World War II was a significant event in world history that involved more than 30 countries. The conflict started when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland in 1939. This aggression prompted Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany. But what actually happened during the War? Which countries were taking part in it? Watch this video with Dhruv Rathee to find out as he explains in detail the events of World War 2.
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00:00Namaskar friends, World War 2 has been the most devastating war in the history of human beings.
00:09So many big cities have been destroyed.
00:12London, Tokyo, Hamburg, Berlin.
00:15Today, almost all geopolitical events and international relations can be traced back to this war.
00:21I have told you many small stories of World War 2 in my old videos.
00:26But in today's video, let's understand it in depth.
00:29From the beginning to the end, what exactly happened, why did it happen and what was its impact.
00:34This is the complete story of World War 2.
01:00The whole world is against Hitler and Hitlerism.
01:06Let's start our story with the year 1919.
01:09This was the year World War 1 ended.
01:11And a famous peace treaty was signed.
01:14Which is known as the Treaty of Versailles.
01:16This treaty had a very important clause, Article 231.
01:20In which it was written that all the damage caused by World War 1,
01:23was the responsibility of Germany.
01:27This clause is also known as the War Guilt Clause.
01:29Because it basically said that this war, no matter which country it was,
01:33was the fault of only Germany.
01:35Actually, France and Britain wanted Germany to pay a heavy cost to lose this war.
01:40And they wanted to pay all their losses to Germany.
01:44As a result, according to the Treaty of Versailles,
01:46Germany was asked to pay a fine of $33 billion to the rest of the countries.
01:51Today, this amount is $270 billion.
01:54This is so much money that you won't believe it.
01:57In the year 2010, Germany made the last payment for this money.
02:01It took almost 100 years.
02:03And you must be thinking, where does this money come from?
02:06Obviously, it comes from the country.
02:08It comes from the people.
02:09The first payment for this money is made by Germany in the year 1921.
02:13And immediately after that,
02:15there is a terrible hyperinflation in Germany.
02:19The currency of Germany at that time was the German Mark.
02:24It devalues so fast that you won't believe it.
02:27In the year 1922, a packet of bread cost 160 marks in Berlin.
02:32In the year 1923, the same packet of bread costs 200 billion marks.
02:37Obviously, the economy went bankrupt and unemployment increased rapidly.
02:42In such circumstances, Adolf Hitler enters our story.
02:46A young political leader who knew how to fool the people with his speeches.
02:51In the year 1923, Hitler's Nazi party tries to overthrow the German government by a coup.
02:57Although this attempt fails,
03:00Hitler's popularity increases among the people because of this.
03:07Rumors are spread among the people that Germany is suffering embarrassment.
03:12The international humiliation of Germany is due to the anti-national elements in the country.
03:18The people were very upset. It was easy to mislead them.
03:21Hitler says that the Jews and Socialists living in the country are at fault.
03:26Germany's reputation has been defamed because of them.
03:28In the next 10 years, propaganda is used extensively.
03:32The media is bought.
03:33There are incitement speeches.
03:35I won't go into much detail about this.
03:37Because I talked about it in the Rise of Hitler video.
03:39If you haven't seen it, I'll put the link in the description below.
03:42In the year 1929, Great Depression is also seen.
03:45Because of this, the state of unemployment worsens.
03:48In 1933, 6 million people are unemployed in Germany.
03:52Many people are homeless.
03:54Children are dying of hunger.
03:56As a result, in 1933, Hitler declares himself the dictator of Germany.
04:01After taking full control, Hitler sets out to fulfill the dream of his German Empire.
04:06A German Reich.
04:08A state that will be racially pure.
04:10Only Aryan race will live here.
04:13There is no place for Jews and Slavic people here.
04:16A conspiracy theory of Judeo-Bolshevism is made to instill hatred in people.
04:21According to this conspiracy theory, the Russian Revolution in 1917
04:25was actually carried out by the Jews.
04:27Because of which the Soviet Union was formed.
04:29In 1935, the rest of the world finds out that Germany has its own Air Force.
04:34You'll ask, what's the big deal?
04:36Every country has its own Air Force.
04:38But in the Treaty of Versailles, a condition was written
04:41that Germany cannot have its own military.
04:44In a very open manner, Hitler was violating the Treaty of Versailles.
04:48But at this point of time, many people in Britain felt that
04:51what was written in the Treaty of Versailles was very unfair to Germany.
04:54We are charging them so much money.
04:56Look at the state of their country because of this.
04:58And then it is also written that the country cannot have its own military.
05:01We shouldn't do this.
05:03In 1935, Britain signs the Anglo-German Naval Agreement.
05:07Under this, it is formally recognized that Hitler has the right to build his navy.
05:12Germany can have its own navy.
05:15But seeing Germany's increasing militarization, France becomes alert.
05:19France builds a 450 km long fortification on its eastern border.
