World War II Summary – Facts, Combatants, Timeline & Conclusion

World War II (1939-45) : (1) By the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I, Germany was not only dismembered, disarmed but also humiliated and very exacting conditions were imposed
upon her. (2) There was strong feeling of deep social discontentment in Germany and Italy after the War. (3) The rise of the Nationalist movement in Germany and Italy; and the growing power of the Nazis under Hitler and that of the Fascists under Mussolini seriously upset the balance of power in Europe. (4) The colonial and commercial rivalry between England and France on one side, Germany and Italy on the other, brought them into conflict with each other. (5) Germany had become very aggressive, she annexed the Saar Valley, occupied Rhineland and Austria: Captured Czechoslovakia, etc.

The immediate causes were that Germany gave an ultimatum to Poland regarding (i) surrender of the Port of Danzing, (ii) the right of establishing a rail link between Germany and East Prussia, through the Polish Corridor. These two demands were rejected by Poland, so Germany invaded Poland on 1st September, 1939. Britain and France as
they were under treaty obligations to aid Poland, declared war against Germany on 3rd September 1939. Germany, Italy and Japan, called the Axis Powers, fought on one side;
U.K., U.S.S.R., France, U.S.A., Benelux countries, etc., called the Allies, fought on the other. It ended on 14th August 1945.