ABSTRACT
The outbreak of hostilities again in September 1939 brought a very different kind of war from that of World War I. In fact, after a period of relative inactivity in military terms (the ‘phoney war’, as the Americans called it), France was overwhelmed and the British army evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940. The second phase of the war was characterised by the defeat of the German attempts to destroy the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain and the attacks of the German Luftwaffe on British cities and towns (the Blitz). There was also extensive fighting against first Italian then German troops in North Africa and later in Italy. During this period, Germany invaded Russia in June 1941, and Japan attacked the USA in December 1941 at Pearl Harbour. Germany thereupon declared war on the United States, thereby bringing Britain a very welcome ally. The third period of the war may be said to date from this point to D-Day, in June 1944, when a so-called Second Front was opened up with massed Allied landings in France. During this period, Britain suffered serious losses of territory in the Far East to Japan, including Burma. The fourth and last period of war lasted till VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) in May 1945, which was followed shortly afterwards by VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day), Japan having surrendered after the dropping of two atom bombs on the Japanese mainland on 6 and 9 August.