05:24It is called the Maginot Line.
05:27In 1938, when Hitler feels that his military is ready,
05:31he takes his first look at the neighbouring Austria.
05:35Austria was a must-have country for Hitler.
05:38He wanted all German-speaking countries to become one.
05:41The real purpose here was not only to take over other countries for his pride.
05:45But also to use the resources of other countries to advance his country.
05:50The people whom Hitler considered racially superior,
05:53the people of his Aryan race,
05:55he wanted to give them Lebensraum.
05:57He wanted to give them living space.
05:59So that they can live freely.
06:00In February 1938, Hitler meets the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg.
06:04By force, an agreement is signed.
06:08Under this agreement, Hitler gives space to pro-Nazi people in the Austrian government.
06:13The Austrian government is infiltrated by appointing its own people.
06:17For example, Dr. Hans Fischberg.
06:19He had to be made the new finance minister of Austria.
06:21He was a Nazi.
06:22And he released all the Nazis in jail.
06:26Within a month, things go out of control.
06:29The Austrian Chancellor feels that if we really have to stop the infiltration,
06:33then why not ask the people?
06:36Does Austria want to remain an independent country?
06:39Or become one with the Nazis?
06:42Let's have a national vote on this.
06:44As soon as Hitler heard about the national vote,
06:47Hitler immediately takes his army and marches into Austria.
06:51The German military enters the city of Vienna.
06:53The Austrian Chancellor did not want any bloodshed.
06:56He resigns from his seat.
06:58Hitler spreads fake news through his propaganda ministry.
07:02That riots are taking place in Vienna.
07:04And the communist people are responsible for these riots.
07:07That's why the Austrian government has called our army.
07:10So that we can protect the country.
07:12The next day, the Austrian parliament is dissolved.
07:15And Austria does not remain an independent country.
07:18This invasion remains successful without any bloodshed.
07:21The big reason behind this was that there were many people in Austria who were in favor of Hitler.
07:26Because they were also victims of propaganda.
07:29They thought that Hitler's invasion is a good thing.
07:32The country will become a superpower in this way.
07:34After occupying Austria, Hitler's eyes go to the next country.
07:38Czechoslovakia.
07:40There was a region on the border of Czechoslovakia called Sudetenland.
07:43Out of the people who lived here, about 30 lakh were Germans.
07:47Hitler uses this point as an excuse by saying that
07:50this region should be ours for sure.
07:53Because Germans live here.
07:55This is where the story of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain enters.
07:59He did not want another war at any cost.
08:02He thought that since Hitler is asking for it, let's give it to him.
08:05Then he will sit quietly and there will be no war.
08:07For this reason, a Munich Agreement is signed in September 1938.
08:25Under this, the region of Sudetenland should be given to Germany.
08:29But on the other hand, Hitler promises that there will be no war here.
08:32Hitler happily takes this piece of Czechoslovakia with him.
08:36But it does not take a year to break this Munich Agreement.
08:40In March 1939, Hitler takes his army and invades the remaining Czechoslovakia.
08:45For the first time, there is a little fight here.
08:47But the German army wins it very easily.
08:50And the country is split in two.
08:52A part of the country is included in the German territory.
08:56And a Nazi client state is formed.
08:59A puppet government is formed.
09:01Called the Slovak Republic.
09:03British Prime Minister Chamberlain has to endure a lot of criticism because of this.
09:07Winston Churchill famously said at this point of time,
09:10You were given the choice between war and dishonor.
09:13You chose dishonor and you will have war.
09:16Hitler's eyes are now on the next country.
09:18Which is Poland's country.
09:20To capture Poland, Hitler cleverly signs a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union.
09:26In 1939.
09:28Looking at it from above, you will feel that Hitler hated the Soviet Union and the Communists.
09:32How did he do this?
09:33The only reason behind this was to invade Poland.
09:36The Soviet Union also wanted a share of Poland.
09:39So in this situation, the interests of both countries met.
09:42On September 1, 1939, about 10 lakh German troops started marching towards Poland.
09:47They are planning to attack both the North and the South.
09:51At this time, the rest of the countries are surprised to see.
09:54The UK and France feel that this is now crossing the line.
09:57If Hitler continues to occupy one country after another in this way,
10:00then the next number will come to us too.
10:02What will happen to the world?
10:03We cannot tolerate anymore.
10:05The UK gives an ultimatum to Hitler.
10:08If we invade Poland, we will declare war against Germany.
10:12Hitler ignores this ultimatum.
10:14Because of this, the UK officially declares war on Germany.
10:19After this, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada also declare war on Germany.
10:25UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain broadcasts on the radio in an announcement.
10:31A state of war would exist between us.
10:34I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received.
10:38And that consequently, this country is at war with Germany.
10:42But at this point of time, World War II had not started.
