It was the result of disputes that were not settled during World War I. The Second World War was the bloodiest conflict and the largest war in documented history. It took the lives of 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 individuals. Now let’s take a look at some of the key leaders who led their respective nations during this war:

1. Harry S Truman

He was the 33rd president of the United States of America. Truman had succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt upon the latter’s death in April 1945. He led the country through the last few months of the Second World War. Truman is best known for his controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. 

After the war, he was instrumental in implementing the Marshall Plan. It greatly accelerated the economic recovery of Western Europe.

2. Winston Churchill

He was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945. Winston Churchill is best known for his wartime leadership and was among Britain’s longest-serving politicians. He was one of the most active leaders who resisted German aggression. 

Churchill also played a major role in assembling the Allied powers. They included the Soviet Union and the United States of America. He is considered one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. To this day, he remains popular in the United Kingdom and the rest of the Western world.

3. Adolf Hitler

He was the chancellor and self-proclaimed ‘Fuhrer’ or leader of Germany from 1933 until 1945. His political ascent as the leader of the far-right Nazi party was rapid in the 1920s. He won absolute power over Germany and maintained it throughout his time as the country’s chancellor. 

Hitler took a very active role in the German government during his rule. The most horrific crimes were committed against the Jews and other minorities during this period. One of the most significant examples of this was the ‘Final Solution’. 

It meant condemnation of Jews to death at Concentration Camps. These camps were spread across parts of Europe that were controlled by Germany. Just before the surrender of Germany in 1945, he committed suicide with his wife Eva Braun.

4. Benito Mussolini

He was Italy’s Prime Minister from 1922 until his deposition in 1943. As the country’s dictator and founder of fascism, he supported the spread of his ideology internationally. Mussolini was an inspiration to Adolf Hitler in many ways. This is one of the reasons why Hitler chose to ally himself with Mussolini. In 1940, he chose to enter the war by siding with the Axis powers. 

He had initial success, but the collapsing Axis powers made him lose the support of the Italians. He also lost the support of the members of the Fascist Party. A motion of no confidence in him was passed by the Grand Council of Fascism in 1943. He, along with his mistress Clara Petacci was captured and executed by the Italian communist partisans in 1945.

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Through history books, art, films, and other mediums, the war has been analyzed and explored from different angles. Such a complex and endlessly intriguing event packs a lot of stories that are overlooked or under-appreciated. This event also has some facts and characters that would be quite interesting if explored. So, here we present some of the astonishing facts about the Second World War:

1. The Nazis came close to developing plutonium

The Nazis were dangerously close to developing plutonium, which is an important element of nuclear weapons. When Norway was invaded by the Germans, they took over a factory in Telemark. It produced heavy water, which was used for creating plutonium. 

Before they were able to produce anything, about 11 Norwegian commandos destroyed the plant. Without suffering even a single casualty on their side, they successfully set off explosives in the base.

2. Japan was working on a ‘Death Ray’

A sum of 1 million yen was paid to a team of scientists by Japan to create a ‘death ray’. They had promised to develop this ray, which would use electric power to kill humans standing miles away. They drew on the innovations of Nikola Tesla. The Japanese were able to create a prototype that could kill from as far as half a mile. Their only problem was that the target had to be still for 10 minutes for it to work. 

3. More Russian soldiers died in one battle

The bloody battle of Stalingrad was the Second World War’s largest confrontation. It lasted from July 1942 to February 1943. This battle began with the attempt made by German forces to capture the industrial city. 

The Germans indulged in air attacks and house-to-house fights. Tens of thousands were killed with reinforcements streaming into Stalingrad from both sides. The Axis powers suffered casualties between 650,000 and 868,000, but the Soviet Union lost over 1 million people.

4. The US Navy Command was once known as CINCUS

An acronym for Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet, it was pronounced ‘sink us’. This proved awkward after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. It was immediately changed to COMINCH in December of the same year and its jurisdiction was expanded. It was given the command of the Atlantic, Asiatic, and Pacific fleets.

5. The tallest surrendered to the shortest

A rather short British Corporal called Bob Roberts had to face a weird situation. He was charged with taking the surrender of one of the tallest German soldiers. Jakob Nacken stood tall at 7’6″ and towered over Roberts who was 5’3″. 

Roberts later mentioned that he didn’t take a lot of notice of the soldier at the time. He just passed the prisoners on after searching them, one after the other. The mates who were watching the rest of the men saw this giant of a guy approached Robert. Both sides had a good laugh on this.

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However, it witnessed action with the Seventh United States Army under General Alexander Patch towards the end of the war. The Tiger Division was inactivated on the 13th of October 1945 at Camp Patrick Henry in Virginia. On the 25th of February 1953, the division was assigned to the Regular Army, but it stayed inactive.

