The Second Great War(1937-1942) is widely regarded as a conflict that shaped modern history. It was a battle between the forces of liberal democracy vs fascism, militarism vs diplomacy, authoritarianism vs liberty, subjection vs liberty. It raged in Europe and the Pacific, resulting in millions killed and millions more wounded. Civilians and soldiers alike were caught in the blaze of war, the flames that devoured everyone. In contrast to the First Great War, the strategies used were mobile and lightning fast, with tanks and planes pounding each other into scrap metal and scrap fuselage. The war began in July 1937 with the Japanese assault on Nanjing and Shanghai. The Chinese forces under the Kuomintang were beaten back and forced into the interior, only reaching relief due to Communist guerillas in the countryside and stretched Japanese supply lines. The war turned into a bloody stalemate reminiscent of the Western Front during the First Great War, with each side locked in bloody battles for the heart of China.
The Nazis were stirring up trouble in Europe, in the meantime. The 1938 occupation of Austria marked a rise in tensions on the Continent. The Nazis continued their covert and overt support of the Spanish fascists under Franco and meddling in the affairs of countries like Hungary and Romania. The Munich Agreement in September 1938 was thought to have slowed the German advance, but the sacrifice of Czechoslovakia did little to sate Hitler’s appetite for conquest. He sought to move east into Poland and annex it, gaining large amounts of Lebensraum. He also sought to expel/exterminate the vast Jewish population of Poland, estimated at 3.3 million in 1939. The Germans broke the 1934 Non-Aggression Pact and began pressing for the return of Danzig and the Polish Corridor. Poland responded by allying with Britain and France in March, hoping to gain insurance against a potential German invasion of the country. This pact complicated German planning, but Hitler wanted to press ahead with a surprise invasion.
He sought to negotiate a non-aggression pact or alliance with the Soviet Union, even offering part of Poland to the Soviets to stave off the threat of an invasion. The attempt culminated in August with a meeting between Molotov and Ribbentrop, each the respective foreign minister of their countries. The meeting went awry after Ribbentrop failed to shake hands with Stalin and had a bit too much to drink, declaring the idea of a Soviet sphere of influence crazy and that Germany would not countenance the idea of letting the “Slavic barbarians” annex any part of Germany’s Lebensraum. Molotov reportedly slapped Ribbentrop and left the room, with Stalin being warned of the Nazi’s ill intentions.
The planned invasion of Poland would still go ahead. Despite Hitler’s generals telling him that invading Poland without a guarantee of Soviet noninterference or aid was not wise, the Fuhrer did not care. He was getting impatient and worried about the German economy, which had wracked up enormous debts remilitarizing the country. He also worried about the rearmaments of Britain and France, and he felt that now was the time to strike while they were still catching up to the Reich. Thus he set September 1 1939 as the time to strike.
Once the invasion began, Britain and France reacted by simultaneously declaring war on Germany and mobilizing the forces. Germany drove deep into Poland, reaching Warsaw by October while also stalling the French in the Saarland. It was clear the war would not be won in a matter of weeks, as Hitler had originally thought. Little did he know that the Polish codebreakers had cracked Enigma and were in a position to share their findings with the British and French……..