World War II: The Most Significant Period Of The 20th Century

World War II was the most significant period in the 20th century. The armies of the Second World War were usually large organizations. The formation of which was made possible by the total war efforts of the combatant nations. Holding unceasing front lines in Europe, particularly in the Soviet Union, required the mobilization of hundreds of divisions in addition to other elements by both sides. (Wilson, 2002)

The fights in Europe began on September 01, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Germany was led by leader Adolf Hitler; he believed that his destiny was to lead the Third Reich eastward toward conquest. During the attack, airplanes destroyed armies and cities that were in the path of the German soldiers. The German soldiers were led by

tanks that traveled as fast as 60 miles an hour across the countryside, overrunning enemy defenses and creating panic by the speed of their movement (Baughmen, 2013). The German army had many advantages in weaponry over their enemies. They had more and better tools for the war and were prepared to not lose another war. The Allies was caught up in thinking that the next war was going to be like the last one but they were indeed wrong. The Allies were not organized to fight together with a single game plan and coordinated military attacks. Nazi’s Party leader Adolf Hitler was having fun with these advantages until they all vanished and then the war turned against them.
The Poles had a modern army which was believed to be strong enough to hold its own against a German attack but the Luftwaffe shot down the Polish air force and destroyed it on the ground. They were determined to put an end to the Polish army. Within three days of the Nazis moving eastward, the Polish Corridor was retaken and four weeks was all that the Nazis needed to drive the Poles from the war. The military leader Hermann Goring started building grandstands at the last part of the battle for visitors to watch the air force bomb Warsaw into submission and rubble. Later, the British and French declared war on Germany but couldn’t do much to help the Poles because the war didn’t last as long as they needed it to in order to provide the help. And because of the limits they had on airplanes in 1939, it made it impossible for either side to project much military power against Germany. Once the battle ended, western Poland was incorporated into the Reich while the Soviets took possession of the eastern section as part of Stalin’s spoils of war.