10:47This period is called the Phoney War.
10:50Phoney War means a war of lies.
10:52All these countries declared war on Germany.
10:56But none of these countries gave military support to Poland.
11:00And Poland's own army was very old-fashioned.
11:03They still used horses in their army.
11:05They could not withstand Germany's military strategies at all.
11:09And neither Britain nor France could come to save them.
11:12Approximately 13 lakh people were mobilized by Poland.
11:15But it did not take a week for the German army to defeat them.
11:18On 8th September 1939, German troops occupy Poland.
11:23It is worth mentioning about Hitler's revolutionary warfare strategy.
11:27Which was called Blitzkrieg.
11:30With the help of this, Hitler successfully invaded many countries.
11:34It was a military strategy that focused on speed and stealth.
11:38We will invade other countries so quickly by using tanks
11:42that others will not get a chance to think.
11:45Then our air force will come from above.
11:47Which was called Luftwaffe.
11:49And the invasion will take place at lightning speed.
11:52The word Blitz means lightning in German.
11:55Hitler's focus was to fight the smallest of wars.
11:58To fight a war that would end as soon as possible.
12:01To maintain this Blitzkrieg, German soldiers were given drugs.
12:06You heard it right.
12:07A drug called Pervitin was very common.
12:09Today, we know it as Crystal Meth.
12:23When you take this drug, your fatigue goes away.
12:27You don't need to sleep at night.
12:29Your hunger and thirst goes away.
12:31You feel less pain.
12:32And you gain a strange confidence.
12:35Giving such drugs to soldiers proved to be very advantageous.
12:38Although it would be very harmful for their long-term health.
12:41But in the short term, it is very useful to win this battle.
12:46On the other hand, soldiers will waste their time sleeping at night.
12:49But German soldiers can finish their work in 2-3 days.
12:54You will see in the story how successful the military strategy of Blitzkrieg is for Germany.
12:59When we come back to Poland, it is not only invaded by Hitler.
13:03But the Soviet Union also invades from the other side.
13:06After the defeat, Poland is partitioned into two.
13:10Half of it went to Nazi Germany and the other half to the Soviet Union.
13:14The Soviets give their logic that before the Russian Revolution, this area belonged to the Soviets.
13:20That's why they deserve it.
13:21But from the Soviet perspective, there was another country which was a part of the Russian Empire before 1917.
13:27This country was Finland.
13:29Stalin was afraid that Germany would invade Finland.
13:32And Stalin did not trust Hitler so much.
13:35The biggest problem was that Leningrad, where Stalin lived, was only 50 km away from the Finnish border.
13:42If Finland had been occupied by Nazi Germany, it would have been very close to Stalin's house.
13:48That's why before Hitler comes and takes over Finland,
13:52the Soviet Union tells Finland to give it its territory.
13:56Finland obviously refuses.
13:58And the Soviets launch military action against Finland in November 1939.
14:03This was also a very imbalanced battle.
14:06The Soviet Union's army was much bigger than Finland.
14:09Their equipment was also much better.
14:11But this battle lasted for more than two months and the Soviets could not advance further.
14:16Finally, in March 1940, this battle ends and a Moscow Peace Treaty is signed.
14:22Under which Finland gives 11% of its land to the Soviet Union.
14:28In the meantime, Hitler's eyes were not on Finland, but on Norway and Denmark.
14:34In April 1940, Hitler prepares his plans on how Norway and Denmark will be taken under control.
14:40On April 9, 1940, Hitler uses his Blitzkrieg strategy to invade Norway and Denmark.
14:48This fight does not last long.
14:50Both are very small countries, how will they be able to compete against the German army?
14:54The Norwegian government saves its life and flees to London.
14:58And in London, a government is made in exile.
15:02Hitler establishes a puppet pro-Nazi government in Norway.
15:06Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain accepts his failure.
15:10He could not save so many countries around him from the Nazi invasion.
15:15Because of this, on May 10, 1940, he resigns from the position of Prime Minister.
15:37The infamous Winston Churchill now has the responsibility of sitting on the Prime Minister's chair.
15:43On the same day, on May 10, Hitler launches an attack against France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
15:50This was an announcement of an all-out war.
15:52Everyone could see that Hitler was not going to stop.
15:55In the beginning of the video, I told you how France had made a Maginot Line.
15:59They were already afraid that Hitler would attack their country.
16:02So they started building a wall on the border.
16:05Now French troops stand near this wall to save their country.
16:10The fate of Holland and Belgium, like that of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria, will be decided by the victory of the British Empire.
16:19Allied forces are standing on the borders of Belgium and Luxembourg to save these countries.
16:24Hitler uses his trademark Blitzkrieg strategy.
16:28More than a thousand fighter-bomber airplanes.
16:31Approximately 300,000 people on the ground were with the German army for the offence.
