World War II & Shift in Global Power Dynamics | 09 Aug 2025

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

On 6th August 2025, the world marked 80 years since the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima, observed annually as Hiroshima Day.  

• On  6^th and  9^th August 1945, the US dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, killing thousands instantly, causing massive destruction and long-term radiation effects, and leading to Japan’s surrender in World War (WW)-II. 

What was World War (WW)-II? 

• About: World War II (1939–1945) was the deadliest global conflict, fought between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) and Allied Powers (France, Great Britain, the US, Soviet Union, China).  
  • Nearly 100 million people were mobilized, with around 50 million deaths, accounting for 3% of the world population. 

• Key Causes:  
  • Treaty of Versailles (1919): The treaty imposed harsh terms on Germany after WWI, including war guilt, heavy reparations, territorial losses and strict military restrictions.  These terms humiliated Germany, fostered resentment, and fueled ultra-nationalism and revanchism. 
  • Failure of the League of Nations: Established to maintain peace, the League lacked universal membership (US never joined) and had no standing army; its failure to prevent Japanese aggression in Manchuria (1931) and Italian invasion of Abyssinia (1935) emboldened fascist powers. 
  • Economic Crisis: The Great Depression (1929) caused worldwide unemployment, poverty, and political instability. In Germany, hyperinflation and US loan withdrawal worsened conditions, enabling totalitarianism and militarization in Europe and Japan. 
  • Rise of Fascism and Nazism: Fascism, led by Mussolini in Italy, promoted order, nationalism, and anti-communism.  
    • Nazism under Hitler combined fascism with racial ideology, aiming to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, restore German power, and gain Lebensraum (“living space”).  
    • From 1933, Hitler’s dictatorship pursued aggressive expansion and racial extermination policies. 
  • Policy of Appeasement: Britain and France allowed Hitler to violate the Treaty of Versailles by permitting the Rhineland reoccupation (1936) and Sudetenland annexation (1938), underestimating his ambitions and delaying military readiness; they avoided action even after Germany invaded Czechoslovakia (1939). 
  • Invasion of Poland (September 1939): Germany’s invasion prompted Britain and France to declare war, marking the official start of WWII and exposing the failure of appeasement. 
  • Japanese Expansion and Pearl Harbour (1941): Japan’s imperial ambitions led to the attack on Pearl Harbour, drawing the US into the war and expanding WWII into a global conflict. 

What were the Key Events of World War II? 

• Start of WWII & Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939):  Germany invaded Poland on 1at September 1939 after making a secret agreement with the Soviet Union to divide the country, which led Britain and France to declare war, officially starting World War II. 
• Phoney War & Early Conflicts (1939–1940):  Western Europe saw little fighting during the Phoney War. Meanwhile, the USSR fought Finland (Winter War), ending in March 1940, and Germany invaded Denmark (surrendered) and Norway (resisted until June). 
• Fall of France & Blitzkrieg (1940): Germany’s rapid Blitzkrieg tactics overwhelmed France, Belgium, and the Netherlands despite Allied numerical superiority, leading to France’s defeat and establishment of the Vichy puppet regime. 
• Battle of Britain (July–September 1940): The Royal Airforce successfully defended Britain against the German Luftwaffe’s air assault, marking the first major defeat of Nazi Germany and halting plans for a German invasion. 
• Operation Barbarossa & US Entry (1941): In June 1941, Germany broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact by invading the USSR, but progress stalled due to harsh winter and Soviet counterattacks. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor led the US to join the war, followed by Germany declaring war on the US, globalizing the conflict. 
• Turning Tide: Midway, Stalingrad, and North Africa (1942–1943): The US decisively defeated Japan at the Battle of Midway (June 1942). 
  • The Soviet victory at Stalingrad (February 1943) marked Germany’s first major defeat. Allied forces won in North Africa and began pushing Axis forces back in Europe. 

What were the Key Consequences of World War II? 

• Global Impact: 
  • Human Cost: The war caused an estimated 70-85 million deaths, including military and civilian casualties. The Holocaust resulted in the systematic murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany. 
  • Emergence of the Cold War: Defeat of Axis powers led to the collapse of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Germany was divided into occupation zones, while the Soviet Union expanded its influence over Eastern Europe. The United States emerged as a superpower, marking the beginning of the Cold War. 
  • United Nations: Established in 1945, the United Nations was created to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. 
  • Economic Recovery: The Marshall Plan (1948) by the United States provided economic aid for the reconstruction of war-torn Western Europe. 
  • Nuclear Arms Race: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki introduced the nuclear age, leading to a prolonged nuclear arms race during the Cold War. 
  • Decolonization: The war weakened European colonial empires, sparking widespread anti-colonial movements in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, leading to decolonization. 
• Impact on India: 
  • Economic Hardships: WWII caused economic hardship, including inflation, high taxes, corruption, and catastrophic events like the Bengal famine of 1943, which caused millions of deaths. 
  • Increased Nationalism: The war intensified nationalist sentiments, especially after the Indian National Army (INA) formation by Subhas Chandra Bose, inspiring further resistance against British rule. 
  • Post-War Independence Movement: The war weakened British control, making continued rule untenable.  
    • Returning soldiers’ experiences of limited civil liberties compared to Europeans further fueled the demand for independence, culminating in India’s independence in 1947. 

What was India’s Response to World War II? 

• Colonial Status & Unilateral War Declaration: During WWII, India was a British colony and the British government, under Viceroy Lord Linlithgow, declared India’s involvement in the war without consulting Indian leaders, leading to widespread political discontent. 
• Massive Military Contribution: India contributed over 2.5 million soldiers, forming the largest volunteer army globally. Indian troops fought across major theatres, including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, playing crucial roles in battles such as the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, supporting the Allied war effort. 
• INA & Axis Collaboration: Indian National Army (INA) was formed with Japanese support & it fought alongside Axis powers in Southeast Asia, aiming to overthrow British rule and secure India’s independence. 
• Opposition by INC: The Indian National Congress (INC) strongly opposed British unilateralism by resigning from provincial governments in 1939.  
  • They demanded that India’s political future be decided by Indians after the war and saw WWII as an opportunity to press for independence. 
• Full & Conditional Support: While some groups, including the Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha, offered conditional support to the British war effort, hoping India’s contribution would lead to leniency and eventual self-rule.  
  • While leaders like Mahatma Gandhi actively used the war’s circumstances to strengthen the independence movement.