The Second World War
Foreign policy of countries before the war. Finally, the Versailles system fell
before the outbreak of World War II, for which Germany was quite thoroughly
prepared. So, from 1934 to 1939, military production in the country increased 22
times, the number of troops - 35 times, Germany came second in the world in
terms of industrial production, etc.
Currently, researchers do not have a unified view of the geopolitical state of
the world on the eve of World War II. Some historians (Marxists) continue to
insist on a two-polis characterization. In their opinion, there were two socio-
political systems in the world (socialism and capitalism), and within the
framework of the capitalist system of world relations there were two centers of a
future war (Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia). A significant part of historians
believe that on the eve of the Second World War II, there were three political
systems: bourgeois-democratic, socialist and fascist-militarist. The interaction of
these systems, the alignment of forces between them could ensure peace or
disrupt it. A possible bloc between the bourgeois-democratic and socialist
systems was a real alternative to the Second World War. However, a peaceful
alliance did not work out. The bourgeois-democratic countries did not agree to
create a bloc before the start of the war, because their leadership continued to
regard Soviet totalitarianism as the greatest threat to the foundations of
civilization (the result of revolutionary changes in the USSR, including the 1930s)
than its fascist antipode, which openly proclaimed a crusade against
communism.The attempt of the USSR to create a system of collective security in
Europe ended with the signing of agreements with France and Czechoslovakia
(1935). But even these treaties were not put into effect during the period of
German occupation of Czechoslovakia due to the "appeasement policy" opposed
to them, pursued at that time by most European countries in relation to
Germany.
Germany, in October 1936, formalized a military-political alliance with Italy
(“Berlin-Rome Axis”), and a month later the Anti-Comintern Pact was signed
between Japan and Germany, to which Italy joined a year later (November 6,
1937). The creation of a revanchist alliance forced the countries of the bourgeois-
democratic camp to become more active. However, only in March 1939 did
Britain and France begin negotiations with the USSR on joint actions against
Germany. But the agreement was never signed. Despite the polarity of
, interpretations of the reasons for the failed union of anti-fascist states, some of
which shift the blame for the unbridled aggressor onto the capitalist countries,
others attribute it to the policy of the leadership of the USSR, etc., one thing is
obvious - the skillful use by fascist politicians of the contradictions between anti-
fascist countries, which and led to grave consequences for the whole world.
Soviet policy on the eve of the war. The consolidation of the fascist camp
against the backdrop of the policy of appeasement of the aggressor pushed the
USSR into an open struggle against the spreading aggressor: 1936 - Spain, 1938 - a
small war with Japan near Lake Khasan, 1939 - the Soviet-Japanese war at
Khalkhin Gol. However, quite unexpectedly, on August 23, 1939, Mr.(Eight days
before the outbreak of World War II, the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany
and the USSR, called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was signed). The secret
protocols to this pact on the delimitation of the spheres of influence of Germany
and the USSR in the north and south of Europe, as well as the division of Poland,
which became the property of the world community, forced a new look
(especially for domestic researchers) on the role of the USSR in the anti-fascist
struggle on the eve of the war, as well as its activities from September 1939 to
June 1941, on the history of the opening of the second front, and much more.
There is no doubt that the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression
pact dramatically changed the balance of power in Europe: the USSR avoided a
seemingly inevitable clash with Germany, while the countries of Western Europe
found themselves face to face with the aggressor, whom they continued to pacify
out of inertia. (An attempt by England and France from August 23 to September 1,
1939 to reach an agreement with Germany on the Polish question, similar to the
Munich Agreement).
Beginning of World War II. The immediate pretext for the attack on Poland
was a rather frank provocation by Germany on their joint border (the city of
Gliwitz), after which on September 1, 1939, 57 German divisions (1.5 million
people), about 2500 tanks, 2000 aircraft invaded Poland. The Second World War
began.
England and France declared war on Germany already on September 3,
without providing, however, real assistance to Poland. From September 3 to
September 10, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada entered the war against
Germany; The United States declared neutrality, Japan declared non-intervention
in the European war.
