What was ww11?

Answer 1

World War 2 was a war which was fought from September 1st 1939 - September 2nd 1945. The war was mainly fought among the Axis and the Allies. Certain countries was part of the Axis and Allies in World War 1. For the Allies, the main countries which fought was USSR, Britain, France, China and the US. The main countries which fought for the Axis was Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland. The war was fought in Europe, Pacific, Atlantic, South-East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa, and briefly North and South America.

World War 2 was caused when Nazi Germany and the USSR formed a temporally alliance, and invaded Poland. as a result, France and Britain declared war onto Nazi Germany but not the USSR. Their is a bigger story to this. The leading cause was the desire and ability of Adolf Hitler, in control of Nazi Germany to dominate Europe and gain control especially of the agrarian resources to the east of Germany. He was allied with Japan, which intended to control the much larger nation of China, as well as Italy (which had ambitions to control parts of the Balkans) and several smaller countries. Hitler had successfully taken control of Austria and Czechoslovakia by early 1939, when Britain and France reversed their policy of appeasement and switched to a policy of deterrence, warning they would declare war if Germany attacked Poland. Hitler thought they were bluffing. He signed an agreement with the Soviet Union in late August that divided up Poland and the Baltic states. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939; Britain and France declared war two days later. All of this was because Germany lost World War 1 and was forced to sign the treaty of Versailles and accept war guilt ( where they didn't cause the war). As part of the treaty, Germany faced demilitarization lost part of their land and was forced to pay 112 Billion Reich Marks (It's worth around $2.25 Billion or £1.5 Billion.

As a result, the allies were victorious (only because of the USSR) and the Third Reich collapsed after Hitlers suicide on April 30th 1945; following with Germany's Save surrender on May 6th 1945. Also, the US and USSR emerged as the key super powers and this resulted in beginning of the Cold war which in 1983, nearly resulted in a nuclear war (World War 3). In addition, the UN was formed to deal with conflict between countries. For more detail and results of the war,see related link.

As said above, World War 2 ended in Europe on May 6th 1945 following Hitler's suicide and the loss of the Battle of Berlin (16th April to 2nd May 1945). However, it wouldn't be until September 2nd 1945 when World War officially ended. Eventhough 2 out of 3 key members of the Axis was out, Japan (3rd key member) was still fighting but surrendered after the US launched a barberic bombing when they dropped 2 Bombs onto Japan. See related link for more detail.
did you know...

The government thought that children under five would be scared of the gas masks so they produced a specially designed Micky Mouse gas mask. It was brightly coloured in red and blue.

Why were children evacuated?

People expected cities to be bombed, as enemy planes tried to destroy factories. But bombs would hit homes and schools too, so children would be in danger. The government tried at the start of the war to 'empty the cities' of children and mothers, This was 'evacuation', to protect them from air raids.

The plan was put into action in September 1939. About 800,000 children left their homes. However, many returned home after a few weeks. Others stayed in the countryside for the rest of the war.

Where did children go?

Children were sent from cities to places where there was less risk of air raids. Many London children went to Devon, Cornwall and Wales. Other children moved to villages in the North, East Anglia and Scotland.

Evacuees went to live with host families. Their new homes were called 'billets'. 'Billeting officers' arranged for people to look after the children. Things did not always go to plan. Some children ended up in the wrong places. Sometimes evacuees just stood in a line, and local people picked which children to take.

A smaller number of children (perhaps 10,000) went to other countries such as Canada, Australia and the United States.

How did evacuees travel?

An evacuation journey often began with a walk to school. Then it was off in buses to the station, where special trains were waiting. It was quite exciting, but most children felt sad as they waved goodbye to their mothers and the steam train puffed away.

Every evacuee had a gas mask, food for the journey (such as sandwiches, apples, chocolate) and a small bag for washing things and clothes. Pinned to the children's coats were labels. On the label were each child's name, home address, school and where he or she was going. Often the journey took several hours.

Life for evacuees

Though evacuees missed their homes, many enjoyed the country. Country life was full of surprises. Some city children had never seen a cow, and were startled to see where milk came from. Seeing carrots growing in muddy fields, one child said in disgust 'ours come in tins'.

Locals and evacuees went to school and played together. Most became friends, though local children sometimes said it was unfair when the 'townies' were given sweets and parties!

anne frank

Who was Anne Frank?

Anne Frank was an ordinary German Jewish girl. She enjoyed playing with her toys, riding her bike and going to the seaside.

Why is Anne Frank Famous?

Anne Frank is well known because of her diary. It was first published as a book, in Dutch, in 1947. Since then, millions of people have read the thoughts and hopes of one young girl and have been inspired by them.

Why were Jews imprisoned and killed during World War Two ?

Hitler wanted to create what he saw was the perfect German, this meant that anyone who did not fit into his perfect image was persecuted (ill treated) and/or killed. Hitler persecuted German citizens who were Jewish, Gypsies, or otherwise "undesirables".

world war 2 shelters

Why were Air Raid Shelters built?

People needed to protect themselves from the bombs being dropped by German aircraft.

As the night raids became so frequent, many people who were tired of repeatedly interrupting their sleep to go back and forth to the shelters, virtually took up residence in a shelter.

Anderson Shelters

What were Anderson Shelters?

These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top to protect them from bomb blasts.

They were made from six corrugated iron sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measured 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m). The entrance was protected by a steel shield and an earthen blast wall.

An Anderson shelter not buried.

The government gave out Anderson shelters free to people who earned below £5 per week. By September 1939 one and a half million Anderson shelters had been put up in gardens.

What were Anderson Shelters like?

The Anderson Shelters were dark and damp and people were reluctant to use them at night.

In low-lying areas the shelters tended to flood and sleeping was difficult as they did not keep out the sound of the bombings.

How much did they cost?

Anderson shelters were given free to poor people. Men who earned more than £5 a week could buy one for £7.

Morrison Shelters

When was the Morrison Shelter first introduced?

The Morrison Shelter was introduced in March 1941, for people without gardens. The shelter, made from heavy steel, could also be used as a table. People sheltered underneath it during a raid. The Morrison shelter was named after the Minister for Home Security, Mr. Herbert Morrison.

The Morrison shelter was approximately 6 feet 6 inches (2m) long, 4 feet (1.2m) wide and 2 feet 6 inches (0.75m) high.

Places used as shelters

What other places were used as air raid shelters?

By the autumn of 1940 the government realised that air-raid shelters on the surface did not offer very good protection from high explosive bombs. Deeper shelters were used.

Caves were used in many parts of Britain.

On September 21, 1940 the London Underground started to be used as an air raid shelter. On the busiest night in 1940, 177,000 people slept on platforms. Many bought sandwiches, thermos flasks, pillows and blankets.

Answer 2

There wasn't a World War 11. World War One began in the year 1914 and ended in 1918. In June 1914 was the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz which was the catalyst to the war.

Answer 3

WW11 was the second world war starting in the late 1930's. It was triggered by the German invasion of Poland.