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World War II Research Essay Topics

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Students are often required to write a paper on a topic as broad as World War II , but you should know that the instructor will expect you to narrow your focus to a specific thesis. This is especially true if you are in high school or college. Narrow your focus by making a list of words, much like the list of words and phrases that are presented in bold type below. Then begin to explore related questions and come up with your own cool WWII topics. The answer to questions like these can become a good starting point for a thesis statement .

Culture and People

When the U.S. entered into war, everyday life across the country changed drastically. From civil rights, racism, and resistance movements to basic human needs like food, clothing, and medicine, the aspects of how life was impacted are immense.

• African-Americans and civil rights. What impact did the war years have on the rights of African-Americans? What were they allowed or not allowed to do?
• Animals. How were horses, dogs, birds, or other animals used? Did they play a special role?
• Art. What art movements were inspired by wartime events? Is there one specific work of art that tells a story about the war?
• Clothing. How was fashion impacted? How did clothing save lives or hinder movement? What materials were used or not used?
• Domestic violence. Was there an increase or decrease in cases?
• Families. Did new family customs develop? What was the impact on children of soldiers?
• Fashion. Did fashion change significantly for civilians? What changes had to be made during wartime?
• Food preservation. What new preservation and packaging methods were used during and after the war? How were these helpful?
• Food rationing. How did rationing impact families? Were rations the same for different groups of people? Were soldiers affected by rations?
• Love letters. What do letters tell us about relationships, families, and friendships? What about gender roles?
• New words. What new vocabulary words emerged during and after WWII?
• Nutrition. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the foods available? How did nutrition change at home during the war because of the availability of certain products?
• Penicillin and other medicine. How was penicillin used? What medical developments occurred during and after the war?
• Resistance movements. How did families deal with living in an occupied territory?
• Sacrifices. How did family life change for the worse?
• Women's work at home. How did women's work change at home during the war? What about after the war ended?

Economy and Workforce

For a nation that was still recovering from the Great Depression, World War II had a major impact on the economy and workforce. When the war began, the fate of the workforce changed overnight, American factories were repurposed to produce goods to support the war effort and women took jobs that were traditionally held by men, who were now off to war.

• Advertising. How did food packaging change during the war? How did advertisements change in general? What were advertisements for?
• Occupations. What new jobs were created? Who filled these new roles? Who filled the roles that were previously held by many of the men who went off to war?
• Propaganda. How did society respond to the war? Do you know why?
• Toys. How did the war impact the toys that were manufactured?
• New products. What products were invented and became a part of popular culture? Were these products present only during war times, or did they exist after?

Military, Government, and War

Americans were mostly against entering the war up until the bombing of Pearl Harbor, after which support for the war grew, as did armed forces. Before the war, the US didn't have the large military forces it soon became known for, with the war resulting in over 16 million Americans in service.   The role the military played in the war, and the impacts of the war itself, were vast.

• America's entry into the war. How is the timing significant? What factors are not so well known?
• Churchill, Winston. What role did this leader play that interests you most? How did his background prepare him for his role?
• Clandestine operations. Governments went to great lengths to hide the true date, time, and place of their actions.
• Destruction. Many historic cities and sites were destroyed in the U.K.—Liverpool, Manchester, London, and Coventry—and in other nations.
• Hawaii. How did events impact families or society in general?
• The Holocaust. Do you have access to any personal stories?
• Italy. What special circumstances were in effect?
• " Kilroy was here ." Why was this phrase important to soldiers? 
• Nationalist Socialist movement in America. What impact has this movement had on society and the government since WWII?
• Political impact. How was your local town impacted politically and socially?
• POW camps after the war. Where were they and what happened to them after the war? Here's a starting point: Some were turned into race tracks after the war!
• Prisoners of war. How many POWs were there? How many made it home safely? What were some long-lasting effects?
• Spies. Who were the spies? Were they men or women? What side were they on? What happened to spies that were caught?
• Submarines. Were there enemy submarines on a coast near you? What role did submarines play in the war?
• Surviving an attack. How were military units attacked? How did it feel to jump from a plane that was disabled?
• Troop logistics. How were troop movements kept secret? What were some challenges of troop logistics?
• Views on freedom. How was freedom curtailed or expanded?
• Views on government's role. Where was the government's role expanded? What about governments elsewhere?
• War crime trials. How were trials conducted? What were the political challenges or consequences? Who was or wasn't tried?
• Weather. Were there battles that were lost or won because of the weather conditions? Were there places where people suffered more because of the weather?
• Women in warfare. What roles did women play during the war? What surprises you about women's work in World War II?

Technology and Transportation

With the war came advancements in technology and transportation, impacting communications capabilities, the spread of news, and even entertainment.

• Bridges and roads. What transportation-related developments came from wartime or postwar policies?
• Communication. How did radio or other types of communication impact key events?
• Motorcycles. What needs led to the development of folding motorcycles? Why was there widespread use of military motorcycles by the government?
• Technology. What technology came from the war and how was it used after the war?
• TV technology. When did televisions start to appear in homes and what is significant about the timing? What TV shows were inspired by the war and how realistic were they? How long did World War II affect TV programming?
• Jet engine technology. What advances can be traced to WWII needs?
• Radar. What role did radar play, if any?
• Rockets. How important was rocket technology?
• Shipbuilding achievements. The achievements were quite remarkable during the war. Why and how did they happen?

"America's Wars Fact Sheet." U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2017.

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157 World War 2 Essay Topics + Examples

If you’re searching for compelling World War 2 topics for projects, presentations, or essays, you’ve come to the right place! StudyCorgi has compiled a list of WW2 topics and questions to research or talk about. Feel free to use these essay topics as inspiring ideas for your writing assignments!

