World War 2

it is 1902.

A young man via the name of Benito Mussolini movements from Italy to Switzerland

to keep away from navy provider.

He gets huge into socialism,

working for trade unions, writing for socialist newspapers,

advocating a violent overthrow of eu monarchies,

the whole shabang.

This receives him in a bit of problem with the Swiss police.

So he receives arrested,

despatched returned to Italy,

let loose,

returns to Switzerland,

is arrested once more,

goes again to Italy again,

completes his navy service after previously heading off it,

after which after a brief stint as an basic school instructor,

he ultimately returns to work as an avid socialist.

His speeches and journalistic talents made him well-known amongst Italian socialists.

He was anti-war,

so whilst Italy colonised Libya in 1910,

he rioted.

And were given arrested.

Then WW1 came alongside,

and another time, he protested Italy's involvement.

but then he notion, 'Wait a minute.'

'This struggle may want to result in the social climate needed to overthrow european monarchies,

and bring about the socialist revolution anywhere.'

And suddenly he changed into seasoned-conflict.

however his fellow socialists failed to like his new pro-conflict stance,

so that they kicked him out of the party.

So then he said, 'you understand what?

i'm carried out with socialism.

We need something new. not based on magnificence divisions tearing us apart,

but based totally on team spirit through nationality.

we'll conquer the Mediterranean,

and reunite all Italian peoples,

just like the times of the Roman Empire.

i will call it "Fascismo"

and it's going to guide the Italian country to greatness.'

'it is all properly and appropriate, Mr Mussolini,

however what sort of haircut am I supplying you with?'

'allow's go along with...

bald.'

♪ Tchaikovsky - 1812 Overture ♪

Italy had been at the winners' aspect in WW1,

and they was hoping they had been going to get plenty out of it.

however in the long run, they simplest got a bit, and they felt cheated.

On pinnacle of that, a horrific economy,

and susceptible governments meant that the Italian human beings had been a bit unhappy.

So when Mussolini got here alongside,

and stated that he may want to restoration everything,

his fascist motion received numerous assist.

In 1922, he went to the King and stated, 'Make me high minister, or i'll make me top minister.'

And the King said, 'You and what army?'

'This military.'

'fair enough.'

Then he went approximately establishing a dictatorship

with himself at its centre.

Europe had its first fascist dictator.

next up: Germany.

Germany had been on the losers' side,

and that they got absolutely wrecked

by way of the Treaty of Versailles.

They misplaced territory,

needed to demilitarise the Rhineland,

had to lessen their military to just one hundred,000 men,

could not have an airforce,

had to pay the Allies a massive amount of money that it didn't have,

and a brand new rule was mounted that each Englishman witheld the proper

to stroll into the middle of Berlin,

choose out any German they desired,

and spank the hell out of them.

I made that last one up,

however it helps you recognize how all of this felt to Germans.

On top of that, a awful economy and vulnerable governments

meant that when a small, indignant guy with a silly moustache got here along

and stated that he ought to fix the entirety,

the German human beings loved it.

Hitler had been a soldier throughout WW1,

and he changed into crazy patriotic.

And no one become madder than him approximately Germany's humiliation.

He helped start a brand new political party,

and in 1923,

tried a march on Munich together with his boys.

after which he got arrested.

but his recognition grew and grew,

and in 1933, the President made him Chancellor.

He believed he changed into Germany's remarkable destined saviour,

and he went complete megalomaniac,

organising a dictatorship with himself at its middle.

Europe had Fascist Dictator No. 2.

Hitler and Mussolini had numerous the identical ideas.

but extra importantly,

they had the equal enemies.

and they commenced to get along.

'all of us else wanna be pals?

Franco?

No?

You proper?'

'I do.'

'who is that?'

it's Japan.

and they've taken over northern China.

allow's rewind a piece -

Japan had remoted itself from the relaxation of the arena for over 2 hundred years.

till the americans confirmed up and said, 'you will alternate with us, and you're going to find it irresistible.'

Then the Western powers imposed a bunch of 'Unequal Treaties'.

meaning Japan's financial system become bust.

they also had no herbal sources.

in order that they decided to move get some.

They went to war with China to benefit a sphere of influence over Korea,

and that they took a gaggle of China's stuff.

but then the West said, 'good day!

cut that out.'

And for the reason that Japan could not take on the West,

They stated, 'ok, I guess we will just pass home -

Wait a minute!

What are you doing?'

'Taking benefit of a weakened China and putting in spheres of have an impact on.'

'however i was the only who weakened them.'

'We recognize.'

'and you men didn't let me have something.'

'We realize.'

'That seems unfair.'

'We don't suppose so.

okay. See ya.'

So Japan notion, 'Screw this!'

and went to war with Russia,

and bowled over every body by sincerely prevailing.

Then they completely annexed Korea,

but they did not prevent there.

In WW1, they took Germany's colonies and islands in Asia.

and then in an incident that become maybe staged through the japanese navy,

a bomb blew up a eastern educate in Manchuria,

giving them an excuse to launch an invasion and take over.

