The Second World War

Second World War, key events, British resilience, and major figures like Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming.

The Second World War (1939–1945)

In 1933, Adolf Hitler became leader of Germany. He thought the Allied conditions after the First World War were unfair and wanted to gain more land for Germans. He started rebuilding Germany’s army and testing its strength. The British government wanted to avoid another war, but when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany.

The war began between the Axis powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan – and the Allies, which included the UK, France, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa.

After invading Austria and Czechoslovakia, Hitler attacked Belgium and the Netherlands, then moved into France in 1940. During this crisis, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister and led Britain through the war.

As France fell, British and French troops were trapped at Dunkirk. The Royal Navy, helped by civilian volunteers in small boats, rescued over 300,000 soldiers. This successful evacuation became known as the ‘Dunkirk spirit’, symbolising bravery and teamwork.

British troops lined up on the beach in Dunkirk awaiting evacuation
Source: Wikipedia

From June 1940 to June 1941, Britain and the Empire stood almost alone against Nazi Germany.

Hitler wanted to invade Britain, but first needed control of the skies. The Germans launched massive air attacks. The Royal Air Force (RAF) fought back and won the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. The main British fighter planes were the Spitfire and the Hurricane, both built in Britain.

Even after this victory, German planes bombed London and other cities at night during the Blitz. Coventry was almost destroyed, and the East End of London was heavily damaged. Despite this, the British showed courage and unity – remembered as the ‘Blitz spirit’.

Meanwhile, Britain fought on other fronts. In Singapore, the Japanese defeated the British and occupied Burma, threatening India. The United States joined the war after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

Anti-aircraft guns in Hyde Park, London, during the Blitz
Source: Wikipedia

That same year, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, beginning the largest invasion in history. The fierce battles caused huge losses, but the Soviets eventually pushed the Germans back, marking a major turning point in the war.

The Allies started to win more battles, especially in North Africa and Italy. With help from the United States, they prepared to invade Western Europe. On 6 June 1944, they landed in Normandy, an event known as D-Day. After winning in Normandy, the Allies moved through France and into Germany, finally defeating the Nazis in May 1945.

The war with Japan ended in August 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs were based on discoveries by Ernest Rutherford, a New Zealand-born scientist who worked in Manchester and Cambridge. British scientists also helped in the Manhattan Project in the US, which built the bomb. The Second World War was finally over.

Alexander Fleming (1881–1955)

Alexander Fleming was born in Scotland and moved to London as a teenager. He became a doctor and, while researching influenza in 1928, discovered penicillin. Later, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain developed it into a usable drug. By the 1940s, penicillin was mass-produced and became a crucial medical tool during World War II.
Fleming won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945. Penicillin is still used to treat infections today.

Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

Winston Churchill was the son of a politician. Before becoming a Conservative MP in 1900, he worked as a soldier and journalist. He became Prime Minister in May 1940 and refused to surrender to Nazi Germany, inspiring the nation through difficult times.
Although he lost the 1945 General Election, he returned as Prime Minister in 1951 and served as an MP until 1964. When he died in 1965, he received a state funeral. In 2002, the public voted him the greatest Briton of all time.
Winston Churchill in 1941
Source: Wikipedia
Churchill is famous for his powerful speeches, including:
  • “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” – First speech as Prime Minister, 1940.
  • “We shall fight on the beaches... we shall never surrender.” – After the Dunkirk evacuation, 1940.
  • “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” – During the Battle of Britain, 1940.

Key Points

  • Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 and started WWII by invading Poland in 1939.
  • The Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) fought the Allies (UK, France, Poland, and others).
  • Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940.
  • Dunkirk evacuation saved 300,000 soldiers and inspired the term ‘Dunkirk spirit’.
  • Battle of Britain (1940): RAF victory with Spitfire and Hurricane planes.
  • The Blitz caused huge damage but built British unity – the ‘Blitz spirit’.
  • Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941; the US entered the war.
  • Hitler invaded the Soviet Union but was defeated.
  • D-Day: Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944.
  • Germany surrendered in May 1945.
  • Japan surrendered in August 1945 after atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • Ernest Rutherford helped develop atomic science; British scientists joined the Manhattan Project.
  • Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928; Florey and Chain developed it further.
  • Fleming won the Nobel Prize in Medicine (1945).
  • Winston Churchill led Britain in WWII, lost in 1945, returned in 1951, retired in 1964, and died in 1965.
  • He was voted “Greatest Briton” in 2002.
  • Famous speeches: “Blood, toil, tears and sweat”, “We shall never surrender”, and “So much owed by so many to so few”.
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