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Great Britain: |
| For Great Britain, World War II began almost directly after World War I. Fearing another war with Germany, after the 1918 victory Great Britain demanded the demilitarization and suppression of German rearmament. However, they did not prepare for any scenario when their demands were ignored, and as a result, when Germany openly remilitarized itself in 1934, could do nothing. The British policy became one of appeasement under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, culminating in the Munich Pact in 1938. In 1939, however, when Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain did declare war on Germany. Soon after, Winston Churchill was made prime minister, as he had opposed appeasement and urged a military buildup for years. Under Churchill, Great Britain was able to mobilize and assemble a fighting force powerful enough to withstand the German invasion attempts in 1940. Under Winston Churchill, the naval power of Great Britain was able to adapt to fighting submarines, and packs of British cruisers and destroyers used sonar to hunt down German U-boats. Following the entrance of the United States and the USSR into the war on the side of the Allies, Great Britain no longer stood alone. Working closely with Franklin Roosevelt, Churchill led Great Britain through the victories in Africa and success in the North Atlantic. British forces continued to pound away at the Axis, and joined with American forces in Italy in 1943. In 1944, combined with American forces they participated in the D-Day landings, and British forces made up large portions of the invasion forces that would occupy Germany in 1945. |
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