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• Consequences of World War I and World War II
• World War II Was Avoidable
• World War II Was a Continuation of World War I
• World War II, Its Causes and Long-Term Effects
• Pacific Theater of World War II
• Why World War II Was Inevitable
• Social Changes Caused by World War II
• World War II: Causes, Objectives, and Lessons Learned The ultimate goal of the Second World War was focused on establishing the “Aryan” race as a superior nation in the world.
• Japan After World War II: Main Events and Modifications This paper aims to investigate the situation in which Japan found itself after the events of World War II and how it influenced its society, culture and economic development.
• The Battle of Britain During World War II The Battle of Britain was the first large-scale military campaign in history to be fought exclusively in the air. It was part of World War II.
• South Africa in World War II The paper states that without South African ports, thousands of Allies’ troops of World War II would not have reached the Middle East theatre.
• World War II, Its Origins and Consequences World War II was a global tragedy. That conflict lasted for six years and led to numerous losses, atrocities, and political and ideological shifts across the world.
• Realist Theory View on World War II From a realist theory perspective, the outcomes of World War II were successful since, over the course of it, the two competing powers, competed for national interests.
• History of Aviation in World War I and World War II Aviation history has various periods that crafted its unique story. It began before the seventeenth century and is known for several momentous events that led to its development, such as World War I and World War II.
• Political, Cultural, Economic, and Social Implications of WWII for Germany This paper aims to analyze the transformation that happened to Germany after WWII: Political, cultural, economic, and social implications.
• Russian Climate and German Progression in WWII The country’s climate is close to generally continental, even though as it rises from west to east, the influence of the Atlantic Ocean reduces.
• The World War II Recruitment Poster Analysis This paper discusses a poster that was created during World War II to recruit men and women for the Women’s Army Corps and the U.S. Marines.
• World War II-Occupations: What New Jobs Were Created? This paper discusses occupations in civil activity, in national defense, and to farm labor, and the evolution of unusual occupations from world war II military designation.
• The Outcomes of World War II: Impact of Technology World War II’s scientific and technological accomplishments were among the most significant and long-lasting effects of a struggle that affected every aspect of society.
• History: American Foreign Policy since World War II The post-Cold War era in the American society can be deemed as an essential epoch in the U.S. history, as it allowed for retrieving the answers to some of the most complicated questions.
• Churchill’s Leadership as a British Prime Minister During World War II The objective of this paper is to analyze Churchill’s leadership qualities, characteristics, and leadership traits that contributed to his success during the Battle of Britain.
• Escape from Sobibor: World War 2 Holocaust Escape from Sobibor is one of the many movies that focus on the mass murder of Jews in German concentration camps.
• United States-Japan Relations During World War II The development of relations between the United States and Japan, which led to the outbreak of war between the two countries, was a very complicated process.
• World War II: The Influence on Japan Japan experienced a major shift in its economy, politics, legal framework, culture, and society as a direct result of World War II.
• World War II: Impact on American Society World War II had a tremendous impact on people, and its end promoted the middle and working-class Americans to live a better life than they lived before the war.
• Women in the Workplace After WWII To understand how the position of women in the workplace changed after World War II was over, it is necessary to understand what conditions there were before the end of this war.
• World War II Role for the United States World War II led to changing the women’s roles in the family and society, the general social pattern, and to worsening the economic situation in the United States.
• World War I vs. World War II Differences The paper states that there is often a discourse among military historians that the First and Second World Wars are one event or two different ones.
• World War II: Holocaust and Discrimination of the Jews The research paper aims to review several primary and secondary sources discussing the World War II and specifically the discrimination faced by the Jews.
• How and Why the US Entered World War 2?
• Cinema During the Great Depression and WWII
• Why Were the Japanese So Cruel in World War 2?
• Jewish Resistance During World War 2
• Relationship Between World War 1 and World War 2
• How the Versailles Treaty Helped Cause World War II?
• Europe After World War 2
• American Foreign Policy Since World War 2
• The Battle Between Russia and Germany During the WW2
• Australia and World War 2
• Crime Rates During World War II
• American Families During WW2
• How Did American Foreign Policy Change After World War 2?
• The Changing Foreign Policy and Alliances During WWII
• Innovations During World War 2
• The Holocaust and the Nazi Regime During World War 2
• Poland Was the Aggressor in World War II
• How Was Air Security Changed After World War 2?
• Women and Society After WWII
• Benito Mussolini and His Impact on World War 2
• The Role of the Nazi Ideology in World War II World War II is characterized by the growth of the Nazi ideology, which became the primary factor leading to genocide, civilian murders, and violence peculiar to military actions.
• Las Pachucas During World War II World War II led to social changes and the destruction of old formations with the subsequent creation of new ones. This tendency may be traced to the example of Pachucas.
• Fighter Planes: The Role in World War II Fighter planes played the most important role during World War II. These planes were the fastest and easiest to maneuver as they even could be controlled remotely.
• Air Defense Artillery in World War II The history of Air Defense Artillery as an independent branch of the United States Army started on the 20th of June 1968.
• World War II: Maskirovka Military Deception and Denials Operations This paper investigates the impact of maskirovka military deception and denials operations, a component of information warfare. The case study is set during World War II.
• World War II: Why Germans Lost and Allies Won World War II began with Germany’s attack on Poland in 1939 and ended with the attack on Japan’s Hiroshima in 1945 with the atomic bomb.
• Japan’s Position Regarding World War II The history of Japan in the Second World War is ambiguous. The main debate in this area is the position of Japan in the conflict.
• World War II Atrocities: Crimes Against Humanity This paper focuses on the crimes against humanity in World War II. The crimes are not on the battlefield and are unconnected with specific military activities.
• World War II: The History of Hiroshima and Nagasaki World War II was a global war that perpetrated the greatest struggle for mankind. This paper undertakes a critical review of why the United States deployed atomic bombs on Japan.
• The United States and East Asia Since World War II World War II changed the world forever for the key players. While the USA and the Soviet Union fought together against the Nazi regime, the relationship between the two remained tense.
• Japan’s Transformation After World War II Despite the high technological level and dynamism, the economy of Japan remained as an economy of an industrial country and continued developing based on industrial dominants.
• Women’s Representations Before and After World War II This paper analyzes two paintings representing young women performing leisurely activities and shows the differences between the painting, as well as their common theme.
• Japanese Internment During World War II Japanese-American internment refers to the forced relocation of numerous Japanese Americans to detention camps by the United States Government during World War II.
• World War II Effects on American Women and Minority Groups The Second World War had a mixed impact on women and minority groups while some minority groups became even more oppressed.
• American Women in World War II American women in World War II became engaged in numerous missions that’s why the importance of the role and objectives of American women in World War II should be investigated.
• Effects of World War II on the Economy and Culture of the U.S. The paper states that WWII affected the U.S economy negatively more than it positively contributed to its growth and sustainability.
• Changes in Practices of Warfare Since World War II The most important and striking trend in the change in the practice of warfare in the world is that the number of armed conflicts has significantly decreased.
• World War II and Communism Impact on the US Over the decades, the central economic policy that contributed to the significant growth index in America has been capitalism.
• “Battle of Tinian” Role in World War II The Tinian Island in World War II represented one of the core strategic areas that were central to the U.S. army’s success in fighting the enemy.
• American Presidency During World War II and the Cold War World War II and the advent of the Cold War taught many lessons regarding the American presidency, especially on matters of foreign military policies and strategies.
• “Children in the Holocaust and World War II” by Holliday The book “Children in the Holocaust and World War II” describes what difficulties a brother and a sister experienced in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland during World War II.
• The United States and the World War II: Fighting on Two Fronts The Second World War became the most significant conflict in human history because more than 50 million people were killed, including civilians and jews.
• World War II in the Pacific Region While it is a belief that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on February 7, 1941, was a massive success for the Axis forces, Imperial Japan failed to achieve all its objectives.
• The Role of American Women in World War II World War II empowered women and opened their liberties as equal citizens of the U.S. Women played a critical effort in the war, reducing the gap in industrial labor.
• The Rise and Fall of Communism After World War II Czechoslovakia’s communism was flawed and destined for failure, being devoted to the Russian paradigm and unsuited for a better-industrialized society.
• Battle of the Midway During World War II The Battle of Midway Atoll was a major naval battle of World War II in the Pacific in June 1942. The victory of the US Navy marked a turning point in the Pacific War.
• Post-World War II Civil Rights Movements The post-war time period was essential for all the minorities who chose to protest for their rights to be established and protected by the US government.
• The United States’ Participation in World War II While the United States had significant resources and influence in the West, the country could not have prevented the occurrence of the Second World War.
• What Effect Did the World War II Wartime Experience Have on African Americans? World War II was the battle of all races: white, Asian, and Black people. This essay will discover whether they were treated differently during and after the initial strife.
• World War II: “Once Upon a Time” Book by Humphrey The paper reviews Humphrey’s book Once Upon a Time: The 99th Division in World War II based on the USA’s patriotism, internal divisions, and unity of purpose themes.
• Divisions Between the Soviet Union and the USA at the End of the WWII The current paper uses examples to present the issues that led to the division between the United States and the Soviet Union after the Second World War.
• Communism in Europe and America After World War II A review of the factors leading to communist growth in Europe and its failure in the United States is valuable for understanding this critical historical period and its outcomes.
• Camps for Displaced Persons After the End of World War II In the years after the end of World War II, there were many camps for displaced persons – the liberated people had nowhere to return, or it was challenging to do.
• Change of Population in the USA Since World War Two The population of the minorities since World War II experienced a notable increase. The minority group is consists of Hispanics, Asians, and the growing American Indian people.
• African Americans During World War II During World War II, African Americans served in every capacity while simultaneously struggling to advance their status in society and gain more civil rights.
• Nazis Prosecution for the World War II Crimes The violence introduced to the world by Nazi Germany deserves a transformation of the war crime notion. It is the only privilege the participants of criminalistic schemes deserve.
• Nazi Germany’s Resources and Demise in World War II The efforts of different countries managed to deliver victory after Nazi Germany became unstable and incapable of supporting the ongoing war.
• Atomic Bomb Technology and World War II Outcomes The Hiroshima bombing, the event that ultimately led to the surrender of Japan, was an indication of the level of technological advancement.
• American-Japanese Military and Race Conflicts in the Book “War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War” The issues of prejudice, tunnel vision and inability to see the situation from all sides are described in the present book.
• The Fall of the Grand Alliance Against the Axis Powers Before the End of WWII War is political. International politics have an influence on global wars. The Second War was a war of actions, words, and fierce battles between the UK, US, former Soviet Union and the Nazi rule.
• How World War Two Affected Black Immigration? The black population benefited from World War Two in various ways but they also faced untold sufferings at the hands of people who considered them as none or less human beings.
• Post World War II Artist Big names in the sculpture industry as David Smith of the United States of America also could arguably be named as the most influential artists in the industry general.
• WWII and Iraq War Comparative Analysis This paper critically analyzes the use of theories to compare and possibly contrast the two wars, World War II and the War in Iraq.
• Impact of World War II on Balkan Nationalism, States and Societies To the Balkans, the impacts of World War II were enormous on states and societies. The interplay of military and political events from the war affected the region both positively and negatively.
• Women’s Backlash in the 1950s due to WWII The Second World War provided many horrors of war. The perspective of a woman’s position was changed forever. During WWII many women had jobs and were gaining independence.
• World War II: Internment of the Japanese Americans President Roosevelt at the peak of World War II authorized the internment of Japanese citizens living in the United States.
• Social Effects in the West After World War II The post-war period was marked by changes in all spheres of social life including social security reforms and employment.
• Social and Economic Problems After World War II Having borne the brunt of the Great Depression and World War II, the American people experienced serious social and economic problems.
• Great Depression and World War II Impact on the United States Economy Both the Great Depression and World War II heavily impacted the US economy in the first half of the previous century.
• Battle of the Bulge During World War II In retrospect, the Battle of the Bulge can be seen as one of the largest strategic mistakes made by Germany due to the false assumption of military superiority.
• Great Depression and World War II for Americans The Americans encountered numerous problems during the period of the Great Depression. The Second World War also led to many problems in the United States.
• World War II Impact on Racial Issues in the United States The situation with Japanese-American internees during World War II represents a unique and distinctive experience in American history.
• American Women in WWII-Related Film and Poster This paper examines the film “Casablanca” and the poster “It’s a Woman’s War Too!” in the context of determining the role of women, emphasizing contribution during wartime.
• American Foreign Policy Since World War II This paper is a book review of American Foreign Policy since World War II, by Hook and Spanier. An acclaimed literary work, researchers have used the book in educational and political fields.
• World War II, The Cold War and New Europe The WWII and its aftermath resulted in the development of another opposition of superstates. The former allies were not able to able to determine the spheres of their influence and make a compromise.
• US – Japan Economic Relations in WWII The paper studies international relations between Japan and the USA, Japanese aggression and its role in World War II, and Japan’s economic growth.
• History of Post WWII Every leader had own plan for the Yalta Conference: Roosevelt claimed for Soviet support in the U.S. Pacific War against Japan, particularly invading Japan.
• The Crete Battle of World War II World War II consisted of various battles among them, the Crete battle in which Germany invaded the territory that was hitherto controlled by the British and Greece troops.
• What Happened in Egypt During World War 2?
• Why Did Japan Get Involved in World War 2?
• Who Defeated Japan in World War 2?
• What Role Did Military Intelligence Play in World War 2?
• Did the Soviets Win World War 2?
• What Are the Roles of African Americans During World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Change the Attitudes of Women and Minorities Toward Their Status in American Society?
• How Did The Versailles Treaty Help World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Affect Surgical Procedures?
• What Made Japan Lose World War 2?
• Why Did France Surrender to Germany at the Beginning of World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Come to an End in Europe?
• What Was the Significance of D-Day to the Outcome of World War 2?
• Did Nordic Countries Recognize the Gathering Storm of World War 2?
• What Effect Did World War 2 Have on Life in Barking and Dagenham?
• Why Did Germany Keep Fighting in World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Begin and End?
• Were the Atomic Bombs Used in World War 2 Justified?
• How Did World War 2 Affect Women’s Rights?
• What Was the Development Process of Atomic Bomb Which Leads Its Impact on World War 2?
• Was Bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki Necessary to End World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Affect Medical Treatment in Tennessee?
• When Did the Soviet Union Turn Against Germany in World War 2?
• Which Country Won the War 2?
• Was the Cold War Inevitable After World War 2?
• What Country Has the Most Deaths in World War 2?
• Why Were British Troops in Egypt in World War 2?
• Which Country Was the Most Important in World War 2?
• Did the Bretton Woods Conference Help the World Economy After World War 2?
• How Did World War 2 Transform American Society and Government?
• The major battles of World War II.
• The Holocaust during WWII.
• The role of the Manhattan Project in WWII.
• Propaganda in WWII.
• Civilian support during World War II.
• Codebreaking in World War II.
• Resistance movements during WWII.
• War crimes in World War II.
• The Pacific theater of WWII.
• The impact of technology on the WWII course.
• The Battle of Stalingrad—the turning point in the Eastern Front.
• The impact of the Yalta Conference decisions.
• The Battle of Kursk—the largest tank battle in history.
• The challenges of the Allied invasion of Italy.
• The role of African Americans in WWII.
• WWII and the Chinese resistance.
• The costs of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
• The implications of the Tehran Conference.
• Long-term psychological effects of WWII on veterans.
• The Soviet partisan movement during WWII.

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These essay examples and topics on World War 2 were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 20, 2024 .

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World War 2 Essay Topics: 50+ Ideas and Examples for Your Paper

by  Antony W

December 5, 2023

Perhaps the most difficult part about writing an essay on World War 2 is to find a title. Brainstorming ideas and doing preliminary research to determine if a topic is good can take a lot of time. To make the ideation process easier for you, we’ve put together a list of 50+ topics that you might love.

World War II is a broad subject. So you want to make sure you first read the assignment brief and narrow down your focus on a specific area that you can cover within the scope of the assignment.

Of course, a list of 50+ prewritten topics means you have an unlimited option when it comes to topic selection. Yet, given that you can cover only one topic at a time, it’s best to single out what topic would be best for you to explore and then develop it based on the assignment brief.  

