The Second World War (1939-45)

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 3,700 people. 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 Germany and Italy fell, the Allies issued an ultimatum to Japan to surrender. When Japan refused, America dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying half the city and killing thousands. When Japan still refused to surrender despite the terrible destruction, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. These bombings finally forced Japan to surrender unconditionally on September 2, 1945, ending World War II.

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

The United Nations Organization (UNO) was established in 1945 after the Second World War ended. Seeing the massive destruction caused by the war, all countries realized the importance of peace. The UNO was founded with the desire to establish and maintain world peace and prevent future wars. The League of Nations had failed to prevent World War II, so the UNO was created as a more effective international organization. People felt that another such war would destroy humanity completely.