nazi Imperialism.
...or both sides; casualties were increasing. This was what mostly led to the U.S to drop the atomic bomb. The Japanese surrender did not occur until after the first bomb dropped of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and a second on Nagasaki. The atomic bomb was the result of a top secret experiment called the Manhattan Project (The Americans. Reconstruction to the 21st Century) the war was finally over when Japan surrendered on August 14th.
World War II was not only started by Adolf Hitler and Germany, but had a lot to do with the humiliation that Germany felt when the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were laid down. The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles may be indirectly related to the cause of World War II, but nonetheless was a huge factor in starting the war.
The main countries which were involved in World War II were Germany, Japan, and Italy, which were known as the Axis Coalition, against the United States, the Soviet Union, and many other countries. Overall World War II was seen as the most devastating war in human history. Each country had different types of weaponry and artillery which proved to be vital in the result of the war (World War 1).
The United States was engaged in a naval battle with Japan from June 4-7 1942, 6 months after Pearl Harbor (Carson) (Interview). This engagement was The Battle of Midway and the most important naval battle of WWII. The United States was able to take control of the Pacific after the victory. This battle not only determined naval superiority in the Pacific but also was a turning point for the entire World War. (Interview)
allied themselves with Italy and Japan, known as the Axis powers, hoped to defeat the Allies. As the war
There were many causes that led to World War Two, some of them being: The Treaty of Versailles, the rise of Japan as a world power, the rise of fascism in Italy and Germany, and The League of Nations. However, the main reason that the Second World War was inevitable was unquestionably due to the rise of Adolf Hitler. WWII was directly brought about by his actions in the 1930s. Even though the League of Nations had set measures in place to avoid this happening, they were unable to prevent the war due to the fascist thinking that led Hitler to believe that Germany could win the war.
...ther atomic bomb, leaving Japan helpless. Japan surrendered in several places from September 7th to September 16th.