When did World War II started?

[Rich46yo]

Funny but this very question came up in post WW-ll war crimes prosecutions in Asia.

The Americans, specifically Douglas MacArthur, wanted to avoid any prosecutions of the Japanese royal family even tho they were guilty as sin. Most of all the Emperor and his uncle, the one who commanded at the rape of Nanking. The reasons for this was Political expediency. MacArthur wanted the cooperation of Hirohito for his occupation forces and most of all the adaptation of his new constitution. MacArthur rightly saw Japan as the new front line in the next war with communism and he wanted internal stability in the new Japanese Democracy. To the Japanese Hirohito was the equivalent of Jesus to Christians and without his help MacArthur knew he would fail in the reconstruction of Asia.

One of the reasons he used for not prosecuting war crimes for the most heinous Japanese actions, the ones during their rape of Asia, was that it occurred during a "different war" and that WW-ll didn't actually start until 1 Sept. '39. So there was no trials for Nanking, the rape of Korea, the comfort woman, or even the chem/bio experiments of unit 731, "we wanted their records and cooperation for weapons development". MacArthur's reasoning was that these crimes happened during a "different war, one between ancient Asian peoples". The whole episode was a shameful chapter in American history. Even if it was a necessary one.

But if you asked 100 Historians when WW-ll started I bet most would say 1 Sept. '39. During the period right after the conflict I'd say 99 out of 100 would have said that.

[Squire]

I think the point is being missed here.

We "label" historical events so that we have a framework to discuss, write, debate, remember, ect those events. We have a need to catelog them so we can carry on a discourse about those events. Thats it.

"World War 2", is simply an easy term for the historical time of September 1st 1939-August 15th 1945 (VJ Day).

...If everybody decided on their own to declare what the dates were, it just muddies things up. Thats not to say you cant have a debate on the origins of WW2, but for purposes of Western History, the dates have been "decided on" already. Its not open to debate. At least not in the context of historians.

Its like asking why the planet Venus is called Venus. Answer: because thats what we decided to name it.

[Anaxogoras]

There was a funny event who chain reacted into WW2, and was a one-man's thought.
At the beginning of WWI, a German captain sailed his battlecruiser to Turkey and managed therewith to get the Turks to the German side. Had it been the other way around, Germany would have lost much before, thereby changing the whole affair of WWI....

Germany had been nurturing good relations with Turkey for many years before WW1.  The Kaiser even wore a fez during some state visits to Istanbul.  Moreover, with England and Turkey both wanting control over Egypt and the middle east, they were natural enemies.

[Fugita]

My favorite part of all this was the signing of the Kellog-Briand Pact of 1929.

Had those two not signed that, only God knows what cereal would be like today.

  Capn' Crunch

[Hap]

I think the point is being missed here.

We "label" historical events so that we have a framework to discuss, write, debate, remember, ect those events. We have a need to catelog them so we can carry on a discourse about those events. Thats it.

"World War 2", is simply an easy term for the historical time of September 1st 1939-August 15th 1945 (VJ Day).

...If everybody decided on their own to declare what the dates were, it just muddies things up. Thats not to say you cant have a debate on the origins of WW2, but for purposes of Western History, the dates have been "decided on" already. Its not open to debate. At least not in the context of historians.

Its like asking why the planet Venus is called Venus. Answer: because thats what we decided to name it.

Nice post Squire.  Like stuff like this.  No merge, ho, or whining.  BBS should not be a MA substitute.

[oakranger]

I posted this topice to see what most of you believe when the war started.  There is really no right or wrong answer, alothough most people say it started in 1939.  The quesion is just like many other quesions that we look at and just decied what to believe. 

I am glade i am surounded by you guys.  Getting a bit tried of these dam kids thinking WWII happen in the 60s or "was there a WWII".

[Anaxogoras]

I think the point is being missed here.

We "label" historical events so that we have a framework to discuss, write, debate, remember, ect those events. We have a need to catelog them so we can carry on a discourse about those events. Thats it.

"World War 2", is simply an easy term for the historical time of September 1st 1939-August 15th 1945 (VJ Day).

...If everybody decided on their own to declare what the dates were, it just muddies things up. Thats not to say you cant have a debate on the origins of WW2, but for purposes of Western History, the dates have been "decided on" already. Its not open to debate. At least not in the context of historians.

Its like asking why the planet Venus is called Venus. Answer: because thats what we decided to name it.

I disagree, although I do agree that naming is important for understanding what is going on here.  My analogy would be this:

We call the one hemisphere of Venus "Venus," and give the other half a different name.  That's what it's like when we call 1939-1945 "WWII."

[JB88]

how about we let skuzzy give us the definative answer?

 

[Fishu]

I'm against the 1941 as the start year, because the USA did participate in the war efforts before the year for example by selling weapons to countries at war. IIRC the US legislation did not allow weapon sales to countries at war.

[Squire]

Case in point, by all rights the Napoleonic Wars, or the Mongol Invasions of Europe could have been called "World Wars".

...its just a label.

The Russians called it the "Great Patriotic War", and to them, it didnt start untill June 22nd 1941.

Anyways it seems there are two argumenets here; one is the origins, the second is the subjective "start" date, which will remain, well, subjective.

We are all entitled to our opinions I guess.

Im calling WW2 "That Big War After WW1" and saying it started on the first Monday after September 1st 1939, because all big wars should start on a Monday. There.

[Ripsnort]

When the 'Germans' bombed Pearl Harbor.


Next question.

Bestist answer so far!  Gawd I loved that movie...

[RipChord929]

Generally, I think WWI and WWII were one war,
with a breathing space to create a new generation of
cannon fodder...

But following that logic, the european civil war had been
going on since the fall of the roman empire... One war
just fed into another, over and over thru the centuries..

For conversation sake, I go with Sept 1st/2nd 1939...
Just like most ppl do...

RC

[Angus]

1st sept was planned for WW2, do not forget that.
The Germans had the deadline from Britain and France, - "don't touch Poland or we go war".
They chuckled and went on.

[Kermit de frog]

1st sept was planned for WW2, do not forget that.
The Germans had the deadline from Britain and France, - "don't touch Poland or we go war".
They chuckled and went on.

On September 17th, 1939 Poland was invaded on its eastern border by the Soviet Union.
 

[Curlew]

It started when the germans bombed pearl harbor 

Heres my reference to prove it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8lT1o0sDwI&feature=related