World War II
"Today we rule Germany, tomorrow, the world."
-Adolf Hitler.
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"American Soldiers" World War II in Photographs. p.169 |
From 1914 to 1918, the countries of Europe fought a war that was to be "The War to End All Wars." Unfortunately, a mere twenty years later, Europe sat on the verge of another conflict. Germany felt that it had been betrayed and had actually never lost the first Great War. Led by Adolf Hitler, Germany began to rebuild its armies and began its quest for a German empire, the Third Reich, that would last one thousand years.
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"German Soldiers" Hitlers Generals. p.181 |
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, beginning the Second World War. Over the next three years, Germany and its allies took over much of Europe. However, when Hitler tried to invade the Soviet Union in 1942, he was handed his first major defeat. Upon hearing this, Hungary asked Hitler for peace. Because Hungary would not stay with Germany, Hitler invaded the country, which had previously been a relatively safe haven for refugees in Europe. The tide of the war soon turned against the Germans, and on May 7, 1945, the Germans surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces.