The Second World War (1939-45) — Important Questions

Pearl Harbor

Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This attack was ordered by Japanese Premier General Tojo. The attack sank American battleships, destroyed airfields, and killed about 2,400 Americans. The Pearl Harbor attack unified American public opinion in favor of entering World War II, and the USA declared war on Japan. While it was a tactical victory for Japan, it proved to be a strategic blunder as it brought America fully into the war.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

After Japan ignored the Allied ultimatum to surrender, an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, destroying half the city. When Japan still refused to surrender, a second atom bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally on 2 September 1945. Cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, and Yokohama were not the targets of these atomic bombings.

Policy of Appeasement

The Policy of Appeasement was followed by Britain and France to avoid war with aggressive powers like Germany and Italy. This policy involved giving in to the demands of aggressive nations hoping to maintain peace. The most famous example was the Munich Agreement of 1938, where Britain and France agreed to Hitler's demand for Sudetenland without consulting Czechoslovakia. Churchill called this agreement 'a disaster of the first magnitude.' This policy ultimately failed and became one of the major causes of World War II.

United Nations Organization

After the massive destruction caused by the Second World War, nations realized the urgent need to prevent such devastation in the future. This led to the establishment of the United Nations Organization (UNO) in 1945, with the aim of maintaining world peace and fostering cooperation among countries. The League of Nations is incorrect because it was formed after the First World War and had already failed by the time WWII began; NATO and the EU were established much later for different purposes.