What are three of the most significant concepts of World War 2?

Answer 1

1. Ethnic Nationalism - this was the entire drive behind the Nazi war effort. Nazi ideolgy held that the Germans as a race were superior to other humans, and that all Germanic countries should be unified into one ethnic German Reich. Furthermore, areas in the east were to be "cleansed"of their inferior racial makeup and turned into living-space for Ethnic German settlers.

2. The Soviet Union - The USSR largely won the European war on its own, (with some small material assistance in the form of lend-lease supplies from the US). The Soviets suffered simply incredible losses in the first two years of the war, but by finding certain talented commanders, and through sheer force of ruthlessness, they were able to stop the Germans cold, first in front of Moscow, and then in the crumbled ruins of Stalingrad.

By the time the US and western allies finally invaded France in the summer of 1944, the Soviets had defeated the Germans at Stalingrad and Karkhov, and pushed the Wermacht almost entirely out of pre-war soviet territory. Through the rest of the war, even at the height of The Battle of the Bulge, (the greatest threat to the US and British armies during the entire course of the European campaign), more than 70% of the German army was on the eastern front, fighting a losing battle to the Soviets.

3. Appeasement - At the close of the 1st world war, Germany was punished mercilessly by the terms of the treaty of Versailles. The western allies imposed an impossible and humiliating peace on the losing nation which created economic and political chaos in Germany. It was from this upheaval that Adolph Hitler was able to catapult himself into power.

Almost immediately, Hitler directed the Germans to flout the terms of the treaty, resuming the manufacture of forbidden weapons and armament, recreating an officer corps and professional military, and posturing to the international community at large.

France and Britain, who had been victorious in the last war, were aware of these measures, and as late as 1936 or 7 could very easily have stepped in with the backing of the league of nations and international community to put a stop to these activities and remove Hitler from power without even a fight.

But they did not, rather they appeased Hitler, and allowed him to rebuild the German military under the guise of "self-defense." They eventually even granted the right for Germany to have an equal military to that of France. When Germany far exceeded even this stipulation, action still might have been taken with a minimum loss of life.

But soon enough, Germany was more powerful than Britain and France combined. Then Hitler began a cat-and-mouse game of aggressive, even pseudo-military diplomacy in eastern Europe. He annexed Austria and the Western Allies appeased him. He occupied the Rhineland and the Allies appeased him. He overran the Czech republic, and was allowed to get away with that too. Now, with his eastern frontier otherwise secured, freeing massive forces for use wherever he wished to employ them, Hitler signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviets, and Invaded Poland.

At this last, the western Allies finally drew the line, but by that time the German military was powerful, well-organized, professionally led and equipped. When the Wehrmacht finally set its sights on France the next summer, they overran the entire French and British expeditionary forces within a matter of weeks.