Foreign policy of countries before the war. Finally, the Versailles system fell
before the outbreak of World War II, for which Germany was quite thoroughly
prepared. So, from 1934 to 1939, military production in the country increased 22
times, the number of troops - 35 times, Germany came second in the world in
terms of industrial production, etc.
Currently, researchers do not have a unified view of the geopolitical state of
the world on the eve of World War II. Some historians (Marxists) continue to
insist on a two-polis characterization. In their opinion, there were two socio-
political systems in the world (socialism and capitalism), and within the
framework of the capitalist system of world relations there were two centers of a
future war (Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia). A significant part of historians
believe that on the eve of the Second World War II, there were three political
systems: bourgeois-democratic, socialist and fascist-militarist. The interaction of
these systems, the alignment of forces between them could ensure peace or
disrupt it. A possible bloc between the bourgeois-democratic and socialist
systems was a real alternative to the Second World War. However, a peaceful
alliance did not work out. The bourgeois-democratic countries did not agree to
create a bloc before the start of the war, because their leadership continued to
regard Soviet totalitarianism as the greatest threat to the foundations of
civilization (the result of revolutionary changes in the USSR, including the 1930s)
than its fascist antipode, which openly proclaimed a crusade against
communism.The attempt of the USSR to create a system of collective security in
Europe ended with the signing of agreements with France and Czechoslovakia
(1935). But even these treaties were not put into effect during the period of
German occupation of Czechoslovakia due to the "appeasement policy" opposed
to them, pursued at that time by most European countries in relation to
Germany.
Germany, in October 1936, formalized a military-political alliance with Italy
(“Berlin-Rome Axis”), and a month later the Anti-Comintern Pact was signed
between Japan and Germany, to which Italy joined a year later (November 6,
1937). The creation of a revanchist alliance forced the countries of the bourgeois-
democratic camp to become more active. However, only in March 1939 did
Britain and France begin negotiations with the USSR on joint actions against
Germany. But the agreement was never signed. Despite the polarity of
, interpretations of the reasons for the failed union of anti-fascist states, some of
which shift the blame for the unbridled aggressor onto the capitalist countries,
others attribute it to the policy of the leadership of the USSR, etc., one thing is
obvious - the skillful use by fascist politicians of the contradictions between anti-
fascist countries, which and led to grave consequences for the whole world.
Soviet policy on the eve of the war. The consolidation of the fascist camp
against the backdrop of the policy of appeasement of the aggressor pushed the
USSR into an open struggle against the spreading aggressor: 1936 - Spain, 1938 - a
small war with Japan near Lake Khasan, 1939 - the Soviet-Japanese war at
Khalkhin Gol. However, quite unexpectedly, on August 23, 1939, Mr.(Eight days
before the outbreak of World War II, the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany
and the USSR, called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was signed). The secret
protocols to this pact on the delimitation of the spheres of influence of Germany
and the USSR in the north and south of Europe, as well as the division of Poland,
which became the property of the world community, forced a new look
(especially for domestic researchers) on the role of the USSR in the anti-fascist
struggle on the eve of the war, as well as its activities from September 1939 to
June 1941, on the history of the opening of the second front, and much more.
There is no doubt that the signing of the Soviet-German non-aggression
pact dramatically changed the balance of power in Europe: the USSR avoided a
seemingly inevitable clash with Germany, while the countries of Western Europe
found themselves face to face with the aggressor, whom they continued to pacify
out of inertia. (An attempt by England and France from August 23 to September 1,
1939 to reach an agreement with Germany on the Polish question, similar to the
Munich Agreement).
Beginning of World War II. The immediate pretext for the attack on Poland
was a rather frank provocation by Germany on their joint border (the city of
Gliwitz), after which on September 1, 1939, 57 German divisions (1.5 million
people), about 2500 tanks, 2000 aircraft invaded Poland. The Second World War
began.
England and France declared war on Germany already on September 3,
without providing, however, real assistance to Poland. From September 3 to
September 10, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada entered the war against
Germany; The United States declared neutrality, Japan declared non-intervention
in the European war.