So, here's the scenario:

Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Japan,

all trust they're racially advanced.

All feel hostility toward the Allies,

and all want to militarise and take over greater stuff.

And in order that they did.

allow's begin with Germany.

Hitler hated the Treaty of Versailles,

and now he become prepared to start undoing it.

In whole violation of the treaty,

the primary Luftwaffe squadrons have been installation,

conscription turned into brought,

and he pimped up his army.

The Allies did not anything.

Then Hitler despatched his military again into the demilitarised Rhineland,

giving orders to right now retreat if the Allies confirmed up.

The Allies did not anything.

along with his army restrengthened, he could now move on to Step 2.

He wanted to unexpectedly growth the Aryan population.

And to do so, he wanted lebensraum,

or in different words, he could should take over the sector.

but for now, an amazing part of Europe might do.

And he commenced eyeing up his neighbours.

The Allies in the end started out to get involved,

so that they implemented a reasonably vain diplomatic method known as appeasement.

And it went a little some thing like this:

Hitler might say, 'I need that issue.'

And the Allies might say, 'You can't have that element -

k you can have that factor but no greater.'

'I need that thing.'

And repeat.

In 1938,

Hitler's army marched into Austria,

and just took it,

with no resistance.

increase.

this is Germany now.

next, he demanded to be given the Sudetenland,

an area of Czechoslovakia with many ethnic Germans.

The Allies held a assembly with Hitler in Munich and stated,

'look, we're going to provide you with wha -'

'cling ON.

This assembly is ready my territory, shouldn't I come to the meeting too?'

'anyway, we are going to provide you with what you want.'

'surely?'

'Yeah.'

'just like that?'

'Yep.'

'what is the seize?'

'simply signal this piece of paper promising you may not invade the relaxation of Czechoslovakia.'

'k.'

Then Chamberlain back home victorious, waving his signed piece of paper within the air,

declaring disaster to be avoided,

and the continuation of world Peace,

and we built a statue of Chamberlain in his honour

and each day on the 30th of September we have a good time Chamberlain Day -

'Hitler's invading the rest of Czechoslovakia.'

'What?'

'he's invading the relaxation of Czechoslovakia.'

'Oh.

You lied to me.'

'What do you anticipate?

i am Hitler.'

now not to be outdone, Mussolini also wanted to get in on the motion.

He concept to himself,

'isn't always there a no longer-yet-colonised state somewhere

which is so underdeveloped

that the people might be defending themselves in opposition to our tanks with literal bows and arrows

and timber spears?

Oh there's?

excellent!'

And so he took it.

Italy additionally wanted to govern the doorway to the Adriatic Sea.

so that they occupied Albania.

Then, in every other incident that changed into perhaps staged through the japanese,

gunfire turned into exchanged by way of eastern and chinese troops on the Marco Polo Bridge.

And the japanese launched yet any other invasion against China.

They swept thru Beijing and Shanghai,

and then superior through the Yangtze Valley to China's then-capital, Nanking.

It changed into right here that saw the worst of Japan's shocking atrocities

dedicated against the chinese human beings.

again in Europe, Germany and Italy made their relationship fame legit

by signing the % of steel.

Then, Hitler grew to become his eyes closer to Poland,

and the hated Polish corridor splitting Germany in .

At this factor, the Allies virtually had to put their foot down.

and that they warned him that an invasion of Poland

might mean battle.

Hitler had planned to hold his improve eastward,

but he didn't need to turn out to be combating a conflict on two fronts.

So for now he made an alliance with Stalin, saying,

'How approximately we each invade Poland and cut up it between the 2 of us,

and that i really won't now not refrain from now not betraying you sometime in the future.'

'Sounds...

proper.'

This new alliance stunned the West.

on the 1st of September 1939,

German troops entered Poland,

and Britain and France declared warfare on Germany.

The Poles fought hard,

but they were no in shape for the two giants crashing down on them from either facet.

Then got here a period called 'The Phony struggle',

where absolutely everyone simply type of sat around not doing plenty.

The French had launched a small invasion into the Saar Land,

however they maintained frequently protective positions,

and after a while determined to simply flip round and get in touch with it a day.

speaking of France,

the French have been still splendid happy with their victory in WW1.

and that they hadn't absolutely moved on from it.

They nonetheless used horses,

they dispatched messages through motorcycle in preference to the use of the radio,

orders from the commander-in-chief were usually pretty indistinct,

and the troops had been not often inspected.

They built a line of defenses along their German border,

but did not bother extending it all the manner to the Channel,

and they wouldn't launch artillery moves towards Germany

out of fear of being retaliated towards.

In a warfare.

They did not need to attack the enemy.

And at the start, the UK wasn't much better.

