World War 2: The Day Everything Changed

World War 2 officially began on 1 September 1939, but its roots go much deeper. The seeds of this global conflict were sown in the aftermath of World War 1. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed harsh penalties on Germany — huge war reparations, loss of territory, and severe military restrictions. These terms crippled Germany’s economy, created political instability, and fueled deep resentment among its people.

In the 1930s, the world was still recovering from the Great Depression. Unemployment and poverty were widespread, and extremist political movements began to rise in multiple countries. In Germany, a nationalist government came to power, promising to restore the country’s honor, rebuild the military, and reclaim lost territories.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Europe and Asia, aggressive expansionist policies were taking shape. Italy sought to expand in Africa, while Japan aimed to dominate East Asia. The League of Nations, formed after WW1 to prevent future wars, failed to stop these aggressions due to its weak enforcement power.

The tension escalated when Germany began openly defying the Treaty of Versailles:

Rebuilding its army beyond the allowed limit

Occupying the Rhineland (1936)

Annexing Austria (1938) in the Anschluss

Demanding and taking over Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement (1938)

Many European powers followed a policy of appeasement — avoiding direct confrontation in hopes that Germany would stop its expansion. But this only encouraged further aggression.

The breaking point came when Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in August 1939 — the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact — secretly agreeing to divide Eastern Europe between them. Just days later, on 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland using a fast, coordinated attack strategy later known as Blitzkrieg ("lightning war").

In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, marking the official start of World War 2. What began as a European conflict quickly spread across the globe, involving dozens of nations in the most devastating war in human history.