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Read World War II 12 Things To Know on Epic

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Before the official beginning of World War II, many countries acted in an aggressive and warlike manner. In Germany, Adolf Hitler opened the first concentration camps as early as 1933 and became the "Fuhrer" or sole dictator of Germany in 1934.

In 1935, Benito Mussolini rose to power and became dictator of Italy. Both rulers quickly started enlarging their territory by taking over smaller countries. Germany took over Austria and Czechoslovakia while Mussolini absorbed Ethiopia and Abyssinia. Meanwhile, In Asia, The Chinese and Japanese armies were at war. Japan signed a treaty with Germany, adding British and French to their list of enemies.

There were two sides in the war:

Allied Powers (including U.S., Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia), and

Axis Powers (including Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria).

World war 2 started in September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland. But, the United States did not enter the war until after the Japanese bombed the American fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.

The Bloodiest Battles of World War II:

Battle of Stalingrad - From 23 August 1942 until 2 February 1943

Battle of Berlin - Fron 16 April until 2 May 1945

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World War two Timeline Timeline - World War 2 - History for Kids

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Before the official beginning of World War II, many countries acted in an aggressive and warlike manner. In Germany, Adolf Hitler opened the first concentration camps as early as 1933 and became the "Fuhrer" or sole dictator of Germany in 1934. In 1935, Benito Mussolini rose to power and became dictator of Italy.

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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World War II World War 2 started in September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland. The Axis powers were those countries that joined to attack Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Pacific. The Allied Powers generally consisted of Great Britain, The Soviet Union, China and the United States.

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World War II was a huge war that involved many countries in Europe and Asia. Lots of historians blame Hitler and say that he was the main cause of World War II.

He was very aggressive and wanted to take over all of Europe and build a German Empire.

However, there were lots of things building up in the background for war to break out and for Hitler to take control of Germany.

Funnily enough, in an indirect way, World War I was a cause of World War II. Here's how.

World War 1: The Treaty of Versailles

After World War I, Germany took nearly all the blame. These days, historians think that all countries had a role to play in the outbreak of World War I.

When World War I ended, this was not the case. At the end of the War, a big meeting was held between France, England and the USA, and Germany was not allowed to go.

All the winning countries got together at the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the War to blame Germany and decide what would happen to them.

One thing they did do was decide that Germany should no longer have an army and they also had to give up valuable land with lots of resources.

Germany also had to pay back lots of money to the other countries. These were debts they could not afford.

People were angry

Some people were really mad about World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, especially a man called Adolf Hitler.

Germany was so in debt and could not make money that they suffered from something called hyperinflation, which happened in 1923.

Hyper-inflation is where lots of money is printed, with the result that it becomes worthless.

For example, one whole wheelbarrow of cash in 1923 in Germany would barely buy you a loaf of bread.

Some people in Germany carried out violent uprisings (like the The Kapp Putsch) to try to overthrow the government but they did not succeed. Hitler also tried to overthrow the government in a city called Munich.

Hitler's uprising in 1923 was called the Munich Putsch (also called the Beer Hall Putsch). However, at this time, he wasn't successful and he was sent to prison.

In prison, he wrote a book called Mein Kampf which expressed his crazy views about his hatred for Jewish people, how all of Europe was against Germany, and how Europe had wronged them in the Treaty of Versailles.

Economic Boom - The Roaring Twenties

The economy in Germany recovered and people were really enjoying the 1920s. They were having lots of fun and a man called Gustav Streseman had borrowed money from America to make the economy stronger.

This meant that people were happy to support democracy and they forgot about the Treaty of Versailles and the First World War for a while.

Disaster strikes in 1929: the Great Depression

Just as things seemed ok, a terrible thing happened. Remember that Germany had borrowed all that money from America? Well, the American economy crashed in 1929.

This was called the Great Depression. Even though all the countries in the world suffered a little bit, Germany was hit worse because of the money they had borrowed.

