World War II: Alignment Of All Countries Involved
The Second World War broke out on 1st September 1939 when German troupes invaded Poland. The war that started in Europe had two military coalitions combating against each other. The two military groups, Axis Powers and the Allied Powers, had almost every nation of the world fighting for either of them. The spearheading powers of the war had Germany, Italy and Japan forming the Axis powers pitted against the Big Five – United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France, China and the United States of the Allied powers.
World War II – Allied against Axis
World War I ended with Germany signing the treaty of Versailles as Nazis accepted their defeat at the hands of Allies. Again in World War II, Allied group fought not only against Germany and but also against Italy and Japan. Though the latter two countries were a part of the Allies group during First World War but signing of the Tripartite Pact on 27th September 1940 had brought them together as the Axis countries – Germany, Italy and Japan.
The Allies had the Commonwealth countries including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, French and British colonial empires (India etc.) joined by the United States which had earlier shown reluctance. The war that began between world’s greatest powers fighting against each other culminated with probably every other country of the world declaring war on the Axis powers.
Countries united under Allied Power– The ‘Big Five’ were joined by countries like Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Albania, Philippines, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Denmark, Iraq, Bolivia, British Malaya, Colombia, Norway, Cuba, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Dutch East Indies (today’s New Guinea and Indonesia), Chile, El Salvador, Greece, Haiti, Luxembourg, Panama, Cyprus, Malta, the Netherlands, Palestine, Mexico, Peru, , Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Honduras, Syria, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Trucial States (now called United Arab Emirates), Uruguay, Iran, Newfoundland, Venezuela and Guyana.
Countries united under Axis Power– Bulgaria, Romania, Vichy France, Taiwan (then called Formosa), Hungary, Finland, Manchuria, Thailand, Italian colonies of Somalia and Ethiopia chartered under the Axis military forces to fight against the Allied powers. Beginning with Germany, Italy and Japan, the group was subsequently joined by these countries only to face defeat at the end of the war.
Countries that stayed neutral during the war– The colonies of Spain and Portugal in Africa, Afghanistan, Spain, Iceland, Switzerland, North Yemen, Portugal, Nepal, Oman, and Ireland decided to keep a neutral stand when the whole world was at war.
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