When did world war 2 start and which countries involved ?

Answer 1

WW2 started on 1 September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. However, Japan and China had been fighting since 1937, so some consider the war to have started back then. The US joined the war on 7 December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Germany surrendered on 7 May 1945, and Japan on 14 August 1945.

It's easier to ask which countries *weren't* involved, since by 1945, all but 5 countries had taken sides with either the allies or the axis. IIRC, the neutrals were Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Eire (Ireland).

Edit:

Robabard, I'm glad that you think you can define the "official" start date of WW2, but the judgement of historians is against your US-Centered view. WW2 is almost universally held to have started on 1 Sept. 1939, except for those that believe it started in either 1937 or 1934, when hostilities began in Asia. When Britain & France joined the war on 3 Sept. 1939, it instantly spanned to most of Asia, Africa & the western hemisphere, because Canada was then in the war, and so were Britain's colonies in Africa, Asia the Pacific, and the Caribbean. France also had colonies in the Caribbean, Asia, & Africa that were, at least until June 1940, in the war as well. There was plenty of naval action in the western Atlantic from almost the start of the war, long before the US joined.

Answer 2

Countries Involved In World War 2

Answer 3

The history books say 1939 and you will probably see the answer a lot from others answering your question. That answer would be correct. But, if you peel away the layers of history and go back 20 years prior to 1939 you might find a more accurate and acceptable answer to your question. When World War I ended, Germany was torn apart and had to accept a peace treaty, that in the eyes of some Germans did more harm than good. Into the 1920's Germany had high inflation, high debt, and was in a depression. People were poverty stricken and without hope. It was at this point that a young fellow named Adolf Hitler became involved in the Nazi parti and went from one beer hall to the next promising the people a stronger Germany through the acceptance of nationalism and thus a better way of life. The tactics of the Nazi party were ruthless and crushed other political parties. The great depression had hit Germany in 1930 and the Nazi party had won some important elections and grabbed key seats in Germany's parliment. By 1933 Hitler was named Chancellor and he had the poltical will to supress muchof the opposition against his party. From here on, Hitler makes alliances with Japan and Italy and facism rears its ugly head. Adolph Hitler at this time also arms himself with a strong military and reclaims all of Germany, both west and east of the Rhine River. By 1939, Hitler invades Poland and the Allied countries (France, Great Britain, and others including the US) must act. Japan Strikes Pearl Harbor on the US on December 7, 1941 and Hitler declares war on the US on December 11, 1941.

Answer 4

In his Brilliant "Origins of the Second World War", AJP Taylor makes the point made by Robabard that the conflict did not become global until the US declared War on Japan and Germany declared War on the US in December, 1941. Prior to that, you had, according to Taylor, an extended European conflict much the same as The Great War (1914-1918).

A case may be made that World War II actually started at Versailles in 1919, with the signing of that disastrous treaty. The countries involved were the usual suspects.

Answer 5

By 1940 the United States had begun to come out of the Great Depression. Many businesses that had closed were open once again. Many people were able to find the kind of jobs they wanted. In other parts of the world, however, countries were fighting in World War II. In 1939, the Allies, led by Britain and France, and later the Soviet Union, had gone to war against the Axis Powers---Germany, Italy, and Japan.
As in World War 1, the U.S. at first tried to stay out of the war. That changed on December 7, 1941, when Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In less than 2 hours, more than 2,400 people were killed. About 150 planes were destroyed and about 20 ships were sunk or damaged. The next day, the US declared war against the Axis Powers.

Answer 6

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RE:
When did world war 2 start and which countries involved ?

Answer 7

It started in September, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. A better question to ask might be which countries weren't involved, as nearly every country on six continents was involved in the war.

Answer 8

The European component of WWII can trace its roots to the year 1933. The time-line is as follows: Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, March 12 the first concentration camp opened at Oranienburg outside Berlin, March 23 the 'Enabling Act' gives Hitler dictatorial power, April 1 Nazi boycott of Jewish owned shops, May 10 Nazis burn books in Germany, June Nazis open Dachau concentration camp, and July 14 Nazi party declared only party in Germany. This was the "roots" of what would become WWII as far as the European theater is concerned.

By March 7, 1936 German troops occupy the Rhineland, May 9 Mussolini's Italian forces take Ethiopia, July 18 Civil war erupts in Spain. Thus begins the war with Germany, Italy, Spain, Ethiopia, as well as "other" sovereign nations. By 1938 Germany, Italy, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Russia, Britain, New Zealand, France, and Poland, as well as others are all involved.

We, the United States, joined in 1941 when we were attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. This began the war in the Pacific. Within days Germany declared war on the US thus we began the war in Europe. By this time few, except most notably Switzerland and Ireland, were left out of the war.

Answer 9

First, 'answer machine' is obviously a moron.

That needed to be said for historical purposes.

Now, to your question ...
... and the answer is ...

December 8, 1941. The Japanese attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 - "a day that shall live in infamy", as President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it a day later when he asked Congress to declare war on both Japan and Germany.

Germany did invade Poland in 1939. But the war was not a World War, until the US got involved in 1941. Prior to that, there was a major conflict in Europe, and a major conflict in the Pacific between the Japanese and China. But there was no conflict at all in the Western Hemisphere.

You simply can't call it a World War - let alone the second one - until the conflict circled the globe. Once the US got involved, the conflict literally went all the way around the world. It became, sadly, a "world war".

Even more sad, we knew by then that we needed to number them. It wasn't just the first world war, but the second.

Dan K #1: Thanks for calling me out, though it was hostile. You aren't trying to say that NO historians hang the date on 8 December 1941, are you? Second, Canada's involvement was populated by volunteers - no rational standard uses volunteers to engage an entire hemisphere. Lastly, Hitler's own correspondence says he did NOT want any naval activity in the western Atlantic for fear of another Lusitania and getting the US involved. Hitler didn't see it as a world war then (part of the world was off limits), and he has more authority than any pack of post-war historians. Dan K, if you continue to disagree, lets meet at Aberdeen and duel it out with some M1A1s! Ha!

Answer 10

Traditionally people say that World War 2 started when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. However, prior to this there was the invasion of Austria. In recent years there has been a revisit of the border skirmish between Austria and Germany, and there is the postualtion that the skirmish actually was between German soldiers who were dressed as Austrian border guard and other German soldiers. As a result of this, Germany said that Austria acted aggressively and invaded.