Hitler and his party, the Nazi's, really used this to their advantage. People were absolutely starving and no one had any jobs. They felt desperate.

The Nazi party offered 'Arbeit und Brot' (Work and Bread), a very appealing prospect for the German people. They did not really know Hitler would become a dictator at this point in time.

Hitler also promised to fight back against the Treaty of Versailles and make Germany a great country once more.

He promised people that if he got into power, he would get back all the lands they had lost, rebuild the economy and take over Europe.

Many people liked this idea and voted for him. Hitler got elected chancellor (like Prime Minister) in 1933.

He did not stop there. In 1934 he became (Fuhrer), a dictator that could not be opposed (voted out).

Like all totalitarian dictators, he stopped people speaking freely in the press, killed anyone who stood in his way, and by stopping elections, made sure that only he could rule.

There were no more elections while he was in power. It was quite dangerous because once he was there, he could do what he wanted.

Straight away, he began to build up the military. Hitler and his chief commanders (such as Himmler and Goering) created a policy to take over Europe, even if it meant going to war. This was called expansion.

It wasn't just Germany that wanted expansion through war. Japan wanted this too. These two powers would join up to help make this happen.

Japanese expansion

Before World War II, Japan was also expanding their empire (the lands they had control over that belonged to other people).

They did this to get more resources and materials (things they could not grow or make themselves).

For example, they invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Japan and Germany joined forces to fight the Allies in World War 2.

Other fascist dictators: Spain and Italy

It wasn't just Germany who had a totalitarian dictator with big plans of expanding their lands. Italy had a ruler called Mussolini who had already invaded Ethiopia (then they called it Abyssinia).

He led a brutal war and took over this country in 1935. They also sided with Germany. Meanwhile, Spain was ruled by a dictator called Franco.

Hitler readies for war

In 1938, Hitler started expanding the German Empire by taking back Austria in 1938. He also took over Czechoslovakia in 1939.

Appeasement

Most countries in Europe were tired and broke because of the First World War. Governments and ordinary people had suffered during and after the War and really did not want to fight again.

At first, leaders including Neville Chamberlain of Britain thought that they might let Hitler have a few of the things he wanted to try to calm the situation down. This was called appeasement.

Appeasement is when you try to please someone and make compromises. For another ruler, this would have probably worked. However, Hitler was a particularly aggressive and brutal man.

The appeasement plan totally backfired and Hitler just became bolder. Eventually, France and Britain realised they would have to fight back in order to stop him.
This is how World War II began.
Quiz Time - Test Your Knowledge!

What could you buy with a wheelbarrow full of cash in Germany 1923?

What did Hitler promise the German people with his slogan?

Why did the German people listen to Hitler (what happened in 1929)?

What do dictators take away? (Freedom of press and...)

What was appeasement?

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Causes of World War 2 - World War 2 Facts

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Causes of World War 2 World War II was a huge war that involved many countries in Europe and Asia. Lots of historians blame Hitler and say that he was the main cause of World War II. He was very aggressive and wanted to take over all of Europe and build a German Empire.

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Poland

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. This began World War II. The Germans used a new kind of attack. They called it blitzkrieg, or "lightning war." Blitzkrieg relied on fast-moving tanks and warplanes to shock the enemy into surrendering.

After this invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and South Africa joined Britain on the side of the Allies. But no one could help when the Soviet Union attacked Poland on September 17. Germany and the Soviet Union divided Poland between them. The Soviet Union also invaded Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland during 1939.

Scandinavia and the Low Countries

Between April and June 1940 the Germans took over Norway and Denmark. In May they moved into the Low Countries- Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

France

In mid-May 1940 the first German troops crossed into France. By June 14 the Germans had entered Paris, the French capital.

On June 22 France agreed to let Germans rule most of their country. However, many French people continued to fight the Germans. They were called the Free French. They took orders from Charles de Gaulle. De Gaulle's headquarters were in Britain.