Entering Germany

The Tiger Division entered France through the port of Cherbourg on the 23rd of September 1944. It went through a month of training at Teurtheville, France, prior to entering battle. At the time, it was a part of the Third Army under General George S Patton. Leaving Teurtheville on the 25th of October, the Division moved to Mars-la-Tour.

Once there, it entered into the battle on the 2nd of November, in support of the XX Corps. Later, the Tiger Division took part in the capture of Metz. After furious battling, the 10th Armored Division moved to the Siegfried Line. On the 19th of November 1944, it led the Third Army into Germany.

Bastogne

On the 18th of December 1944, Combat Command-B’s lead Sherman tanks, tank destroyers and half-tracks moved into Bastogne. These were the first combat troops to arrive at the town under threat. Col. William L Roberts, a CCB commander, split his command.

He formed a crescent-shaped arc five miles from the city facing eastwards. A force under the command of Maj. William R Desobry headed north to Noville. A similar group commanded by Lt. Col. Henry T Cherry moved eastwards to Longville. A group under Lt. Col. James O’Hara moved southeast to Bras.

The Germans still had an advantageous position and the Americans withdrew closer to Bastogne. The pincers sent by the Germans to the north and south met and closed west of the city on the night of 21st December. The Tiger Division gathered a mobile reserve force ready to strike.

The CCB endured the chilly weather while also facing artillery barrages and bombing despite dwindling supplies and ammunition. The tanks of the Fourth Armored Division got through, at last, on the 26th of December. Despite this, the CCB continued fighting until the 18th of January.

The collapse of German defences

Towards the beginning of February 1945, the Tiger Division reassembled at Metz. They had the opportunity for a momentary rest after rejoining the XX Corps. On the 20th of February 1945, they attacked the German defences again. They broke the German lines in one day. After 48 hours, the Division moved further 85 miles.

They crossed the Saar-Moselle Triangle and got to the Saar River. Upon crossing the Saar, they captured Trier and a bridge across the Moselle River. The German defences collapsed as a result of the loss of this heavily defended city. Commanders Dwight Eisenhower and Patton visited the Tiger Division and praised their efforts.

A liberating unit

They advanced further about 100 miles and captured 8,000 prisoners belonging to 26 different enemy divisions. Following a four-day respite, the 10th Armored Division was among the divisions leading the Seventh Army drive into Bavaria. With quick night movements, the ‘Tigers’ kept surprising the Germans.

They were referred to as ‘Ghost Division’ by their enemy forces. As it entered Bavaria, the Division overran one of the numerous sub-camps of the Dachau concentration camp. It was located in the Landsberg area. This happened on the 27th of April 1945, earning Tiger Division the recognition of a liberating unit.

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It received support at the Paris Peace Conference and was created a year after the event. It was, in a way, a precursor to the United Nations. The effects of the League of Nations can be seen even today. 

Role of the League of Nations

There had been many plans since the times of Immanuel Kant for an organization to create harmony. It was also thought of as an organization that would end the possibilities of war. The League of Nations was the first organization where so many countries got together. 

They were sovereign countries, yet they planned to attempt to demonstrate their ability to maintain harmony. The League additionally had some unobtrusive victories, especially in managing certain regional issues. 

Reasons for its failure

There was no unanimity on the decisions that were taken. The lack of unanimity made it extremely difficult for the League of Nations to function effectively. It experienced the shortfall of significant forces. Germany, Japan, and Italy ultimately left, and there was an absence of US cooperation. 

The greatest issue was Article X. It said members of the league were to focus on securing the autonomy and respectability of various nations. This was seen as a programmed choice. It implied that if a nation was attacked or confronted hostility, the United States would come to its rescue. 

Responsibilities of the League of Nations

Possibly the United States might have prevented the Second World War. This could’ve been possible if it didn’t shun its responsibility in the world. During and following the Second World War, there was an acknowledgement. It was that ‘we truly blew it and we should play a part in the United Nations. 

The UN Security Council had much influence. The decisions were not required to be unanimous and they were legally binding. The League showed the innate limitations of security. It is essentially a ‘one for all and all for one’ belief. Nations had to treat the flare-up of war at any place on the planet as troubling. 

Then, they needed to take appropriate action. The fact of the matter is the principle doesn’t consider nations’ circumstances or interests. For example, when Italy attacked Ethiopia during the 1930s, Britain and France chose to appease it. The reason was that they were cosying up to Nazi Germany. 

The rest of the world under the League of Nations

The concluding parts of the First World War was a time for hyper-nationalism. It was a time of unprecedented financial disturbance and unrest. At the time, there was a doubt about whether the worldwide economy would bring people prosperity. 

There was a considerable amount of populism and the emergence of tyrant strongmen. This resulted in the rise of Fascism, Nazism, and Marxist-Leninism. The United States had entered the First World War conclusively to re-establish the balance of power globally. However, it chose not to do it.

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