Second World War: Causes, Development
and Consequences
Haji Beytullah Mutlu
Abstract. World War II (1939–1945) is considered the most destructive and large-scale armed conflict in human history. Spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, the war resulted in millions of deaths, huge economic losses, and a fundamental reshaping of the international system. This study examines the causes of World War II, the main events that occurred during the conflict, and its political, economic, and social impacts on the world. The study shows that the war was not just a military struggle, but also led to significant changes in international relations, technology, economics, and human rights. The main causes of the war were the failure of the international order that emerged after World War I, economic crises, extreme nationalism, and the expansionist policies of totalitarian regimes. In particular, the aggressive actions of Nazi Germany led by Adolf Hitler and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations in maintaining peace made a global conflict inevitable. The military operations that took place during the war, especially the decisive moments such as the Battle of Stalingrad and the Normandy landings, paved the way for the victory of the Allied forces. The consequences of the conflict were not limited to the military sphere, but also profoundly changed political and economic structures; great powers such as Nazi Germany, Italy, and Imperial Japan collapsed, and many states were subjected to various political regimes. Although the creation of the United Nations formed a new platform for maintaining peace, the ideological competition between the United States and the USSR led to the beginning of the "Cold War". This war, which accelerated technological innovations and launched the atomic age, also determined that the principles of human rights, international law, and global cooperation became the main pillars of the modern world.
Keywords: Second World war, Germany, Hitler, allied powers, Axis powers, cold war