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    The Twentieth Century: WWII and The Post-War Period

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    Carlota Dcp
    World War 2 began in 1939 after Germany invaded Poland. It resulted in 70-85 million deaths and was the deadliest conflict in human history. Key events included Germany's early victories across Europe, Britain resisting the German invasion under Winston Churchill's leadership, Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941, and the US entering the war after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The war turned in the Allies' favor with victories at Stalingrad, North Africa, and the D-Day invasion in 1944. Germany surrendered in 1945. After the war, Britain established a welfare state under the new Labour government to rebuild after the sacrifices of war. Decolonization also accelerated, including India's independence in 1947.

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    The Twentieth Century: WWII and The Post-War Period

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    Carlota Dcp
    21 views5 pages
    World War 2 began in 1939 after Germany invaded Poland. It resulted in 70-85 million deaths and was the deadliest conflict in human history. Key events included Germany's early victories across Europe, Britain resisting the German invasion under Winston Churchill's leadership, Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941, and the US entering the war after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The war turned in the Allies' favor with victories at Stalingrad, North Africa, and the D-Day invasion in 1944. Germany surrendered in 1945. After the war, Britain established a welfare state under the new Labour government to rebuild after the sacrifices of war. Decolonization also accelerated, including India's independence in 1947.

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    World War 2 began in 1939 after Germany invaded Poland. It resulted in 70-85 million deaths and was the deadliest conflict in human history. Key events included Germany's early victories across Europe, Britain resisting the German invasion under Winston Churchill's leadership, Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941, and the US entering the war after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The war turned in the Allies' favor with victories at Stalingrad, North Africa, and the D-Day invasion in 1944. Germany surrendered in 1945. After the war, Britain established a welfare state under the new Labour government to rebuild after the sacrifices of war. Decolonization also accelerated, including India's independence in 1947.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    21 views5 pages

    The Twentieth Century: WWII and The Post-War Period

    Uploaded by

    Carlota Dcp
    World War 2 began in 1939 after Germany invaded Poland. It resulted in 70-85 million deaths and was the deadliest conflict in human history. Key events included Germany's early victories across Europe, Britain resisting the German invasion under Winston Churchill's leadership, Germany's invasion of Russia in 1941, and the US entering the war after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The war turned in the Allies' favor with victories at Stalingrad, North Africa, and the D-Day invasion in 1944. Germany surrendered in 1945. After the war, Britain established a welfare state under the new Labour government to rebuild after the sacrifices of war. Decolonization also accelerated, including India's independence in 1947.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    The Twentieth Century: WWII and the Post-War Period

    WWII background
    • Widespread economic depression after the 1929 crash. Labour
    PM McDonald resigns. Concentration government led by
    Conservative Neville Chamberlain. Attempts at a state-
    managed econonomy inspired by President F.D. Roosevelt.
    However, economic recovery only starts in 1935, fuelled by
    rearmament programmes.
    • Rise of fascism in Europe: Italy (1922), Germany (1933), Spain
    (1939).
    • Germany violates the Versailles agreement: rearmament,
    occupation of Rhineland (1936), Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia,
    1937). This is tolerated by Britain and France (Chamberlain’s
    policy of ‘appeasement’). German-Soviet agreement (Molotov-
    Ribbentrop Pact, 1939)
    • Hitler invades Poland on 1 September 1939. War is declared.
    • By far the deadliest conflict in human history. It resulted in 70
    to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions
    died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation,
    massacres, and disease.
    The Second World War: Chronology
    • 1939: The “Phoney” War
    • 1940: Blitzkrieg. France is defeated. Evacuation of Dunkirk.
    • 1940: Winston Churchill leads a coalition government.
    • “Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and
    famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the
    Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall
    not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in
    France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight
    with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we
    shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall
    fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds,
    we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in
    the hills; we shall never surrender.” (Churchill Parliament
    speech 18 June 1940)
    • Blitz and Battle of Britain. German invasión thwarted.
    WWII Chronology #2
    • June 1941: Germany attacks Russia.
    • December 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. The US enter the war.
    • June 1942: Battle of Midway. War in the Pacific changes its course.
    • August 1942: Allies invade North Africa.
    • November 1942: Battle of Stalingrad. War changes course in the
    Eastern Front.
    • May 1943: Axis surrenders in North Africa.
    • September 1943 Italy surrenders.
    • June 1944: D-Day in Normandy. Allies advance in the Western Front.
    • August 1944: Paris is liberated.
    • April 1945: Russians reach Berlin. Hitler commits suicide.
    • May 1945: Germany surrenders (8 May VE Day).
    • August 1945: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
    Japan Surrenders
    Aftermath of the war
    The Welfare State
    • 1945 General Election: Labour landslide (Clement Atlee PM).
    After the sacrifices of wartime, there was a spirit of
    egalitarianism and a new faith in social and economic planning.
    Keynesian economic policy.
    • Butler Education Act (1944)
    • Distribution of Industry act (1945)
    • National Health service Act (1946)
    • “New towns” with “green belts” were developed.
    Decolonisation process accelerates.
    • India’s Independence (1947). Partition is accompanied by large-
    scale migration and violence between India and Pakistan
    (between 200,000-1 million dead)
    • Beginning of multicultural Britain.

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