Key Takeaways

• While World War II is a broad area with hundreds of History essay topics , your focus should be on a specific topic that you can explore within the scope of the assignment.
• Choose a topic that you find fascinating, especially if falls within a theme that you’ve always wanted to explore.
• Refer to the assignment prompt if you’re in doubt about your topic, or seek guidance from your teacher for further clarity.

50+ Best World War 2 Essay Topics: 50+ Ideas for Your Paper

The following is a list of some of the best World War II topics for your next essay assignment:

Economy and Workforce Topics

The United States was already struggling to recover from the Great Depression, which means that World War II did have a severe effect on the economy and workforce of the states. Here are some topic ideas to consider.

• You can write an essay on how food packaging evolved during the war and the changes that occurred in advertisements.
• What were the newly created job roles, and who filled these new positions during the war
• Explain how the society reacted to the war’s propaganda, as well as the underlying reasons for these responses.
• How did Word War II alter the production of toys during the period that it lasted?
• What were the new products introduced that became part of popular culture during and after the war?

Culture and People Topics

Your essay can focus on the drastic changes to life after the United States of America got into World War II. From racism and civil rights to basic needs and resistance movements, here are some example topics to consider:

• What changes occurred in the rights of African-Americans during wartime?
• Did horses, dogs, birds, or other animals hold specific significance or functions in World War II?
• Was there a rise or decline in domestic violence cases during this period?
• Explain how the children of soldiers cope with the impact of the World War II.
• What changes did civilian fashion undergo during World War II and what were the impacts of the alterations?
• What do letters reveal about relationships, families, and gender roles during the World War II period?
• How was penicillin used, and was there any medical progress during and after the war?

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Technology and Transportation Topics

World War II contributed quite significantly to the development of transportation and technology . This change the way news spread, how people entertained themselves, and the way human beings communicated. Here are some topic ideas that fit into this area:

• What advancements in transportation infrastructure emerged from wartime or postwar policies, specifically in bridges and roads?
• Explain how radio or other communication methods influence significant events.
• Write about the needs that drove the creation of folding motorcycles and why military motorcycles in use wide use by the government?
• State the technologies that originated from the war and explain their implementation after the World War II.
• Which TV shows drew inspiration from the war, and how accurate were they?
• Can we attribute the progress in jet engine technology to the World War II?
• How crucial was rocket technology during this period?
• Why and how did remarkable shipbuilding accomplishments occur during the war?

World War II Argumentative Essay Topics

An argumentative essa y topic on the Second World War requires you to take a side and use evidence, statistics, and reasons to defend that position. You’ll have to look at both sides of the arguments, but then use the strongest pieces of evidence to explain why you believe your take on the topic (or issue) is more believable than the other is.  Here are some examples:

• Did the World War II even alter the global balance of power?
• Evaluate the roles played by nationalism, imperialism, and totalitarianism in causing WWII.
• Are there controversies surrounding the use of atomic bombs during the World War II?
• Look at the factors that facilitated the Holocaust on a massive scale during the Second World War.
• Did women have a strong contribution to the World War II and was their fight for equality during the time reasonable?
• Did propaganda affect public perception during the World War II?
• The World War II did not play a big contribution to the technological and scientific progress at the time.
• Was the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II a violation of their civil rights?

World War II History Topics

• How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to and influence the outbreak of World War II?
• Explain the factors that led to the ascension of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
• Assess the importance of the Battle of Britain in halting German advancement.
• What role did Winston Churchill play in guiding Britain through World War II?
• Examine the tactics and significant battles in the Pacific during World War 2.
• Analyze how resistance movements in occupied Europe contributed to the Allies’ success.

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World War 2 Essay: Outline + 100 WW2 Research Topics

This time you have to write a World War II essay, paper, or thesis. It means that you have a perfect chance to refresh those memories about the war that some of us might forget.

So many words can be said about the war in that it seems you will simply get lost in a variety of WW2 research topics and questions.

Still, you do not know what to write about in your World War 2 essay for middle school. Of course, you may look through several free essays in search of ideas. However, you may find our suggestions interesting or get instant writing help right here.

• 🔝 Top 10 Topics
• 🎓 Essay Topics for Student
• 🎖️ WW2 Argumentative Essay Topics
• 💡 More Topic Examples
• 📑 Outline Examples
• 💁 General Info

🔗 References

🔝 top 10 ww2 essay topics.

• Was the battle of Dunkirk a failure?
• WWII technologies that changed our lives
• The outcome of the Nuremberg trials
• Medical experiments during the Holocaust
• Battle of Midway as a turning point in WWII
• Why is penicillin a wonder of World War 2?
• Why is the Bataan Death March a war crime?
• The impact of propaganda during WWII
• Racial segregation in the armed forces during WWII
• What makes the Battle of Stalingrad the deadliest in WWII?

🎓 WW2 Essay Topics for Student

• Contributions of women pilots in World War II 
• “Gesture Life” and “Maus”: post-World War II injuries 
• The federal government’s actions during World War II 
• Rebuilding Europe after World War II 
• World War II in Europe: development and costs 
• World War II: maskirovka military deception and denials operations
• World War II in the Pacific region
• The second World War’s historical aspects
• The rise and fall of communism after World War II
• South Africa in World War II
• Battle of the Midway during World War II
• World War II: the history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• What effect did the World War II wartime experience have on African Americans?
• The battle of Britain during World War II
• World War II was a continuation of World War I
• Communism in Europe and America after World War II
• Camps for displaced persons after the end of World War II
• Nazis prosecution for the World War II crimes
• World War II was avoidable
• Nazi Germany’s resources and demise in World War II
• The United States and East Asia since World War II
• Japan after World War II: main events and modifications
• Atomic bomb technology and World War II outcomes
• Pacific theater of World War II
• Impact of World War II on Balkan nationalism, states and societies
• World War II: internment of the Japanese Americans
• World War II in “The Rape of Europa” Documentary
• The characteristics of successful warfare after the second World War
• Great Depression and World War II impact on the United States economy
• Battle of the Bulge during World War II
• Escape from Sobibor: World War 2 holocaust
• World War II: why Germans lost and allies won
• World War II impact on racial issues in the United States
• Women’s representations before and after World War II
• United States-Japan relations during World War II
• Second World War: cause and technology
• American foreign policy since World War II
• World War II, the Cold War and New Europe
• The Crete battle of World War II
• Home front of the United States during the second World War

🎖️ WW2: Argumentative Essay Topics

As it happens quite often, teachers like to ask students to write an essay on World War II. However, don’t expect it to be easy. It should be something more narrow than the essay about the causes of World War II.

You can use some practical techniques to come up with a suitable topic. For instance, some of the most popular ones are mind mapping and brainstorming. Don’t forget to use questions to create a perfect thesis statement.

But we have made your life so much easier and prepared this comprehensive list of WWII argumentative essay topics. There are also short hints to help you start with your paper.

🔫 World War 2 Essay Topics: Military

• Exploring the effects of WWII on life in Hawaii. Research the impact of those events on the social life of families living there.
• Family memories of the Holocaust. Dig deep and see if you have any (distant) relatives who were the witnesses.
• Something unique about Italy in WWII. Look into some exceptional circumstances that occurred there at the time of the war.
• The origins of the phrase “Kilroy was here.” It is quite a controversial topic, so you might want to study all the sources you can find.
• Nationalist Socialists: examine the importance of the movement in the US. What was its social impact since the war? Describe this in your WW2 essay.
• Write about your town/city. Conduct research to find out about the political changes in your hometown related to war.
• The transformation of the prisoner-of-war camps . Write about what happened to the POW camps after the end of the war.
• The fate of the prisoners of war. Study the documents to get to know what happened to them and whether they continued their healthy lives.
• Describe the spies that participated in WWII . Who were they? What usually happened to those who were caught by different sides?
• The role of women . Discover the contribution of the weaker sex in warfare and write about the most surprising facts.
• How important were the weather conditions for the outcomes of WWII ? Find out which battles were lost or won due to the weather.
• War crimes: consequences. Conduct research to answer the questions about the war crime trials, their outcomes, and the most notorious cases.
• Research the role of the US government in WWII . Compare it to the other governments and analyze the strategies they were using.
• The sense of freedom during the war. For this WW2 essay topic, you would need to look critically at how freedom was suppressed or expanded.
• What was so special about the movements of the troop? Here, you would be expected to provide the answers concerning the secrecy and challenges.
• The experiences of the attack survivors. Find out what was happening during the attack on the military units and the planes.

🤖 World War 2 Essay Topics: Technology

• The role of the submarines in the war. This World War II research topic is all about the importance of the submarines.
• Estimate the destruction in the UK. Find out how many historical places were wiped out as a result of the war.
• Was Winston Churchill prepared for it? Write about the background of that influential leader and how it helped him at the wartime.
• Write about the time the US entered the war. Are there any facts that we still don’t know well enough? What about the timing?
• The miracle of the radar. This WW2 essay topic would be interesting for those who are fascinated by technology. What was the role of that device in WWII?
• Rocket technology and the war. Write about the importance of the rockets and what the moment when they changed the course of the war.
• Building the ultimate warship. What was the driving force of the developments in the field of shipbuilding during WWII?
• Describe the main means of communication during the war. Don’t forget to mention the radio and its impact on the major events in your World War 2 essay.
• The development of bridges and roads. What were the main technological achievements in this field that still impact our everyday life?
• Explain the rise of the popularity of motorcycles during the war. Feel free to mention the folding bikes and their invention.
• The technology we have thanks to the war. Dedicate your WW2 essay to the inventions we can’t live without nowadays that were created during the war.
• What about TVs? You can narrow down this World War II essay question as you wish. For example, write about the shows dedicated to the war.
• The jet engines developed by the needs of war. Look into the reasons why those engines were created during WWII.

💰 WW2 Research Topics: Economy

• What about propaganda? This WWII essay should describe how people in the US were reacting to the war and why.
• The product of war: pop culture elements. Think about products that became popular and maybe even stayed a part of culture after the war ended.
• Toy story: WWII edition. Find out how the war influenced the toy production and whether it was a part of propaganda.
• The major changes in the job market sponsored by WWII. What new roles suddenly appeared on the job market, thanks to the war?
• The power of advertising. To narrow it down, you can even mention how the food packaging was adjusted and why.

