7.2: The Second World War

The Rise of Nazi Germany and the Outbreak of War

In 1933, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. He believed that the Allied powers had imposed unfair conditions on Germany after the First World War, and he sought to expand German territory. Hitler began renegotiating treaties, building up arms, and testing Germany’s military strength in neighbouring countries. Although the British government attempted to avoid another war, Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939 led Britain and France to declare war in order to stop his aggression.

The Axis and Allied Powers

The war began as a conflict between the Axis powers—fascist Germany, Italy, and the Empire of Japan—and the Allies, which included the UK, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the Union of South Africa.

After occupying Austria and invading Czechoslovakia, Hitler proceeded to conquer Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1940, German forces defeated Allied troops and advanced through France. It was during this period of national crisis that Winston Churchill became Prime Minister and Britain’s war leader.

Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

A Resilient War Leader

Winston Churchill was born into a political family; his father was a politician. Before becoming a Conservative MP in 1900, Churchill had served as both a soldier and a journalist. In May 1940, Churchill became Prime Minister and took on the crucial role of leading Britain through its darkest moments in the war. He was renowned for his refusal to surrender to the Nazis and became an inspirational figure for the British public during the war’s hardships.

Although he lost the General Election in 1945, Churchill returned as Prime Minister in 1951 and remained an MP until he stepped down at the 1964 General Election. After his death in 1965, Churchill was honoured with a state funeral, and in 2002, he was voted the greatest Briton of all time by the public.

Famous Speeches

Churchill delivered many famous speeches during the war, which are still widely remembered today.

The Dunkirk Evacuation and the Battle of Britain

The Dunkirk Spirit

As France fell to German forces, the British undertook a massive naval operation to evacuate British and French soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Civilians from Britain volunteered their small boats, including pleasure boats and fishing vessels, to assist the Royal Navy in rescuing over 300,000 men. The determination and unity shown during the evacuation gave rise to the term ‘the Dunkirk spirit’.

Britain Stands Alone

From June 1940 until June 1941, Britain and its Empire stood almost alone against Nazi Germany. The resulting aerial conflict, known as the Battle of Britain, was fought during the summer of 1940. Despite being outnumbered, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) successfully defended the country, using Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes.

Following this, Germany began ‘the Blitz’—a campaign of bombing British cities like London and Coventry by night. The resilience of the population during this time is known as ‘the Blitz spirit’.

Global Conflict and the Turning Point

The Wider War

Japan defeated the British in Singapore and occupied Burma. The United States joined the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Simultaneously, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, but his forces were eventually repelled, marking a critical turning point.

Allied Victories and D-Day

On 6 June 1944, Allied troops launched the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. This led to the liberation of France and the comprehensive defeat of Germany in May 1945.

The End of the War with Japan

The war against Japan ended in August 1945 after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. British scientists, led by Ernest Rutherford, had made key contributions to the research that led to these weapons.

Post-War Contributions

Alexander Fleming (1881–1955)

Alexander Fleming was a Scottish doctor who discovered penicillin in 1928. This was further developed into a usable antibiotic by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, leading to mass production by the 1940s. Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945.