Second World War was not only the worst tragedy in the history of mankind, but also is the biggest geopolitical conflict over the development of civilization.In this bloody confrontation involved dozens of countries, each of which pursue their goals: territorial expansion, expansion of influence, economic benefits, protect its borders and population.
To achieve these goals, participants of the Second World War were forced to join in a coalition.The group consisted of allied countries that have interests and goals are most closely intertwined.But sometimes in these units in order to solve the problem of higher unite even countries that have seen the postwar world quite differently.
Who were the major and minor participants of the Second World War?The list of countries officially be a party of the conflict are presented below.
Countries "Axis»
First of all, look at the state, which is considered to be the direct aggressors started World War II.They are conventionally called countries of "Axis".
countries of the Tripartite Pact
Berlin or the Triple Pact were participants of the Second World War, playing a leading role among the "axis".They concluded a treaty of alliance September 27, 1940 in Berlin, directed against their rivals and defining the post-war division of the world in case of victory.
Germany - the most powerful militarily and economically state of the Axis, which is the main binding force of the association.It is this power carried the greatest threat and caused the heaviest damage to the anti-Hitler coalition troops.She started the Second World War in 1939.
Italy - a strong ally of Germany in Europe.To unleash hostilities in 1940.
Japan - a third party of the Tripartite Pact.It qualifies for exceptional influence in the Asia-Pacific region, the fighting within which and led.He entered the war in 1941.
Secondary members of the "Axis»
The secondary members of the "axis" are the participants of the Second World War among the allies of Germany, Japan and Italy, which do not play a primary role on the battlefield, but nevertheless took part in the fighting on the side of Naziblock or have declared war on the anti-Hitler coalition.These include:
- Hungary;
- Bulgaria;
- Romania;
- Slovakia;
- Kingdom of Thailand;
- Finland;
- Iraq;
- Republic of San Marino.
State controlled collaborationist government
This category of states are occupied during the fighting Germany and its allies, which established the government, loyal to block "Axis."These forces brought to power was World War II.Members of the Tripartite Pact thus wanted to position itself in these countries as liberators, not conquerors.These countries are:
- Croatia;
- Serbia;
- Burma (the country and all of the following States were occupied by Japan);
- Philippines;
- Laos;
- Vietnam;
- Cambodia.
anti-Hitler coalition
under the symbol "anti-Hitler coalition" refers to the union of countries against the state "axis".Formation of the Union bloc happened for almost the entire period during which there was the Second World War.Participating countries were able to withstand the anti-Hitler coalition in the fight against Nazism and win.
Big Three
Big Three - are participants of the Second World War, the number of anti-Hitler coalition, which made the greatest contribution to the victory over Germany and other countries "axis".With the highest military capabilities, they were able to reverse the course of hostilities, the original is not in their favor.First of all thanks to these countries to triumph over Nazism ended World War II.Combatants from among the other states of the coalition, of course, also earned the gratitude of all the free peoples of the world for deliverance from the "brown plague", but without the concerted action of these three powers, victory would have been impossible.
UK - State first entered in 1939 into an open confrontation with Nazi Germany after the attack on Poland last.Throughout the war, it created the most problems for the Third Reich in western Europe.
USSR - the state has suffered the greatest loss of life during World War II.According to some estimates, they exceeded 27 million people.That is the price of blood and tremendous efforts of the Soviet people managed to stop the triumphant march of the Reich divisions and turn the flywheel back the war.The Soviet Union entered the war after the attack of Nazi Germany in June 1941.
US - after all of the big three countries took part in the hostilities (with the end of 1941).But it was the introduction of the United States into the war helped complete the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition, and successful actions in the battle with Japan did not allow her to open a front in the Far East against the Soviet Union.
Secondary members of anti-Hitler coalition
Of course, in such an important matter as the fight against Nazism, supporting roles can not be, but the countries listed below have still less influence on the course of the fighting, than participants of the Big Three.At the same time they have made their own contribution to the completion of such a grand military conflict like World War II.Participating countries of the coalition, in each of its ability, given the fight Nazism.Some of them are directly opposed to the military forces of the "axis" in the fields of battles, other organized movement against the occupiers, and others helped supply.
you can call these countries:
- France (one of the first to enter the war against Germany (1939) and defeated);
- state of the British Commonwealth of Nations;
- Poland;
- Czechoslovakia (at the time of the outbreak of hostilities in fact no longer existed as a unified state);
- Netherlands;
- Belgium;
- Luxembourg;
- Denmark;
- Norway;
- Greece;
- Monaco (despite neutrality was alternately occupied by Italy and Germany);
- Albania;
- Argentina;
- Chile;
- Brazil;
- Bolivia;
- Venezuela;
- Colombia;
- Peru;
- Ecuador;
- Dominican Republic;
- Guatemala;
- Salvador;
- Costa Rica;
- Panama;
- Mexico;
- Honduras;
- Nicaragua;
- Haiti;
- Cuba;
- Uruguay;
- Paraguay;
- Turkey;
- Bahrain;
- Saudi Arabia;
- Iran;
- Iraq;
- Nepal;
- China;
- Mongolia;
- Egypt;
- Liberia;
- Ethiopia;
- Tuva.
difficult to underestimate the breadth of the scope of this grand tragedy as World War II.The number of participants in major armed conflicts of the XX century was 62 countries.This is a very high figure, considering that at that time there were only 72 independent states.In principle, there was no countries where this grand event is not touched at all, at least ten of them, and declared its neutrality.The whole scale of the tragedy is not able to pass any memoirs of participants of World War II, or the victims of the concentration camps, let alone historical textbooks.But the present generation should be good to remember past mistakes, not to repeat them in the future.