🎨 WW2 Research Topics: Culture

• Discover the world of fashion during the wartime . It is one of the cool WWII essay topics. It should be about the new trends for civilians at the time.
• The analysis of artworks created during WWII. Choose a piece of art inspired by war and analyze it. What is its story?
• New times require new family traditions. How were the customs inside the families changed by the war? What about raising children? Highlight these issues in your World War 2 essay.
• The secrets of the love letters during the war. This short essay would require you to dig into the archives and find out what the letters could tell us about the relationships back then.
• What was the unique role of animals in WWII? Dedicate your writing to some type of animal and discuss how they were used.
• The rights of African-Americans during the time of war. Write about how their civil rights were changed and try to find the root causes.
• Food preservation methods: another revolution. This example is all about food and how it was packed and preserved during the war.
• The cases of domestic violence during the cold war. Were the rates higher at the time? Did political tension cause it? This is also a great World War 2 essay topic.
• Expanding the vocabulary. Just like any other part of life, the language also went through some changes. What were the new words that emerged?
• The troubled life of housewife during WWII. Describe the work women used to do at the wartime and how it was changed.
• Still resisting: the movements created by families. Here, you should concentrate on the experience of the families that live in the occupied territories.
• Lifesaving food: the role of nutrition in WWII. Try to research and find the battles that were lost or won due to the availability of food.
• The impact of food rationing on soldiers and families. Write your WW2 essay about the struggles of families and different groups of people.
• What were the common sacrifices of families during the war? In this essay, you would need to look into the negative changes in families’ lifestyles.
• The miracle of penicillin: WWII. This research aims to uncover the importance of penicillin or any other medicine of your choice.
• The clothes that saved lives. Write about different types of clothing and materials that were used to help the soldiers on the battlefield.

💡 World War 2 Essay: More Topic Examples

Below, other suggestions on what you might write about in essays on World War II are presented:

Present in Your World War 2 Essay Alternative Decisions That Could Have Changed the Course of the War Dramatically

Such World War 2 essay will aim to explore some of the greatest decision making mistakes of the world leaders. We do not mean that you should discuss some miraculous history events like “what if Hitler had a heart attack.” In the World War 2 essay devoted to this problem, give realistic alternative decisions that were considered but not realized. Analyze those alternatives that could have changed the end of the war.

“In Your World War Ii Essay, Try to Answer the Question “When Did Hitler Lose the War?”

When did Adolf Hitler lose his chance to win World War II? What was it? These are the World War 2 essay questions you have to answer. Analyze different viewpoints of historians and present your opinion in the essay on World War 2.

Cover the Themes of Atrocity and War-Crimes in the World War 2 Essay

Acts of genocides and atrocity against civil population occurred in such countries as Japan, the Soviet Union, and Germany. Some of them were so horrific and immense that they changed the psyche of many people and different nations. When disclosing this theme in the Second World War essay, tell about Nazi concentration camps, “Death-camps,” the Holocaust , etc.

If you are interested in other  history essay  topics, read our hints for writing terrorism essays . And don’t forget to tell us in comments below your opinion about the World War 2.

📑 World War 2 Essay: Outline Examples

The next is creating a neat outline, which would become a massive help for you during the process of writing. Find examples of World War II essay outlines below!

Example 1. Analyze how some alternative decisions could have changed the course of World War II

Try to pick something realistic. Merely writing that if Hitler suddenly died and the war had never happened is just dull. Get creative and maybe take as a basis some real facts that were considered but never came into life.

• In your World War II essay introduction , present the chosen decision. Include your thesis statement in this part as well. It should be your hypothesis concerning the topic.
• In the main body , give at least three arguments why and how that decision would have changed things. Here, you prove your hypothesis to be right. You may add one counter-argument if you wish. For instance, include the opinion of a historian saying that it wouldn’t change anything.
• In conclusion , state your opinion once again, which is now supported by arguments.

Example 2. When did it happen that Germany lost the war?

Think about when Adolf Hitler might have missed his chance to win World War II. What was it? Include some details. Once again, do your research and consider the opinions of different historians.

• In the introduction to this World War 2 essay , present your point of view. In the thesis statement, write the answer to World War II essay questions clearly and coherently.
• The main body here is for you to include three to five pieces of evidence that may prove you right. If you decide to write an argumentative essay, you might add some contradicting facts, too.
• In the last part of your writing, focus on paraphrasing your thesis statement.

Example 3. World War II: discuss war crimes and atrocity

This essay title is related to all acts of cruelty against the civil population, including genocides. You may want to narrow it down according to your preferences. For instance, you can talk about how concentration camps created by Nazis have changed the people’s psyche.

• Introduce this WW2 essay topic by stating how people have changed after surviving the Death Camps. It might be a good idea to include a sentence at the beginning that may serve as a hook to make your readers interested.
• In the body , present not less than three examples of what you think might be relevant. Those should be proven historical facts if you want your essay to be persuasive.
• Conclude by providing a summary of the facts presented in the main body. Add the paraphrased thesis statement.

💁 World War 2: General Information

World war ii: timeline.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. And on September 3, 1939, France and Britain, fulfilling their obligations to Poland, declared war on Germany and World War II began.

However, the beginning of World War II was preceded by some events, inextricably related:

• September 18, 1931. Japan attacked Manchuria
• October 2, 1935 – May 1936. Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia, conquered and annexed it
• October 25 – November 1, 1936. On October 25, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy concluded a cooperation agreement. November 1 announced the creation of the “ Rome-Berlin Axis “
• November 25, 1936. Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan concluded the Anti-Comintern Pact, directed against the USSR and the international communist movement
• July 7, 1937. Japan invaded China. The World War II began in the Pacific
• 11-13 March 1938. Germany joins Austria (the so-called Anschluss)
• September 29, 1938. Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France signed the Munich agreement obliging the Czechoslovak Republic to cede Nazi Germany to the Sudetenland (where the critical Czechoslovak fortifications were located)
• 14-15 March 1939. Under pressure from Germany, the Slovaks declared their independence and created the Slovak Republic. The Germans broke the Munich agreement , occupied the Czech lands, and established the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

• March 31, 1939. France and the United Kingdom provided guarantees of the inviolability of the borders of Poland
• 7-15 April 1939. Fascist Italy attacked Albania and annexed it
• August 23, 1939. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact and a secret annex to it, according to which Europe was divided into spheres of influence

Some scientists think that the World War II was a continuation of the World War I ended in 1918.

September 2, 1945, is the date when the World War II ended. Japan, agreed to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, officially capitulates, thereby putting an end to World War II.

World War II: Key Facts

• Perhaps, the World War II was one the most destructive wars in modern history. About 27,000 people were killed each day from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945.
• The primary opponents were Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, Imperial Japan on the one hand, and the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France the United States , and China on the other.
• Germany capitulated on May 7, 1945 . At the same time, Japan continued to fight for another four months before their capitulation on September 2. Atomic bombs, dropped by American troops on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were first used against Japan.
• The end of the war was marked by Britain losing most of its empire . At the same time, World War II accelerated the revival of the US and Soviet economies as global superpowers.
• After the end of the World War II, the “Cold War” between the US and the USSR started.

World War 2: Casualties

The exact World War II casualties remain unknown. However, historians name that the total number of victims was over 60 million people including military and civilians killed. Below you’ll find the list of states suffered the highest losses:

• 42,000,000 people–USSR
• 9,000,000 people–Germany
• 4,000,000 people–China
• 3,000,000 people–Japan

World War II: Causes

Perhaps, there were many prerequisites for World War II:

• Japan’s victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) opened the door for Japanese expansion in the Asia-Pacific region
• The US Navy first developed plans to prepare for a naval war with Japan in 1890
• The Great Depression, and the global recession that followed
• The coming to power of Hitler and his statement about the injustice of the Versailles Treaty, signed in 1918
• The creation in 1935 of the Luftwaffe, as a direct violation of the 1919 treaty
• Remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936
• Anschluss of Austria and the annexation of part of Czechoslovakia
• Italy’s desire to create a Third Rome and Japan’s goal to create an independent state with the Pan-Asian sphere of influence

World War II: Results

The results of World War II are not limited to losses and destruction. As a result of the war, the face of the world changed: new borders and new states appeared, new tendencies of social development emerged, and significant inventions were made.

The war gave a strong impetus to the development of science and technology. Radar, jet aircraft, ballistic missiles, antibiotics, electronic computers and many other discoveries were made or entered into widespread use during the war. The foundations of the scientific and technological revolution were laid, which transformed and continued to change the postwar world.

The ideology of fascism, Nazism, racism, colonialism thoroughly discredited itself; on the contrary, the ideas of anti-fascism, anti-colonialism, democracy, and socialism gained wide popularity.

The human rights recorded in the UN Charter are internationally recognized. The influence of parties and groups that fought for democracy and social transformations–communists, socialists, social democrats, Christian democrats and other democratic forces, has sharply increased.

In many countries, significant reforms carried out: partial nationalization of industry and banks, the creation of a state system of social insurance, the expansion of workers’ rights. In some countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Japan, have adopted new, democratic constitutions. There was a profound renewal of the society, democratization of state and public institutions.

The colonial system disintegration was another significant result and consequence of the Second World War. Before the war, the vast majority of the world’s population lived in colonies, the area, and population of which many times exceeded the metropolitan countries: Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Italy, and Japan.

During the World War 2 and after its end, part of the dependent and colonial countries (Syria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma, Philippines, and Korea) declared itself independent. In 1947, India became independent, divided into two dominions: India and Pakistan. The intense process of liberation of the colonial peoples began, which continued until the complete abolition of the colonies in the second half of the twentieth century.

As a result of the war, the balance of forces in the world has changed dramatically. Germany, Italy, Japan were defeated, for a time turned into dependent countries, occupied by foreign troops. The war destroyed their economy, and they for many years could not compete with their former competitors.

Compared with the pre-war time, the positions of France and even Great Britain weakened considerably. The USA came out of the war significantly strengthened. Having surpassed all other countries economically and militarily, the United States became the sole leader of the capitalist world.

The second “superpower” was the Soviet Union. By the end of the war, the Soviet Union had the most massive land army in the world and substantial industrial potential. The USSR Armed Forces were in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe, East Germany and North Korea.

Some countries liberated by the Soviet Union took the road of non-capitalist development. After the liberation from the occupiers in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, people’s democratic governments were established with the participation or under the leadership of the Communists, who began profound social transformations. By the Yalta agreements , these countries were considered to be the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union and were in fact under its control.

If the United States became the leader of the capitalist world, then the Soviet Union led the social forces that opposed capitalism. Two main poles of attraction of the world forces, conventionally called the East and the West, were formed; began to build two ideological and military-political blocs, the confrontation of which largely determined the structure of the post-war bipolar world.

The anti-fascist coalition split. Its participants came into conflict with each other, and the “ Cold War ” that lasted more than 45 years, until the collapse of the USSR.

This might be interesting for you:

• Interesting History Essay Topics and Events to Write About
• A List of History Websites for a Perfect Research
• Essay on India after Independence: How-to Guide and Prompts
• World War II Research Essay Topics: ThoughtCo
• Coming in from the Cold: The Newsmagazine of the American Historical Association
• A guide to historical research (BBC)
• Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: The New York Times
• Why Hitler’s grand plan during the second world war collapsed: The Guardian
• Historical Research: ECU
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Thanks for these ideas for essays on World War II. These are what I need for my paper about WWII. Now I can start writing my essay on World War II.

