World War II: Exploring a lot of What-ifs!
People standing in an open field amidst a lot of Rubble from destroyed buildings and leftovers
Table of Contents
The horrors of World-War II are still not forgotten.
Look at these stats below:
Number of approximate deaths
This is just a rough number of what was the real cost of World War 2.
Yes, the loss of uncountable lives, annihilation of generations and unimaginable destruction of property.
If we talk about real numbers, The money cost to governments involved has been estimated at more than $1,000,000,000,000.
Cost Estimations reported by Britannica:
In this post, We will explore what would have happened:
If the Soviet Union, which the current Russia is a part of, never agreed to the proposals of Hitler?
If the USA hadn’t intervened in the war?
If US hadn’t attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Nuclear Bombs?
The exact reasons behind World War 2 written in our history books circles around ‘The war against Fascism’.
But If we look at the causes of World War II closely, you will realise that everything happened because of one thing: DESIRE.
Every country involved in the World war, every leader who was involved in this massacre had some desires that were left unfulfilled after WW1.
The Four Desires Behind World War II
Expand territories: The expansion of territories is the main reason why any nation would want to start a war against another.
Led by Adolf Hitler, Germany sought to expand its territory and undo the Treaty of Versailles, which had limited their military power and caused great territorial losses.
Germany's allies(Japan and Italy) in the war also pursued aggressive expansion in Africa and Asia.
Read about how Hitler formed alliances with Japan, Italy and the Soviet Union along with other small countries here.Prosper: The harsh terms imposed on Germany after WWI led to economic hardships. To ease this economic pressure, the leaders of Germany were seeking revenge, which they believed would benefit them in the long run.
Satisfy one’s needs: Every nation involved in World War II had their own motivations for participating in the war:
Germany wanted to seek revenge as explained above.
Italy wanted to create a new Roman Empire, seeking territorial expansion in Africa and the Mediterranean while US, France and Great Britain feared that if Germany wasn't stopped, it would expand beyond their control and dominate the entire world.
Gain More Power: The more resources one would have, the more powerful they would become.
Germany Lost a lot of their territory and their military power was confined to 100,000 soldiers after the Treaty of Versailles, which they wanted to gain back.
Japan had a dearth of natural resources like oil and minerals. In order to secure these resources, they wanted to expand in East Asia and the Pacific.
Italy under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, also had similar needs.
Read more about the dictator Benito Mussolini here.
Your inner desires can kill your ability to take wise decisions needed to deal with the demons outside.
What would have happened if:
The Soviet Union, which the current Russia is a part of, never agreed to the proposals of Hitler?
A simple answer would be: ‘Germans probably wouldn’t have tried to invade Poland.’
World Map showing Germany and neighbour countries
If Germany had still decided to invade Poland, It would have been surrounded from both fronts i.e. France and UK from the left, and Soviet Union from the Right! Definitely, would have made less chances to their victory. That’s what Hitler, also might have thought at that time.
That is even what happened when Hitler later decided to break the non-aggression pact with USSR and fought against it. But if he had done it earlier, USSR chances of joining forces with France and Britain would have been more(A different game all-together). May be even France wouldn’t be defeated.
Read about why Germany broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact(non-aggression) and invaded the Soviet Union here.
If the USA hadn’t intervened in the war?
The US was directly and indirectly involved in the war.Their first and foremost strategy is to get indirectly involved in the war. In simple terms, they achieve this by using the lease-lend strategy. They lease and lend the weapons to their allies which help them earn money and grow their global business and this has been their primary goal. Let the whole world fight, weaken them, and increase their dependency on US.
Until somebody directly attacked on them, US will never get involved in any war directly. This is what happened in the WW2 as well. They didn’t care how many people were dying in the war, and how much loss the whole world was suffering until the attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7,1941 was launched by Japan. This led to 2400 American deaths on American soil.
The US was left with no choice but to respond. The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous "Day of Infamy" speech, and Congress declared war on Japan.
After this, Germany and Italy declared war on US too, as they were Japan’s allies.
So, here, the question of US not participating in the war was a tricky one. 😄 The US was involved in the war from day 1(Indirectly).If US hadn’t attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Atomic Bombs?
The US was the only country at that time who was able to develop and use atomic bombs.
I have two theories why the US decided to use it.
First theory:
The US had no choice i.e. they were loosing. But no, this wasn’t the truth.A majority of historians agree that Japan would have likely surrendered without the atomic bombings, either due to the Soviet invasion, the weakened Japanese military, or the imminent Allied invasion.
Infact, The U.S. leadership believed the bombings would shock Japan into surrendering quickly, avoiding a prolonged conflict. President Truman and military officials saw the atomic bomb as a way to bring World War II to a swift conclusion. 😐
The bombings were just a way to send strong message to the world, particularly the Soviet Union, showcasing the U.S.'s new military capabilities.
Read about it here in detail.
Second Theory:Unfortunately, there are people in the world who thrive on other people’s suffering and the US is one of them.
A new weapon came into their arsenal and they were dying to test it. The WW2 came as a perfect opportunity for them to see how much destruction atomic bombs are capable of doing.
On July 16, 1945, in a remote desert location near Alamogordo, New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was successfully detonated—the Trinity Test. It created an enormous mushroom cloud some 40,000 feet high and ushered in the Atomic Age.
Even after the tests, they were not satisfied and probably not aware of the consequences of using such a destructive weapon and finally bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the next month on August 6, 1945 and August 9,1945.This bombings not only crippled the current generation of Japan, but the after effects could be seen today also.
It basically crippled Japan from inside out.
Conclusion
These questions show us how one decision can change the lives of millions. They also remind us that history isn't just about big events. It's about real people – soldiers, families, and leaders – all making tough choices.
Looking at these "what ifs" helps us understand what really happened better. It makes us think about how the choices we make today can shape tomorrow.
As we finish this story, let's remember that we're not just reading about history – we're making it. Every day, our actions can make the world a little bit better or worse.
By learning from the past, we can try to make smarter choices for the future. Let's use what we've learned to work towards a world with less fighting and more fairness for everyone.
Your decisions tell a lot about yourself.