16:34This battle is called the Battle of France.
16:37German troops are divided into three groups.
16:40A, B and C.
16:42Group B's task was to attack the Netherlands.
16:45And then go to Belgium and fight the Allied forces.
16:48Group C's task was to attack the Maginot Line.
16:51And you will ask, what was Group A's plan?
16:53Group A actually had a master plan.
16:56Group C's attack on the Maginot Line was just a distraction so that Group A could secretly plan its master plan.
17:03Entering France through the Ardennes Forest.
17:06This forest was a big jungle, which the French military experts believed to be like a big fortress.
17:12The German army would never come through this jungle because it would be very difficult to come.
17:15They did not expect the German army to come through exactly this forest.
17:20Using more than 40,000 military vehicles, Group A enters through this forest.
17:25On May 15, 1940, they capture Sedan and travel further north.
17:31The soldiers of the British and French armies who were fighting Group B in Belgium,
17:36were shocked to see such a large force behind them.
17:41These soldiers are surrounded in three directions by the Nazi army.
17:45There is only one way to escape.
17:48Towards the sea.
17:49Near the port of Dunkirk.
17:51And from there, they make a plan to escape.
17:54What happens in Dunkirk was a historical turn in the story of World War II.
17:59About 400,000 Allied troops were stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk.
18:04When I use the word Allied, it basically means the British and French armies.
18:08The countries that were fighting against Hitler, their group, their coalition is called Allies.
18:13And the people who were fighting Hitler are called Axis Powers.
18:18So it was very important to save these Allied soldiers on time because the Nazi army was advancing very fast.
18:24They had no way to escape.
18:26They could only evacuate through the sea.
18:28If they didn't do it on time, 400,000 troops would be killed here.
18:32It would be a big shock to Britain and France.
18:34Maybe they would lose their country forever.
18:37Winston Churchill makes a plan to evacuate these soldiers.
18:41On May 26, 1940, Operation Dynamo is launched.
18:44The biggest evacuation in the history of military history to date.
18:49The German army had almost reached the beach on the ground and was firing at the troops.
18:53The German Air Force was attacking the beach in the sky.
18:57Christopher Nolan's historical film, Dunkirk, shows the events here very well.
19:04This film focuses on three places of evacuation.
19:07First, the counterattack of the British Royal Air Force.
19:10The British air force should protect the Allied soldiers who are coming here to save them.
19:16Second, there are some private fishing boats in the English Channel.
19:20These are the common civilians who come out to help in the evacuation.
19:23And third, the story that takes place on the beach of Dunkirk.
19:26People are trying to save themselves and helping each other.
19:37On June 4, 1940, about 350,000 soldiers are successfully evacuated.
19:42As you must have seen in the film.
19:44But the bad news is that most of the military equipment of the Allied forces is exhausted in this evacuation.
19:51A few days later, on June 22, 1940, France surrenders to Hitler.
19:56At this point of time, the Italian country, which was also ruled by a dictator named Mussolini,
20:01forms an alliance with Hitler to wage war against France.
20:06The alliance between Italy and Germany is called the Pact of Steel.
20:10Both these countries declare war against France and Britain on June 10.
20:15So by July 1940, the situation is such that Hitler has seized almost all the countries around him.
20:21Austria, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France.
20:28At this point of time, only three big countries are left in Europe.
20:31Hitler's Germany, Britain and the Soviet Union.
20:34There is a peace agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union.
20:37So Hitler doesn't have to fear the Soviet Union.
20:40The Soviets will never attack Germany.
20:42Britain is the only country that is now standing against Germany.
20:46You will ask, what about America?
20:48America is not involved in World War II.
20:51America has kept its hands behind.
20:53Because after what happened in World War I, America said,
20:56I have no interest.
20:58Whatever happens in Europe, I will keep my hands away from here.
21:01So it is very clear that if the fighting is stopped at this time, then Hitler has won this war.
21:07Hitler has such a big upper hand.
21:09So how does it happen that the situation changes and Britain is able to defeat Germany?
21:14We shall fight on the landing grounds.
21:18We shall fight in the fields and in the streets.
21:23We shall fight in the hills.
21:26We shall never surrender!
21:28Let's talk about this story in the next video.
21:31In the part 2 video of World War II.
21:34I know what you must be thinking.
21:36You must be thinking, what did I say?
21:38I don't know how many months will the next video take.
21:40Don't worry.
21:41I won't leave you in suspense for long.
21:43Because this time, both the videos were made and edited together.
21:47Till then, you can watch this video in which I have explained
21:50how Hitler used propaganda to brainwash the German people.
21:55Basically, how Hitler took power in his own hands.
21:58There is an interesting angle in this story.
22:00Albert Einstein's as well.
22:01You can click here to watch it.
22:02See you in the next video.
22:03Thank you very much.
22:06Bye-bye.