To write World War II essays is very instructive – to know the reasons, the course of war events, the results. These all are necessary to comprehend and debar World War III as humanity won’t go through it!

Skip to Main Content of WWII

Student Resources

The National WWII Museum is here to help you explore the history and lessons of WWII and to learn how WWII helped shape the world we live in today. Whether you’re looking for resources for a school project or just want to learn more about WWII, check out our list of recommended books and websites, research starters and fact sheets, and annual contests.

Explore WWII History

The National WWII Museum is here to help you explore the history and lessons of WWII and to learn how WWII helped shape the world we live in today.

Digital Learning Projects

Explore this section to learn more about World War II.

Research Starters

Beginning a research paper on World War II can be daunting. With Research Starters, you can get a basic introduction to major WWII topics, see recommended secondary sources, and view primary sources you can use from the Museum’s collection.

World War II: American perspectives

• American perspectives
• Foreign perspectives
• WWII: Databases
• WWII: Books
• Battle of Britain
• Library home page

Choosing a topic

• Research Starters
• World War II - History.com
• World War II: Newspapers.com
• World War II Research Essay Topics

Overview websites

• Guide to WWII Materials A compilation of online resources available from the Library of Congress and from external websites.
• Learn More about World War II A long bibliography of websites and books, to support the PBS documentary The War. There are a number of links to veterans' organizations at the bottom of the page.
• Military Resources: World War II Links to a number of online resources, from the National Archives.
• Refseek Refseek is a document search engine that locates otherwise hard-to-find websites and documents.
• The War in Europe by the Numbers Look here for statistical information about different aspects of the war.
• The War in the Pacific by the Numbers Data about the war in the Pacific, from the National WWII Museum.
• World War II Resources A collection of links to primary and secondary sources from Ibiblio.

Primary sources

• American Presidency Project A comprehensive collection of presidential papers, speeches, executive orders, etc. from President Washington through the current president.
• America on the Homefront Large collection of documents, images and audio files from the National Archives.
• Digital Collections of the National WWII Museum Photos and short video memoirs, from the museum located in New Orleans.
• Digital Public Library of America Large index of digitized materials from many collections and institutions.
• Eyewitness to World War II Memoirs, documents, radio broadcasts, etc. from the US and abroad during World War II.
• Franklin: Digitized Collections Primary source documents from the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.
• HyperWar Links to primary source documents from American and Great Britain.
• The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience Links to digitized collections of letters and memoirs from American servicemen and servicewomen.
• Internet Archive Large collection of historic images, text, sound files and video/film.
• Japanese American Relocation Digital Archives Primary sources related to Japanese internment.
• LoC: World War II Resource Guide The Library of Congress collection of a wide variety of materials related to World War II.
• National Archives World War II Records Collection of primary sources related to WWII from the National Archives.
• On the Homefront Posters and illustrations from WWII, compiled by the Library of Congress.
• Political cartoons research guide A link to the Political Cartoons research guide. Look for cartoons in the relevant time period.
• Roosevelt: A Call for Sacrifice The full text of Franklin D. Roosevelt's April 1942 speech.
• A Visual History: 1940–1963 : Political Cartoons by Clifford Berryman and Jim Berryman Cartoons illustrating issues during WWII and the early Cold War.
• Words of Peace, Words of War Treaties, declarations, words of surrender, etc., organized by year.
• World War II (Docs Teach) A collection of primary sources and lessons to teach analysis of these sources.
• World War II by the Numbers Statistical data on the war.
• World War II Documents A collection of primary source documents from the Yale University Avalon Project.
• World War II Sourcebook Documents from before, during and after World War II. Includes materials from Europe, Asia and the United States.

Jewish immigration to the US

• How Many Refugees Came to the United States from 1933-1945? Immigration data from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Immigration Policy in World War II Data from the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
• Jewish Virtual Library Background information and current news about Judaism and Israel.
• Jewish Women's Archive Use this encyclopedia to find information about Jewish women authors.
• A Ship of Jewish Refugees Was Refused U.S. Landing in 1939 Background information about the St. Louis.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Information about the Holocaust from the museum in Washington DC.
• Voyage of the St. Louis Primary and background information.

Atomic bomb

• Atomic Bomb and the End of WWII A collection of primary sources from the National Security Archive.
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki Large collection of documents related to the Trinity project and later testing of nuclear weapons. Includes government documents, photographs, data charts, and video footage.
• Hiroshima Peace Site Website for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
• Tale of Two Cities US War Department footage of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

United Nations

• Formation of the United Nations Overview information from the US Department of State.
• History of the United Nations An overview of the origination of the UN, with links to important documents.
• UN History Project Educational resources for researching the history of the United Nations, developed by educators at Harvard University.
• United Nations Oral History Audio interviews and transcripts of memoirs important contributors to the work of the UN, including people who attended the 1945 San Francisco Conference.
• United Nations Documents Links to primary sources, from Yale's Avalon Project.
• Dr. Seuss Went to War Political cartoons drawn by Dr. Seuss during World War II.
• Powers of Persuasion A collection of WWII poster art from the National Archives.
• World War II Poster Collection Images from a Northwestern University collection.

African Americans in WWII

• Breath of Freedom A 2014 Smithsonian Channel television program about the post-war civil rights experiences of African Americans, available through a number of TV and online subscriptions.
• History of Black Women in WWII Information from the National Women's Memorial.
• Pictures of African Americans During World War II Images from the National Archives.
• Tuskeegee Airmen Documents and papers about the famed group.
• Why African-American Soldiers Saw World War II as a Two-Front Battle An article from Smithsonian Magazine.

Women in WWII

• Experiencing War: Women at War Audio and video interviews of women who participated in four different wars, including WWII.
• The History of Wartime Nurses Describes the roles of nurses serving in combat arenas from Revolutionary times through the Vietnam War.
• Women Airforce Service Pilots Read letters written by female US military pilots during WWII.
• Women of World War II Describes the roles of women in a variety of military branches.

Mexican Americans in WWII

• Fighting on Two Fronts: Latinos in the Military An article from the National Park Service.
• Hispanics in Service Library of Congress collection of hispanic veterans' narratives.
• Hispanics in the U.S. Army Historical information from the Army website. Scroll down to WWII.
• Mexican American Soldiers In World War Two Fought Abroad To Win At Home An article from the Huffington Post with links to data.
• US Latino & Latina World War II Oral History Project This is an archived copy of an online project. Not attractive but the links work.
• Next: Foreign perspectives >>
• Last Updated: Mar 1, 2023 11:45 AM
• URL: https://library.menloschool.org/ww2

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World War II

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 13, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

World War II, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, involved more than 50 nations and was fought on land, sea and air in nearly every part of the world. Also known as the Second World War, it was caused in part by the economic crisis of the Great Depression and by political tensions left unresolved following the end of World War I.

The war began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and raged across the globe until 1945, when Japan surrendered to the United States after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By the end of World War II, an estimated 60 to 80 million people had died, including up to 55 million civilians, and numerous cities in Europe and Asia were reduced to rubble.

Among the people killed were 6 million Jews murdered in Nazi concentration camps as part of Hitler’s diabolical “Final Solution,” now known as the Holocaust. The legacy of the war included the creation of the United Nations as a peacekeeping force and geopolitical rivalries that resulted in the Cold War.

Leading up to World War II

The devastation of the Great War (as World War I was known at the time) had greatly destabilized Europe, and in many respects World War II grew out of issues left unresolved by that earlier conflict. In particular, political and economic instability in Germany, and lingering resentment over the harsh terms imposed by the Versailles Treaty, fueled the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and National Socialist German Workers’ Party, abbreviated as NSDAP in German and the Nazi Party in English..

Did you know? As early as 1923, in his memoir and propaganda tract "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle), Adolf Hitler had predicted a general European war that would result in "the extermination of the Jewish race in Germany."

After becoming Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hitler swiftly consolidated power, anointing himself Führer (supreme leader) in 1934. Obsessed with the idea of the superiority of the “pure” German race, which he called “Aryan,” Hitler believed that war was the only way to gain the necessary “Lebensraum,” or living space, for the German race to expand. In the mid-1930s, he secretly began the rearmament of Germany, a violation of the Versailles Treaty. After signing alliances with Italy and Japan against the Soviet Union , Hitler sent troops to occupy Austria in 1938 and the following year annexed Czechoslovakia. Hitler’s open aggression went unchecked, as the United States and Soviet Union were concentrated on internal politics at the time, and neither France nor Britain (the two other nations most devastated by the Great War) were eager for confrontation.

Outbreak of World War II (1939)

In late August 1939, Hitler and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact , which incited a frenzy of worry in London and Paris. Hitler had long planned an invasion of Poland, a nation to which Great Britain and France had guaranteed military support if it were attacked by Germany. The pact with Stalin meant that Hitler would not face a war on two fronts once he invaded Poland, and would have Soviet assistance in conquering and dividing the nation itself. On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland from the west; two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War II.

On September 17, Soviet troops invaded Poland from the east. Under attack from both sides, Poland fell quickly, and by early 1940 Germany and the Soviet Union had divided control over the nation, according to a secret protocol appended to the Nonaggression Pact. Stalin’s forces then moved to occupy the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and defeated a resistant Finland in the Russo-Finnish War. During the six months following the invasion of Poland, the lack of action on the part of Germany and the Allies in the west led to talk in the news media of a “phony war.” At sea, however, the British and German navies faced off in heated battle, and lethal German U-boat submarines struck at merchant shipping bound for Britain, sinking more than 100 vessels in the first four months of World War II.

World War II in the West (1940-41)

On April 9, 1940, Germany simultaneously invaded Norway and occupied Denmark, and the war began in earnest. On May 10, German forces swept through Belgium and the Netherlands in what became known as “blitzkrieg,” or lightning war. Three days later, Hitler’s troops crossed the Meuse River and struck French forces at Sedan, located at the northern end of the Maginot Line , an elaborate chain of fortifications constructed after World War I and considered an impenetrable defensive barrier. In fact, the Germans broke through the line with their tanks and planes and continued to the rear, rendering it useless. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was evacuated by sea from Dunkirk in late May, while in the south French forces mounted a doomed resistance. With France on the verge of collapse, Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini formed an alliance with Hitler, the Pact of Steel, and Italy declared war against France and Britain on June 10.

On June 14, German forces entered Paris; a new government formed by Marshal Philippe Petain (France’s hero of World War I) requested an armistice two nights later. France was subsequently divided into two zones, one under German military occupation and the other under Petain’s government, installed at Vichy France. Hitler now turned his attention to Britain, which had the defensive advantage of being separated from the Continent by the English Channel.

To pave the way for an amphibious invasion (dubbed Operation Sea Lion), German planes bombed Britain extensively beginning in September 1940 until May 1941, known as the Blitz , including night raids on London and other industrial centers that caused heavy civilian casualties and damage. The Royal Air Force (RAF) eventually defeated the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) in the Battle of Britain , and Hitler postponed his plans to invade. With Britain’s defensive resources pushed to the limit, Prime Minister Winston Churchill began receiving crucial aid from the U.S. under the Lend-Lease Act , passed by Congress in early 1941.

