World War IIWorld War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. The outcome of World War I is what distablized Europe. Germany felt that the Treaty of Versailles was unjustifiable which influenced Adolf Hitlers rise in power. The invasion of Poland by Germany made France and Great Britain declare war on Germany. The Italian Fascism in the 1920s was also a cause of World War II. On the other side of the globe, Japanese invasions in China was also a cause. The United States was not part of World War II until Japan attacked the U.S naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941.
In result, the Allied powers had claimed victory. Japanese and Italian empires fell, the United Nations was created, but it was also the beginning of the Cold War. Over 60 million people were killed. |
Himmler during World War II
Heinrich Himmler was a leading member of the Nazi Party and was appointed the title of Reichsführer-SS. Himmler directed the killing of six million jews and 500,000 other victims. In 1941, Himmler helped with the shooting of 100 Jews at Minsk. He was then concerned by the mental health of his SS men who were shaken by the experience. Himmler decided that there should be alternative ways of killing. Gas chambers were added to concentration camps by his orders. In 1945, Hitler ordered Heinrich's arrest for attempting to open peace talks with western allies without Hitlers permission or knowledge. Heinrich went into hiding but was arrested by British forces. While in British custody, Heinrich committed suicide on May 23, 1945.
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