Chamberlain nevertheless naively was hoping that the conflict will be ended diplomatically.

instead of bombing raids, the RAF dropped propaganda leaflets over German towns,

which one air marshall stated possibly did not anything however offer the continent with bathroom paper

in the course of the war.

in addition they best sent two hundred,000 men to France,

whilst the French had mobilised tens of millions.

each Britain and France desired to keep away from a repeat of the primary world struggle,

and so they wanted to preserve the struggle as a ways from domestic as feasible.

so that they grew to become their eyes north,

closer to Norway.

neutral Sweden was exporting iron ore to Germany,

thru neutral Norway.

So the Allies asked them if they could please prevent exporting iron ore to Germany.

however this request became refused.

Then, the Soviet Union attacked Finland.

So the Allies said, 'How about we land troops in Norway

and circulate them throughout Sweden to move assist out your accurate pal Finland?

and then along the manner maybe take control of all your iron fields.'

however Norway and Sweden nevertheless stated no.

So the United Kingdom mined the waters round Norway

to force any delivery ships into worldwide waters,

and they also attacked a German tanker they determined in the location.

Hitler realised what the Allies had been as much as,

and he fast moved to relaxed his deliver of iron ore.

He released an invasion through Denmark into Norway.

The Allies rushed to land troops at quay ports alongside the coast,

however Germany had taken control of Norway's airfields,

and their air superiority determined to fight.

The Allies had to retreat.

After this barely embarrassing failure,

Chamberlain resigned.

And become changed with Winston Churchill,

who had a barely exclusive approach to handling the Germans.

Hitler's standard method was much like Germany's WW1 method.

assault France, defeat France, knocking out the United Kingdom in the process,

then turn on the Soviet Union and win the struggle.

at some point of the Phony struggle, the Allies had given Hitler enough time to put together his forces.

Now, he changed into prepared to attack.

The Allies had desired to region troops in Belgium,

however Belgium had refused.

And in a move that surprised pretty lots no one,

Hitler released an invasion to get around France's defenses.

The Allies charged into Belgium at complete pace,

to meet the German invasion head-on,

and it gave the impression of a repeat of the first world war turned into coming.

however this time, Hitler had a trick up his sleeve.

Blitzkrieg.

as the Germans advanced, they despatched hundreds of refugees westward,

slowing down the Allies.

Then, to the south,

the French had left the Ardennes, a place filled with hills and forests,

pretty below-defended,

due to the fact they idea it changed into evidently impenetrable.

well, the Germans had been approximately to penetrate it with the whole lot that they had.

They smashed 50 Wehrmacht divisions via,

and encircled the Allied armies at lightning pace.

The quality of the Allied forces had been now trapped.

The Germans squeezed in from all facets,

casting off France's excellent armies,

and almost wiping out the British, too.

but they controlled to make a determined final-minute get away at Dunkirk,

with British civilian ships even making the perilous adventure to bring their young guys home.

With maximum of the French forces depleted,

the Germans breezed via,

taking Paris, and France fell.

What the Germans couldn't do in WW1,

Hitler had carried out much like that.

Hitler was hoping that with the fall of France,

the United Kingdom would additionally lose hope and sue for peace.

but quite annoyingly, it didn't.

And he needed to secure the Western the front.

So he tried to pressure them into submission,

with mind video games.

the United Kingdom were now all by myself and Hitler desired to emphasise that.

to start with, simply earlier than France fell,

Italy ultimately declared conflict on the Allies,

making the UK's scenario even worse.

next, rather than just occupying all of France,

Hitler occupied the coastal areas for protection,

however allowed France to retain its existence as a German puppet nation.

This way, it appeared just like the united kingdom's old best friend had decided to exchange aspects.

Hitler additionally hoped that the UK wouldn't assault

any of her antique ally's army bases or colonies in Africa,

giving Hitler an extra line of protection to the south.

however the united kingdom made positive to reply to this by using crusing down to France's navy base in Algeria

and wrecking a group of ships.

So, have at it.

Hitler then started laying down plans for an invasion of great Britain.

before German troops ought to land on British soil, he could first want air and naval superiority

across the Channel.

Waves of German bombers came,

while the absolutely outnumbered RAF labored bravely around the clock

in an try and quell the German assaults.

at first, the Luftwaffe focused British ports and coastal centers,

then it attacked RAF bases,

crippling the RAF's potential to guard the kingdom.

And it appeared like Hitler's remarkable British invasion was coming.

however then, Churchill ordered a small, quite insignificant bombing raid over Berlin.

It did not do lots harm,

but Hitler become livid,

and he immediately ordered the Luftwaffe

to refocus its assaults on civilian targets in London.

children have been sent off to the nation-state,

away from their dad and mom,

to keep away from danger.

And common trips to air-raid shelters became a day by day occurrence.

however British morale held firm.

Smiling, knitting, lounging casually,

those human beings have balls of metal.

This refocusing on London also gave the RAF

breathing space to reorganise.

So Hitler type of shot himself within the foot there.

simply the foot for now.

finally, the Luftwaffe despatched one large all-out attack on London,

and the RAF successfully repelled it,

destroying a number of the German plane,

and setting air superiority firmly in British arms.

Hitler's invasion had to be postponed,

but the bombing of British towns persevered for some time.