Britain in World War II

The Second World War reversed Germany`s attempt to establish a German Empire over the world. Adolph Hitler, the dictator of Germany revived German spirit by proclaiming these people a super nation. Other nations were oppressed by the Nazis. Some ethnic and religious groups such as Jews, Catholics and Poles were put into the concentration camps. In 1930 Germany was not the only country ruled by a dictator. In Italy Benito Mussolini made plans to revive the glory of the Roman Empire. In Japan a military group wanted to take control over the other countries in Asia and islands in the Pacific Ocean. These countries – Germany, Italy and Japan formed the alliance called the Axis. The Axis was opposed by the alliance of European countries – the Allies.

In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria – a part of China, in 1938, Germany invaded Austria and part of Czechoslovakia. On September 1, 1939 Germany crossed the Polish border. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. The date – September 1, 1939 marked the beginning of World War II.

The Allies took no military actions to defend Poland. French strategy was based on the defence of its common border with Germany, the British supported France. The German army conquered Poland in less than three weeks using a tactics of blitz-krieg, a lightning war. In 1940 Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. France had to sign an armistice. In September the German planes began night bombing of British cities, railways, factories and plants. Churchill`s hopes that America would enter the war helped Britain to survive. In March 1941 the USA instituted Lend-Lease allowing Britain almost unlimited access to American war materials. In August 1941 the leaders of both countries – Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt met to state their common aims for the future world peace.

In 1941 Germany attacked the Soviet Union and Japan attacked the USA. Now Germany had to fight on two fronts – in the east and in the west. The Eastern front in the USSR saw the heaviest battles. After severe fighting the Soviet army was pushing the Germans out of the USSR and Britain had driven German and Italian troops out of North Africa.

In 1944 the Allies opened the Second Front in Normandy, from where the Liberation of France began. The day of invasion, June 6, went down into the history as D-Day. A large fleet of 600 warships and 400 smaller boats carried 17600 allied soldiers towards France. Allied planes bombed the German positions in France. The second front marked the beginning of the end of Germany. In February 1945, the leaders of the “Big Three” countries – Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin met in Yalta to decide about the shape of post-war Europe. The Soviet union agreed to join the United Nations and to enter the war against Japan in return for territorial gains in Manchuria. Four months later France and Belgium were free. In spring 1945 the Allies advanced on the Western Front and the Soviet troops advanced in the east.

In May 1945 Germany surrendered to the Allies in Italy on May 2 and in Germany itself on May 7. The last “Big Three” Conference was held nearly three months later – from July 17 to August 2. The major issue was the future of Germany and post-war Europe. That summit marked the division of post war influence between Britain and the USA on one side and the USSR on the other – Soviet influence spread over much of Eastern Europe. Later these divisions developed into the Cold War.

After the end of war in Europe, Britain and America still remained at war with Japan. America`s dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August, 1945 together with a Soviet declaration of war and invasion of Manchuria on August 8, forced Japan to surrender on August 14.

Britain lost in World War II more than half a million soldiers, bombing took lives of over 60000 civilians. Britain was the only country who fought against Germany from the war`s start to its end without being attacked first, and the war produced a devastating effect on Britain as British homes, factories and plants were severely damaged, especially in London. British economy got a hard blow which it did not fully recover any more. British debts and loans increased greatly while exports decreased. But the most severe was a political blow – Britain was no longer a world leader. After World War II the balance of power was split between the two world`s greatest states – the USA and the USSR. In this world Britain became a junior partner of the USA.