World War II

Also known as “World Anti-fascist War”, referred to as “World War II”. World War II was the second global war happened between September 1, 1939, and September 2, 1945, with the three fascist Axis powers of the Third Reich (Empire) of Germany, the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Japan, including the vassal countries such as the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of Romania and the Kingdom of Bulgaria as the aggressive bloc, and the Anti-fascist Alliance and the Anti-fascist Forces all over the world fighting against this bloc. World War II was provoked by the fascists of Germany, Italy and Japan, which caused unprecedented disasters to the whole humanity. During the World War II, 61 countries and regions, and more than 2 billion people were involved, and 70 million people were killed, 130 million people injured, and more than 4 trillion dollars of wealth was exhausted.

In 1931, Japan triggered the “September 18th Mukden” incident and occupied the three northeast provinces of China, Japan aggressors established the puppet regime of “Manchukuo State” in China’s North region in March of the next year.

On July 7, 1937, Japan launched an all-round war of aggression against China and soon after under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people carried out an all-round war of resistance in cooperation with the Kuomintang and the Communist Party as the core, which constituted the prelude to the World War II.

On September 1, 1939, the army of Nazi Germany attacked Poland with a Blitzkrieg (a surprise attack tactic), and on September 3rd, and Britain and France declared war against Germany. The main battlefields included: Eastern Europe battlefield, Western Europe battlefield, China battlefield and Myanmar battlefield in Asia, Pacific battlefield, African battlefield and the Atlantic battlefield. On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union, the Soviet Patriotic War broke out, and the Soviet German battlefield became the main battlefield of the World Anti-fascist War. On December 7, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War broke out. The Chinese people’s resolute Anti-Japanese War gave Britain and the United States a respite in the Pacific battlefield and encouraged the Anti-Japanese War spirit among the people of Southeast Asia to resist Japan. On January 1, 1942, the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union and 26 medium-sized countries signed the “United Nations Declaration” in Washington, D.C., established the World Anti-fascist United Front. In February 1943, the victory of Stalingrad Defense War fundamentally reversed the whole war situation and inspired the Anti-fascist fighting spirit of the people all over the world. On June 6, 1944, British and American troops landed in Normandy, France, which opened the second battlefront against fascism. At the beginning of 1945, the Soviet Red Army and the British and American troops separately entered the German territory. On May 2, 1945, the Soviet Red Army captured Berlin. On May 8, Germany declared its unconditional surrender. On August 6 and 9, in the year 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. On August 8, when the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, the Chinese people started a comprehensive counter-offensive against the Japanese agressors. On August 15, Japan declared its unconditional surrender. World War II ended with the victory of the Anti-fascist Alliance including the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, China, other Anti-fascist countries and the people of the world over the fascist invaders to win world peace and progress.

In view of the unprecedented tragedy of the World War II, in order to formulate and establish a new post-war order and maintain world peace and security, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin, the leaders of the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union, held the Yalta Conference on the Crimean Peninsula in the north of the Black Sea between February 4 to 11, 1945, which had a far-reaching impact on the formation of the post-war world order. According to the Yalta Conference agreement, the Allies headed by China, Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union and France initiated the establishment of the United Nations on October 24, 1945, with China, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France as permanent members of its Security Council.

After the World War II, under the influence and encouragement of the World Anti-fascist War, a series of people’s democratic countries appeared in Eastern Europe and the Asian continent, embarked on the socialist road under the leadership of the Communist parties of various countries, and formed a socialist camp led by the Soviet Union. At the same time, the capitalist camp led by the United States was formed in the capitalist world. Militarily, it was gradually formed the Cold War model of long-term confrontation between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization led by the United States and Warsaw Treaty Organization led by the Soviet Union.