As France was falling to the Germans, Italy declared war against France and Britain. On June 10, 1940, Italy entered the war as an Axis power.

Great Britain

Hitler's next target was the island of Great Britain. Starting in June 1940, German warplanes began bombing Britain. However, the British had a new invention called radar. Radar warned the British when German aircraft were nearing. British fighter airplanes shot down many attackers. This battle, called the Battle of Britain, was the world's first major battle fought in the air.

The Germans soon decided not to invade Britain. Instead, they dropped more bombs on London and other cities until May 1941.

The Atlantic Ocean

The British also fought the German navy. Early in the war, the Germans sank many of the supply ships that delivered food and weapons from North America. In 1943 the Allies began to use aircraft carriers to protect convoys, or groups, of supply ships. The number of supply ships reaching Britain then increased.

North Africa

In the autumn of 1940 the Italians invaded Egypt. They wanted to control the Suez Canal, which linked the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. However, the British drove the Italians back.

Then the German general Erwin Rommel led the Germans to victories in North Africa. In 1942 British forces finally stopped Rommel in two battles at El-Alamein, Egypt. By November 6 the British had driven the Germans from Egypt.

The Soviet Union

After conquering the countries on Germany's borders, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union. The attack began on June 22, 1941. The Soviet Union joined the Allies soon afterward. The Soviets stopped the Germans on the edges of Moscow (the Soviet capital) and Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

In 1942 Hitler decided to take the Soviet city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd). The fight at Stalingrad was the largest single battle in World War II. About 1.9 million soldiers died on both sides. The Germans surrendered in January 1943. After Stalingrad, the Soviets gradually drove out the Germans.

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World War II started in 1939. By the time it ended in 1945, the war involved nearly every part of the world. The two sides that fought the war were called the Axis powers and...

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Newsela | Primary Sources: Letter from a German Soldier During World War II

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Soldier asks his wife to stay brave and loyal

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Newsela | Fierce, feared and female: The World War II pilots known as the 'Night Witches'

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The story of Russia's 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Regiment - known as the "Night Witches" - is being told in a new novel by Kate Quinn

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In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts....
World War 2 facts

1. World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries

- the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

(AD)

2. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by a man named Adolf Hitler

Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany - World War II had begun.

3. During the course of the war, German forces advanced through Europe.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Second World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

4. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn't fit the image of the 'perfect' German

Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the "best" and strongest race - and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a "racial enemy" outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.

5. The group most heavily targeted by the Nazis were the Jews

Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history's most terrible events - the Holocaust. Racist in his views, Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.

6. Around the same time that Germany fought for power in Europe, Japan wanted to control Asia and the Pacific

In 1937 (before World War 2 had officially begun) under Emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked China, bringing the two nations into years of conflict.

7. The US didn't join the war until 1941, when Japan attacked the United States

- at their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On 8 December 1941 (the very next day), the US declared War on Japan and, in turn, its German allies.

8. Some countries remained 'neutral' in World War 2

Such countries were Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - who chose not to join either side.

9. The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

In 1944, an Allied army crossed from Britain to free France from Nazi rule. One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

10. Around 64 million people died in World War 2

- that's more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

Find out more about the countries involved in World War 2 with our Germany, Japan and USA facts. Plus, learn about the life of Anne Frank, a young German girl who wrote a world-famous diary...

*Yugoslavia was a country established in 1918 in south-east Europe, which included modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

*USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet Union) was a former country which included modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Estonia, as well as other socialist states.

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Learn astonishing World War 2 facts with Nat Geo Kids. When did the war start? Who fought in in the war and why? How did it change the course of history?

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Kids learn about World War II in history. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including WWII battles, leaders, generals, countries, Allied vs. Axis powers, Europe, Germany, Hitler, Holocaust, atomic bomb, daily life, weapons, and causes.

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