There were two world wars.
World War I began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918.
The causes of the First World War can be traced back to the events of 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo. On this day, the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. This event became the trigger for the First World War.
Before Ferdinand's assassination, the contradictions between European countries were already acute. The Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy was fiercely contested on the one hand, and the Triple Entente of Great Britain, France, and **. This competition is mainly focused on aspects such as territory, ** and naval power.
After that, Austria-Hungary quickly blamed Serbia for the incident and put extremely harsh conditions on Serbia. Serbia considered these conditions humiliating and declared war on Austria-Hungary. Subsequently, Germany supported Austria-Hungary, while France and Great Britain supported Serbia.
After the outbreak of the war, countries declared war one after another, involving their respective allies, forming a large-scale war. The war was mainly divided into two theaters, the Eastern Front and the Western Front. On the Eastern Front, ** fought fierce battles with Germany and Austria-Hungary;On the Western Front, France engaged in a tug-of-war with Germany.
The war lasted four years and caused a large amount of human and property damage. An estimated 10 million people died in the war and another 20 million were injured or maimed. The war brought great changes to Europe, with many countries collapsing or being weakened in the war, while new ones rose.
It was not until November 11, 1918 that Germany surrendered and signed the Peace of Versailles, a peace treaty between the victorious powers and Germany after World War I. The treaty imposed severe penalties on Germany, including the deprivation of part of its territory, the payment of reparations, the limitation of armaments, etc.
The signing of the Treaty of Versailles marked the official end of World War I. However, despite the fact that the war is over, the world has not achieved true peace. In the following decades, the contradictions and conflicts between the countries of the world escalated, which eventually led to the outbreak of World War II.
World War II began on September 1, 1939 and ended on September 2, 1945.
In the Great Depression of 1929, national economies were devastated, leading to social unrest and political change. Germany was hit hard by the Great Depression, with soaring unemployment and poverty rates, which provided the soil for the rise of Nazi German leader Adolf Hitler. Hitler won popular support by promising to improve Germany's economic situation and raise Germany's international standing.
In the 1930s, Hitler tried to stir up the mood of the German masses through theories of racial superiority and nationalism. He declared that Germany's mission was to dominate Europe and to mold the German people into a "super-nation." Through a series of electoral and political means, Hitler took the leadership of Germany and began his plan of conquest. He formed an Axis alliance with Mussolini in Italy and militarists in Japan in an attempt to expand his influence through military expansion and territorial struggles. Britain, France, and other countries sought to appease Germany through appeasement, trying to limit its expansionist behavior through economic sanctions and other means. However, these policies did not deter Germany's aggressive behavior, but rather fueled its ambitions.
On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany launched a surprise attack on Poland, marking the beginning of World War II. Poland quickly collapsed under a powerful German offensive, followed by a declaration of war by Britain and France on Germany. This was a major change in the political landscape of Europe after the First World War, and many countries suffered severe losses and destruction in the war.
In the early stages of the war, Germany achieved major victories on the European theater, occupying countries such as Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and France. Britain suffered serious losses under German air raids, but still held out resistance. At the same time, the Soviet Union also achieved significant victories on the Eastern Front, occupying regions such as the Baltic coast and Ukraine.
On June 22, 1941, Germany launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union, and the Soviet-German war broke out. It was one of the largest and most brutal wars of World War II. The German offensive soon occupied large swathes of Soviet territory, but suffered a major defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad and was forced to retreat. Although the Soviet Union suffered huge human and economic losses in the war, it was ultimately victorious, which was also a turning point in the Second World War.
On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in the United States, leading to the declaration of war by the United States on Japan. Imperial Japan's ambitions for expansion in the Pacific were curbed by the United States and allies, and it was finally defeated in 1945.
In July 1943, Allied forces landed in Sicily, marking the surrender of Italy.
In June 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy, opening up a second battlefield in Europe.
On May 8, 1945, Germany announced its unconditional surrender, ending the European theater of World War II.
August 6 and August 9, 1945. During these two days, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. led to the unconditional surrender of Japan. On September 2, 1945, Japan officially signed the instrument of surrender, ending World War II.
The two world wars were one of the most tragic wars in human history and had a profound impact on the world.
First, the two world wars changed the political landscape in Europe. The war caused the European powers to consume a lot of resources and manpower in the war, which led to economic collapse and political turmoil. After the war, Europe's international status declined, and the United States and the Soviet Union became two superpowers, forming a world pattern during the Cold War.
Secondly, the two world wars also had a profound impact on world culture. War has led people to reflect on the nature of human beings and the brutality of war. In the process, the fields of literature, art, and philosophy have developed tremendously, and many outstanding works and ideas have emerged.
In addition, the two world wars also had a profound impact on the world economy. The war led to the introduction of economic regulation and a planned economy in various countries, which promoted the tendency of the state to intervene in the economy. After the war, countries began to rebuild their economies, but due to the devastation of the war and the shortage of resources, many countries experienced economic difficulties. In the process, the United States became one of the world's largest creditors and debtors, with far-reaching implications for the global economy.
Finally, the two world wars also had a profound impact on science and technology. The war caused various countries to begin to vigorously develop military science and technology and industry, and promoted the development and innovation of science and technology. After the war, these technologies were widely used in the civilian field, promoting the development and progress of society.
In short, the two world wars had a profound impact on the world, changing the political landscape of Europe and affecting the development of world culture, economy, and science and technology. Although war has brought great suffering and destruction, it has also promoted human reflection and development.