Hitler vs. Stalin: Operation Barbarossa (1941-42)

By early 1941, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria had joined the Axis, and German troops overran Yugoslavia and Greece that April. Hitler’s conquest of the Balkans was a precursor for his real objective: an invasion of the Soviet Union, whose vast territory would give the German master race the “Lebensraum” it needed. The other half of Hitler’s strategy was the extermination of the Jews from throughout German-occupied Europe. Plans for the “Final Solution” were introduced around the time of the Soviet offensive, and over the next three years more than 4 million Jews would perish in the death camps established in occupied Poland.

On June 22, 1941, Hitler ordered the invasion of the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Barbarossa . Though Soviet tanks and aircraft greatly outnumbered the Germans’, Russian aviation technology was largely obsolete, and the impact of the surprise invasion helped Germans get within 200 miles of Moscow by mid-July. Arguments between Hitler and his commanders delayed the next German advance until October, when it was stalled by a Soviet counteroffensive and the onset of harsh winter weather.

World War II in the Pacific (1941-43)

With Britain facing Germany in Europe, the United States was the only nation capable of combating Japanese aggression, which by late 1941 included an expansion of its ongoing war with China and the seizure of European colonial holdings in the Far East. On December 7, 1941, 360 Japanese aircraft attacked the major U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii , taking the Americans completely by surprise and claiming the lives of more than 2,300 troops. The attack on Pearl Harbor served to unify American public opinion in favor of entering World War II, and on December 8 Congress declared war on Japan with only one dissenting vote. Germany and the other Axis Powers promptly declared war on the United States.

After a long string of Japanese victories, the U.S. Pacific Fleet won the Battle of Midway in June 1942, which proved to be a turning point in the war. On Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands, the Allies also had success against Japanese forces in a series of battles from August 1942 to February 1943, helping turn the tide further in the Pacific. In mid-1943, Allied naval forces began an aggressive counterattack against Japan, involving a series of amphibious assaults on key Japanese-held islands in the Pacific. This “island-hopping” strategy proved successful, and Allied forces moved closer to their ultimate goal of invading the mainland Japan.

Toward Allied Victory in World War II (1943-45)

In North Africa , British and American forces had defeated the Italians and Germans by 1943. An Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy followed, and Mussolini’s government fell in July 1943, though Allied fighting against the Germans in Italy would continue until 1945.

On the Eastern Front, a Soviet counteroffensive launched in November 1942 ended the bloody Battle of Stalingrad , which had seen some of the fiercest combat of World War II. The approach of winter, along with dwindling food and medical supplies, spelled the end for German troops there, and the last of them surrendered on January 31, 1943.

On June 6, 1944–celebrated as “D-Day” –the Allies began a massive invasion of Europe, landing 156,000 British, Canadian and American soldiers on the beaches of Normandy, France. In response, Hitler poured all the remaining strength of his army into Western Europe, ensuring Germany’s defeat in the east. Soviet troops soon advanced into Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania, while Hitler gathered his forces to drive the Americans and British back from Germany in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945), the last major German offensive of the war.

An intensive aerial bombardment in February 1945 preceded the Allied land invasion of Germany, and by the time Germany formally surrendered on May 8, Soviet forces had occupied much of the country. Hitler was already dead, having died by suicide on April 30 in his Berlin bunker.

World War II Ends (1945)

At the Potsdam Conference of July-August 1945, U.S. President Harry S. Truman (who had taken office after Roosevelt’s death in April), Churchill and Stalin discussed the ongoing war with Japan as well as the peace settlement with Germany. Post-war Germany would be divided into four occupation zones, to be controlled by the Soviet Union, Britain, the United States and France. On the divisive matter of Eastern Europe’s future, Churchill and Truman acquiesced to Stalin, as they needed Soviet cooperation in the war against Japan.

Heavy casualties sustained in the campaigns at Iwo Jima (February 1945) and Okinawa (April-June 1945), and fears of the even costlier land invasion of Japan led Truman to authorize the use of a new and devastating weapon. Developed during a top secret operation code-named The Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb was unleashed on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August. On August 15, the Japanese government issued a statement declaring they would accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, and on September 2, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

African American Servicemen Fight Two Wars

World War II exposed a glaring paradox within the United States Armed Forces. Although more than 1 million African Americans served in the war to defeat Nazism and fascism, they did so in segregated units. The same discriminatory Jim Crow policies that were rampant in American society were reinforced by the U.S. military. Black servicemen rarely saw combat and were largely relegated to labor and supply units that were commanded by white officers.

There were several African American units that proved essential in helping to win World War II, with the Tuskegee Airmen being among the most celebrated. But the Red Ball Express, the truck convoy of mostly Black drivers were responsible for delivering essential goods to General George S. Patton ’s troops on the front lines in France. The all-Black 761st Tank Battalion fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and the 92 Infantry Division, fought in fierce ground battles in Italy. Yet, despite their role in defeating fascism, the fight for equality continued for African American soldiers after the World War II ended. They remained in segregated units and lower-ranking positions, well into the Korean War , a few years after President Truman signed an executive order to desegregate the U.S. military in 1948.

World War II Casualties and Legacy

World War II proved to be the deadliest international conflict in history, taking the lives of 60 to 80 million people, including 6 million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust . Civilians made up an estimated 50-55 million deaths from the war, while military comprised 21 to 25 million of those lost during the war. Millions more were injured, and still more lost their homes and property. 

The legacy of the war would include the spread of communism from the Soviet Union into eastern Europe as well as its eventual triumph in China, and the global shift in power from Europe to two rival superpowers–the United States and the Soviet Union–that would soon face off against each other in the Cold War .

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The World War II: Impact and Consequences Essay

World War II had a great impact on social order and international relations between the nations and continents. A major influence on international policies was the relations between the two opposite camps, the Allies and the Axis, and the views each held of the other. The Allies and the Axis were reluctant to follow any line that risked running into the antagonism of the other for fear of alienating their ally and therefore endangering one of the precepts of their distant policies (Gordon 32). In an epoch of growing international anxiety and doubt, Germany remained one of the few relatively sure supports upon which they could depend on. Certainly, in the formulation and conduct of international war policy the significance attached to the views and position of the other was considerable, indeed the contacts and discussions between them were often decisive. The history of World War II suggests that the greatest impact this war had in African and Asian countries was through the processes of decolonization and modernization coming to these geographical regions.

World War II changed the landscape of North Africa and opened new opportunities for independence. The countries became independent immediately after the end of the war, but the war changed the national consciousness and self-determination of the nations. For either to be successful the cooperation of their partner across North Africa was considered imperative. Neither the Allies nor the Axis was prepared to take any initiative alone: among diplomatic, military and political circles there was a refusal to act either against Italian hostility in North Africa or German treaty violations in Europe without the guaranteed support of their partner (Hargreaves 65). This perceived incapability to operate without the backing of the other extended at several vital junctures to the point where the Allies and the Axis allowed the other, possibly willingly so, to determine their own policies (Gordon 65).

The main African countries involved in World War II were under Italian rule and included the Italian North Africa, the Italian east Africa. Also, such Asian Middle East countries as Iran, Syria and Lebanon were involved. The outcome this emphasis placed on the other’s strategy was to strengthen the case for appeasing Italy and Germany. Each was depressed from taking a firm posture by the belief that the other was not committed to a policy of confrontation. During the first months of World War II, the countries recognized that, whatever their public statements, the British were not committed to a hard line over Italian hostility (Hargreaves 77). Later, following the reoccupation of the Africa, a similar sight was held in London of French attitudes. Equally important, each knew, indeed it was explicitly stated, that their ally would not act without them and without having first received a formal promise of their support. The Allies and the Axis pacification policies were further reinforced by the denial to accept a trade-off by which support for a policy of resistance against one fascist aggressor would be exchanged for the promise of support against the other (McGowen 87). The only result of these political maneuvers was to further damage their relations, with each berating the other for failing to provide the necessary support. In fact, these often hurtful exchanges had more to do with seeking to place the onus for (in)action onto their ally’s shoulders than with any wish to adopt a policy of resistance towards fascist hostility (Gordon 63). “Between Cairo and Cape Town operational activities were at first confined to a few ports and airfields. Freetown, an important staging-post and assembly-point for naval convoys, was quickly affected” (Hargreaves 51). The outcomes drawn from these common considerations, firstly, that it was impossible to act without the backing of their ally and, secondly, that their union was no more than half- hearted in its desire to oppose Italy or Germany (and also that they lacked the means even if they had desired to accept such a policy), accentuated their already unsure policies, impeded any firm answer, and acted as a further impetus to the policies of appeasement.

When considering the African and Asian responses to Italian hostility in East Africa, a contrast has been made between ‘the complicated “game” and the determination of the English Government; of a strong-willed British administration wanting to do all it could to halt Italy and defend the League but being held back by the cynical policies of the French (Hargreaves 66). The obvious contradiction with France’s traditional record of determination in upholding the settlement and the League, and with Great Britain’s previous half-hearted and flexible approach towards both, is explained away by a supposed dual volte-face in which each at the same time assumed the mantle of the other. This actually rapid and total about-turn in policy simply cannot explain the complexity of the Allies and the Axis policies. For both there were numerous issues to be taken into account, some pushing towards opposition to the Axis ambitions and defense, others towards maintaining Italian friendship through acceptance of her expansion at Africa’s expense. Although these were not felt equally, there were strong cases made on either side of the dispute in both countries (McGowen 34). In their respective parliaments, governments and public views the war crisis produced widely divergent, and often contradictory, opinions towards the Axis. The result was that neither was firmly attached either to opposing or conniving at Italian hostility. For the Allies and the Axis leaders the importance of the Africa crisis, coming at a critical time in international affairs, lay in its repercussions beyond Africa – in the Mediterranean, in Europe, and above all in their future relations with Germany (Gordon 49). Not surprisingly, their opinion turned as much towards Berlin as towards Rome, Addis Ababa or Geneva throughout the whole affair. Faced with growing evils in Europe, complicated by an expansionist Japan in the Far East, the significance of Italy greatly increased. With Germany rearming and clearly seeking to expand to the African and Asian continents and east the value of Italian support could not be overlooked. The result was an effort, led by the French but closely followed and supported by London, to tie Italy more closely to the western camp. “Political doctrines apart, all France’s African subjects suffered new hardships in consequence of the interruption of peacetime patterns of production and trade, and of increased demands by their rulers” (Hargreaves 53).

Not only was there a concern not to estrange their union and to keep as close to them as possible but both the Allies and the Axis also considered that their own policy could not be successful without the fuIl and active participation of each other. This refusal to operate outside a joint Allies approach acted throughout the crisis as a restraint on the policy initiatives that emerged from the Allies and the Axis whether they were for greater concessions or stronger coercive measures. Although for Great Britain the issue was less one of dependence there was still a great emphasis placed on Paris (McGowen 65). This was certainly much in evidence when consideration was given to the issue of sanctions. The issue of French military support should Italy attack the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean in some ‘mad dog’ attack was repeatedly raised. Equally, there was a general insistence that France should prepare fuIl-scale armed operations against Italy before sanctions could even be considered, and any policy of opposing Italian ambitions was simply considered impossible without the full military and diplomatic support of the French (Gordon 69). The war in Asia took place between Japanese and communist Chinese armies aimed to protect their national interest and became independent.

Time and again the Allies pointed to failure to provide this as a reason for their own unwillingness to consider sanctions. At the same time they insisted on the necessity of keeping in step with France and made this principle of their policy clear to all involved. British statements that they had no understanding with African countries, their demands that before sanctions were apprised upon France must be prepared to undertake large-scale military operations (in fact, take the brunt of these as well as from any Italian retaliation) and their refusal to offer in exchange for French support over Africa a guarantee of British support for future sanctions against Germany, only added to the general suspicion in Paris (Hargreaves 74). British demands that a sanctions policy be adopted, and moreover that it be led by France, met with little support (McGowen 48). French leaders, aware of British silence on this issue, saw no reason to do anything other than drag their heels – certainly they often argued that London would be only too pleased if sanctions were avoided.

Similar to Africa, Asia was intestinally involved in the war with poor military resources and colonial state power. It has been argued that the crisis posed a straightforward, if awkward, choice for the Allies and the Axis between resistance and appeasement, between threats (backed up if necessary by collective action) and sufficient concessions to Italy to prevent her from resorting to arms combined with pressure on the Asians to concede. In this the choice that confronted Paris and London over Asian nations reflected the wider and longer-term choice over policy towards the fascist powers. The choice was not, though, so simple. The recognized pattern of appeasing Mussolini and the desire to preserve the advantages of Italian friendship pushed them in one way; concern for the League and for the widespread public support it enjoyed pushed them in another (McGowen 65). Neither Government, though, saw the option in such stark terms. For both it was an issue of attempting to balance the many demands placed on them. Nor were conciliation and coercion considered as being equally exclusive but rather as two paths to be followed simultaneously. Both the Allies and the Axis were pushed towards what were often incompatible options by conflicting advice and concerns. The understandable inclination was to seek to avoid these alternatives, to preserve both Italian co-operation in Europe and the prestige and force of the League; neither France nor Great Britain accepted that by attempting to keep both they would fall between two stools (Gordon 77). The World War II led to formation of Asian states including the Republic of China (under Communist regime,) The North and South Korea, the Taiwan, and Vietnam. The decolonization process touched Indochina, Algeria, Indonesia and Madagascar, the dominion of India and Pakistan. Such states as Israel and Palestine were created in the Middle East.

The story of the Allies and the Axis policies towards the African and Asian countries is in large part that of how the Governments sought to come to terms with this dilemma. Neither saw a simple choice between coercion and conciliation and in neither country was the eventual outcome of the debate a clear decision either to resist or to cede to Italian demands. When faced with the threat and then the fact of Italian hostility against a fellow member of the League both France and Great Britain worked fervently to find a diplomatic solution (Hock 101). The central, seemingly insoluble, problem remained how this could satisfy both the League and Italy; how Italian needs could be sufficiently fulfilled to keep her in the anti-German camp while not delivering a fatal blow to the League and to the system of collective security. Such hopes proved to be based on an unfounded optimism or, more probably, on an irresolution characteristic of both countries’ leaderships. At the heart of British and French policies lay what were to prove intractable problems arising from inherent inconsistencies (McGowen 51). Furthermore, however understandable the policies pursued, they were always poorly adapted to the nature of Mussolini’s power. Given this, it is not surprising that their open rejection of effectual sanctions and their public acceptance of Italy’s need to expand did little to convince Mussolini of the need to accept anything less than the complete annihilation of North Africa. This gulf between fascist Italy and the democracies always worked against a successful resolution of the crisis along the lines envisaged in the Allies and the Axis. The weaknesses inherent in such an approach and the basic incompatibility of the two halves of the dual-line were never fully accepted by the Allies and the Axis policy-makers (Gordon 88).

Pushed in often opposite directions by various international and domestic considerations, the Allies and the Axis policies in Asia and Africa were equally ambivalent. The first inclination for both was to temporize, to leave the problem to others, to urge conciliation all round and to attempt to avoid the awkward dilemma posed by Italy’s hostility (Hock 103). Driven by conflicting advice, interests and considerations, weakened in their formulation by the absence of decisive leadership and in their application both by material weaknesses and the lack of Anglo-French solidarity, ended in failure: the League was ruined as an instrument of peace-keeping, the Italian alliance permanently damaged and mutual relations strained almost to breaking point. “The secretary of state entered 1941 certain that he wanted no confrontation with Japan over China or Southeast Asia until the situation in Europe had improved” (Lee 14).

Having unsuccessfully turned to each other for a lead, ministers and their military advisers looked to Great Britain for a way out of their predicament. Safe in the knowledge that British opposition would rule out any military response, the new direction was instructed to open talks under the auspices of the League. The crisis was, however, far from over (Hock 107). The importance of Asian theater was that for the Allies, all hopes of improving relations with Germany were dependent on one thing – the support of France. Everything turned on first neutralizing any French demands for action and then winning her over to the appeasement of Europe. For the Government in London the present dangers, and future possibilities, all revolved around an agreement with Paris. Both approached the events from this same sense of weakness (McGowen 38). Attempts to look to other allies (in the case of France to Poland, the Little Entente, the Soviet Union and Italy; for Great Britain to her Dominions) never got off the ground. Faced with growing threats in Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, Great Britain had to abandon her inclination to be the arbiter of Europe (Hock 106).

Their immediate reactions, however, were often to condemn their partner as much as the aggressor. The French attacked what they regarded as Great Britain’s lack of solidarity, their failure to provide adequate commitments to the defense of Western Europe, and for playing too much to a German tune. They also questioned the inconsistency with which the British sought to apply the Covenant against Italy while denying its value in Europe. In London French intransigence was blamed for the long-lasting failure to reach a settlement with Germany (McGowen 23). The inherent issues in relations between Britain and France in Asia were heightened by the fact that before either reached a policy decision the other’s attitude was solicited and, despite a pronounced lack of confidence, their support made an essential precondition for any diplomatic move (Kelly 81). Throughout both crises each constantly referred to the attitudes of other actors. In turn, the League, the United States, France’s Eastern European allies, British Dominions, and numerous other states as far apart as Turkey and Japan, were considered in policy deliberations. What really mattered, however, was the attitude of their partner across the Channel. Beyond the limitations imposed by material resources and the broad outlook and aims of the two leaderships, it was these considerations that each gave to the other’s position that was the major determinant of international policy (McGowen 87).

In Asia and Africa, the Allies relations were marked by requests and refusals for action against international hostility: British attempts to halt Italian ambitions in Ethiopia were blocked by French unwillingness to follow their lead; over the Asia the roles were apparently reversed, with Great Britain’s non-co-operation holding back the French. In both cases there is much in this that is simply myth. The myth, however, both at the time and since, proved to be remarkably useful. Consequently it took deep root (McGowen 47). That the Allies tensions were added to by these diplomatic exchanges is evident. Over the crisis the British disapproval of the French failure to stand by them was strongly voiced. In return, Paris attacked what many there considered to be Great Britain’s willingness to raise the stakes to dangerous levels.

Those successes offered twin rescue to a beleaguered Imperial Army. First, the colossal drain of the China “incident” might at last be ended by an occupation of French Indochina that would nearly sever the remaining flow of Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek. It was a perversion of the “total war” officers’ original attempt to achieve autarky (Lee 16).

In both cases these connections had a direct and lasting collision. In large part these divergences make clear the failure to overcome either crisis successfully (McGowen 54; McGowen 66).

In sum, African countries and Asian nations were the stronger partners is beyond doubt. The greater reliance of the Allies on ally was shown in the frequent use made of the unequal relations. None the less, the Allies retained a clear edge of political maneuver and took its own part in the policy of pacification. The direct insinuation of their recognized interdependence was a refusal to maneuver in the political arena outside the boundaries of what was jointly agreed and applied. World War II proposed great opportunities for Asian and African nations to become independent but it also ruined their cultural and social achievements. Their interdependence also meant that the world’s powers chose to bow to the other’s position. Critics told that the world’s powers would adjust their position to that of dependent nations. This is a mistaken impression and expression. The debate constantly placed Asian nations at the centre of their decisions and any action to resolve the war crisis, either along the path of further concessions or greater pressure on the Axis, was based on winning co-operation.

Works Cited

Gordon, J. W. The Other Desert War: British Special Forces in North Africa , 1940-1943 Greenwood Press, 1987.

Hargreaves, J.D. Decolonization in Africa ; Longman, 1996.

Hock, D. Legacies of World War II in South and East Asia . Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2007.

Kelly, O. Meeting the Fox: The Allied Invasion of Africa, from Operation Torch to Kasserine Pass to Victory in Tunisia . Wiley, 2002.

Lee, L.E. World War II in Asia and the Pacific and the War’s aftermath, with General Themes: A Handbook of Literature and Research . Greenwood Press, 1998.

McGowen, T. World War II. Childrens Press, 2002.

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Rickaby, J. (1892). The Ethics of War. Longmans, Green, and Co.Walzer, M. (2006). Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. Basic Books.Orend, B. (2005). War and International Justice: A Kantian [...]

War can have a profound psychological impact on veterans and civilians alike. The trauma of war can manifest in a variety of ways, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other mental health [...]

Historical buildings and cultural assets can be greatly affected during war. Cultural heritage refers to the tangible and intangible elements of a society, such as monuments, artifacts, and traditional practices, that are passed [...]

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The Turning Point: when the United States Entered World War II

This essay about the United States’ entry into World War II highlights the nation’s shift from isolationism to interventionism. It discusses the internal and external factors leading to involvement, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. The essay explores the subsequent mobilization and battles, emphasizing America’s role in defending freedom and democracy, ultimately shaping its global influence post-war.

How it works

Throughout history, certain moments stand as defining pivots, altering the destinies of nations and the course of humanity. One such moment is the United States’ entry into World War II, an event marked by a convergence of circumstances and decisions that profoundly shaped the 20th century.

As the world descended into global conflict in the late 1930s, the United States grappled with its identity, torn between isolationism and interventionism. The painful memories of World War I were still vivid, and a significant portion of the American populace was reluctant to become embroiled in another distant war.

However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized the growing menace posed by Nazi Germany and its allies, understanding the moral imperative to confront tyranny.

The journey to America’s involvement in World War II was riddled with challenges and intense debates. The nation struggled with its conscience as it observed the escalating horrors in Europe and Asia. The invasion of Poland, the Blitzkrieg, and the atrocities of the Holocaust starkly revealed the true nature of the Nazi regime, challenging global morality to respond.

