| When did WW2 start? | 1st September 1939 to 2nd September 1945. |
| What are the causes of WW2? | 1. Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles
2. Rise of Fascism and Nazism (Totalitarianism)
3. Policy of Appeasement
4. Japan's invasion of China
5. Failure of the League of Nations
6. Hitler's Invasion of Poland |
| Why did Hitler invade Poland? | (i) Germany wanted to regain lost territories which were given to Poland. Especially, the port of Danzig. Germany was divided into two parts to provide a land route to Poland.
(ii) Danzig was mainly occupied by Germans and by occupying the Danzig corridor, Germany would have direct connections with East Prussia.
(iii) Germany and Russia had signed a non-aggression pact in 1939 and it accused Poland of committing atrocities against Germans. |
| Some points on the Attack on Pearl Harbour. | On December 7, 1941, the Japanese soldiers, under the premiership of General Tojo, ordered a suprise aerial attack on Pearl Harbour.
Destruction:
(i) Important airfields
(ii) Battleships
What the Japanese failed to destroy:
(i) Battleship repair facilities
(ii) US carriers (Lexington, the Enterprise)
Death Toll: 3700 people |
| When was the first atomic bomb detonated? | In July, 1945 near Alomogordo, New Mexico. |
| When were the bombs dropped in Japan? | On August 6, 1945 it was dropped in Hiroshima.
Japan still refused to surrender.
On August 9, 1945 it was dropped in Nagasaki. |
| What are the consequences of WW2? | 1. Defeat of the Axis Powers - they had to face the following consequences:
(i) Germany would be divided into zones.
(a) FRG (Federal republic of Germany) - administered by UK, USA and France.
They came under the capitalist ideology.
(b) GDR (German Democratic Republic) - administered by the Soviet Union.
They would come under communist ideology.
(ii) Japan and Italy became very weak. They were to be governed by conquering
forces.
2. Formation of the UN - on October 24, 1945 at San Francisco.
3. Cold war between USA and the Soviet Union |
| Define Cold war. | Cold war is an atmosphere with no armed struggle but the rivals continue to maintain their peace time diplomatic relations along with their hostility. |