Despite Roosevelt’s alignment with the Allied cause, he faced considerable resistance at home. The lingering effects of the Great Depression kept many Americans focused on domestic issues, and isolationist sentiments were strong within Congress and the public.

The pivotal moment arrived with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The surprise offensive by the Imperial Japanese Navy not only decimated the American Pacific Fleet but also dispelled any notions of safety and distance from the global conflict. In an instant, the United States was thrust into the war, its resolve tested like never before.

Following Pearl Harbor, a surge of patriotism swept the nation. The rallying cry of “Remember Pearl Harbor!” united Americans from all walks of life in defense of their nation and its values. Roosevelt’s address to Congress on the following day immortalized December 7, 1941, as “a date which will live in infamy.”

The attack catalyzed America’s entry into World War II. Within days, the United States declared war on Japan, formally joining the global conflict. This was not merely a response to aggression but also a recognition that the fundamental principles of freedom and democracy were under threat.

With the nation fully committed to the war effort, Roosevelt’s administration launched a massive mobilization campaign. Factories were repurposed to produce military equipment at an unprecedented rate, and the draft was expanded. Millions of Americans, both men and women, volunteered for military service, prepared to defend their country.

American forces engaged in battles across multiple fronts, from North Africa’s deserts to Normandy’s beaches. The Battle of Midway in June 1942 marked a significant victory in the Pacific, crippling the Japanese fleet and shifting the balance of power. In Europe, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on D-Day, June 6, 1944, set the stage for the liberation of Western Europe.

America’s entry into World War II was not only a military turning point but also a moral one. It reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to freedom, democracy, and human rights in the face of oppression. This moment highlighted the resilience of the American spirit and its capacity to rise to challenges in the darkest times.

In the subsequent years, the United States emerged as a global superpower, its influence shaping the post-war world. The sacrifices made and the lessons learned during World War II reverberated through the decades, influencing American foreign policy and its role on the global stage.

Reflecting on America’s entry into World War II, we honor the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for freedom. Their legacy serves as a beacon of hope and a reminder to uphold the principles of democracy and human rights, ensuring that we do not forget the lessons of the past.

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The Turning Point: When the United States Entered World War II. (2024, May 21). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-turning-point-when-the-united-states-entered-world-war-ii/

"The Turning Point: When the United States Entered World War II." PapersOwl.com , 21 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/the-turning-point-when-the-united-states-entered-world-war-ii/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Turning Point: When the United States Entered World War II . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-turning-point-when-the-united-states-entered-world-war-ii/ [Accessed: 27 May. 2024]

"The Turning Point: When the United States Entered World War II." PapersOwl.com, May 21, 2024. Accessed May 27, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/the-turning-point-when-the-united-states-entered-world-war-ii/

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PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Turning Point: When the United States Entered World War II . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-turning-point-when-the-united-states-entered-world-war-ii/ [Accessed: 27-May-2024]

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Wreckage of famed 'Hit 'em HARDER' submarine found in South China Sea: See video

• The wreckage of a U.S. Navy submarine that sank the most Japanese warships during World War II has been found 3,000 feet below the South China Sea.

The submarine was found sitting "upright on her keel relatively intact except for the depth-charge damage aft of the conning tower."

• The wreck is "the final resting place of Sailors that gave their life in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave," the Navy said.

The wreckage of a U.S. Navy submarine that sank the most Japanese warships during World War II has been found 3,000 feet below the South China Sea − about 80 years after its last patrol.

The Navy’s History and Heritage Command, in a news release Thursday , said that the department's Underwater Archaeology Branch confirmed that the wreck site discovered off the northern Philippine island of Luzon at a depth of 3,000 feet was the "final resting place of USS Harder (SS 257)."

"Submarines by their very design can be a challenge to identify, but the excellent state of preservation of the site and the quality of the data collected by Lost 52 allowed for NHHC to confirm the identity of the wreck as Harder," the NHHC said. Headed by Tim Taylor, the "Lost 52 Project" works to locate and preserve the 52 submarines lost during World War II. They have previously located at least six WWII subs, as per NHHC.

Lou Conter: Last USS Arizona survivor from Pearl Harbor, dies at 102

When did USS Harder go missing?

Harder went missing in the South China Sea off Luzon during her sixth war patrol on August 24, 1944, along with its entire crew of 79 submariners.

“Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom,” NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, a retired US Navy admiral, said in the release.

In the days leading up to its sinking, Harder in coordination with submarine USS Haddo (SS 255) sank multiple Japanese ships including two escort ships off the Bataan Peninsula, according to US Navy history.

On the morning on August 24, Harder battled with Japanese escort ship CD-22, firing three torpedoes at the vessel. However, the "Japanese ship evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks" on Harder, according to Japanese records cited by NHHC. The fifth depth charge attack hit Harder, sinking her and her crew.

Another submarine, USS Hake (SS 256), present close-by, returned to "the attack area shortly after noon to sweep the area at periscope depth," only to find "a ring of marker buoys covering a radius of one-half mile," NHHC said.

The Navy declared Harder presumed lost on January 2, 1945 and her name was removed from the Navy Register on January 20.

Wreckage protected by U.S. Law

The NHHC said the wreck is “the final resting place of Sailors that gave their life in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave," and is protected by U.S. law.

Fleet Week NYC 2024: See massive warships sailing around New York to honor service members

Harder was commissioned on December 2, 1942, with Cmdr. Samuel D. Dealey in command, according to NHHC . The war ship that famously earned the nickname "Hit 'em HARDER," received the Presidential Unit Citation for her first five patrols and six battle stars for her services during World War II. Cmdr. Dealey was also awarded the Medal of Honor, the U.S. military’s highest decoration, and a Silver Star posthumously for his actions in Harder’s fifth patrol, from March to July 1944. He also received the Navy Cross with three Gold Stars and the Distinguished Service Cross.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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Key stage 2 tests: 2024 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test modified materials

Materials for administering the modified large print (MLP) and braille versions of the 2024 key stage 2 (KS2) English grammar, punctuation and spelling test.

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling - braille transcript Paper 1: questions

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-103-8, STA/24/8814/BTe

PDF , 213 KB , 12 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling - administering braille Paper 1: questions

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-194-6, STA/24/8857/e

PDF , 240 KB , 8 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling MLP A4 24pt Paper 1: questions

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-066-6, STA/24/8814/MLe

PDF , 689 KB , 56 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling MLP A4 24pt Paper 2: spelling

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-067-3, STA/24/8815/MLe

PDF , 268 KB , 8 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling - administering the MLP version of Paper 1: questions

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-173-1, STA/24/8846/e

PDF , 265 KB , 8 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling - administering the MLP version of Paper 2: spelling

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-174-8, STA/24/8847/e

PDF , 250 KB , 8 pages

2024 key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling mark scheme amendments: modified large print and braille

Ref: ISBN 978-1-83507-202-8, STA/24/8865/e

PDF , 430 KB , 8 pages

2024 copyright ownership: key stage 2 national curriculum tests

KS2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests were administered in schools in May 2024. Modified test materials and mark scheme amendments are also provided.

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“Love Conquers All”: Exploring the Popular Culture Phenomenon of Bridgerton

PopCRN (the Popular Culture Network) will be holding a free virtual conference exploring all things Bridgerton to be held online on Thursday 30th January 2025.

From a popular book series to the Netflix phenomenon, Bridgerton has captured the public imagination, courted scandal and dazzled readers and audiences with a glittering reimagining of regency London.

We welcome papers from researchers across the academic spectrum and encourage papers from postgraduate researchers and early career researchers. We welcome individual papers, panels and round table submissions. Papers from this conference will have the opportunity to be in our sister journal The International Journal of Popular Culture Studies .

To whet your appetite, we have provided some topics below. We will also accept topics beyond this scope:

• “Dearest Gentle Reader”  - Tensions between the written and filmed versions.
• “Diamond of the First Water” – Standing out in the marriage market.
• "It is not a man's appearance or title that will woo you. It is his mind and spirit that will court yours." – love and economic realities.
• "What's happening out there cannot be as important as what's happening down here." – Sex and sexuality in Bridgerton.
• "A diamond is precious precisely because it is rare." - Conspicuous consumption in the regency period.
• "You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires." Passionate declarations of love and desire in the romance novel.
• “My garden is in bloom” – the recurring motif of flowers in the Bridgerton series.
• “I thought you wanted food," she gasped. "I do," he murmured, tugging on the bodice of her dress. "But I want you more.” – The food and drink of the Bridgerton world.
• “She hated me.”  “Impossible, you were perfect.” – Embracing disability and bodies of difference in Bridgerton.
• "Why must our only options be to squawk and settle or to never leave the nest? What if I want to fly?" – Feminism, Freedom and Family
• “I risk my life everyday for love. You have no idea what it is like to be in a room with someone you cannot live without and yet still feel as though you are oceans apart." – Queering Bridgerton
• And it is not far enough! Do you think that there is a corner of this Earth that you could travel to far away enough to free me from this torment? ­– Carriages, boats and balloons; travel in the Bridgerton universe
• “Sorrows. Sorrows. Prayers” – Negotiating grief and loss in a romance world.
• “You must promise me that when you step into the light you will be worthy of the attention you command.” – Glow-ups, transformations and make-overs in Bridgerton.
• "I must confess, I have felt more chemistry when being fitted at the modiste." – Fantastical fashions and the women who wear them.
• "Straight into the fire, a favorite pastime of mine." – Scandal and intrigue in the Regency world.
• "We are not all guaranteed a fairy-tale ending." – Romance and the realities of a patriarchal society
• "Edmund was the air that I breathed. And now there is no air." – Love and loss in the Bridgerton series.
• “I care not for his sanity. I care for his happiness. I care for his soul.” – Managing psychiatric illness in the Bridgerton World
• "I do not fear change. I embrace it." – Transforming the social politics of the Regency period in the television show.
• "I have loved. I have lost. I have earned the right to do whatever I please, whenever I please, and however I please to do it." – Dowagers, Queens and Widows;  the older women of Bridgerton.
• “We were two separate societies divided by color until a king fell in love with one of us” – Reimagining race relations in the regency era.
• “ You do realise what tune she was playing just now, don't you ? Mozart's ' Funeral March ' – The music of Bridgerton
• "Your eyes, are the most remarkable shade of blue. Yet, somehow, they shine even brighter when you are kind." -  The poetry of romantic love.
• "Well, for what it is worth, sometimes a fire is slow to burn." – The genesis of romance stories in Bridgerton.

Please email abstracts (200 words) to [email protected] by 30th September 2024.

Please submit your abstract on a Word Document and save the paper as your name e.g. ErnestAcademic.docx.

Please include your name, affiliation, email address, title of paper, short biography, (100 words), Orcid ID (if available) and google scholar link (where available).  

Registration is free – please email [email protected] to register.

Website: www.popcrn.org