The countries implied in the Second world war can be classified in two main categories: powers of the axis joined together around the Nazi Germany, fascistic Italy and Japan and the allied powers which fought them.

Political map of the Earth

Powers of the Axis

See also: Axis Rome-Berlin

Signatories of the tripartite Treaty

Co-signatories of the tripartite Treaty

The countries which were annexed or already in war before the beginning of this conflict

In addition, the Soviet Union was allied axis until June 1941 (Opération Barbarossa). According to the historian William L. Shirer, it was even about to sign the treaty of the Axis. It helped Germany to crush Poland and invades the Baltic States.

Allied powers

Allies

  • the South Africa (Dominion of the British Commonwealth)
  • Albania
  • the Australia (Dominion of the British Commonwealth)
  • the Belgium
  • the Brazil (as from November 1942)
  • the Canada (Dominion of the British Commonwealth)
  • Republic of China
  • the the United States (as from December 1941)
  • the France and its colonies
  • the Mexico (as from May 1942)
  • the Norway (the country was invades by Germany in 1940, but the government was exiled in London to continue the war.)
  • the New Zealand (Dominion of the British Commonwealth)
  • the Netherlands (the country was invades by Germany in 1940, but the government was exiled in London to continue the war and fought the Japanese in the Pacific from Indonesia, invaded.)
  • the Poland (the country was invades by Germany in 1939, but the government was exiled in London with several Polish soldiers to continue the war.)
  • the the United Kingdom and its colonies (mainly the Indies, but also it Kenya, Burma, Malaysia, Sudan, Nigeria, Rhodesia, Palestine, Transjordanie, etc)
  • the Soviet Union (as from June 1941)
  • the Yugoslavia (starting from March 27th 1941. The country was invades, but continued the combat clandestinely.)

Supports of the allies

Countries which were attacked, occupied, or changed camp, during the war

Romania

Romania is at the beginning of the allied war of the powers of the Axis and attacks the the USSR at the sides of Germany. For the Germans, Romania was important because of its very important oil reserves at the time, and less for military reasons.

In 1944, the Romania knows a coup d'etat directed by the still adolescent king. It changes camp then, declares the war in Germany and disarms the German forces present on its territory. A few weeks later, the Soviet troops enter the country without meeting resistance. At the time, the message passes unperceived and the USSR continues to off-set a great number of Rumanian soldiers and Saxon-Rumanian towards Siberia. Thereafter, this day is regarded as national festival for the communist period.

See also: History of the Roumanians

Neutral countries

The majority of the countries below declared their neutrality before being attacked.

Countries which remained nominally neutral

  • the Afghanistan
  • the Spain (not-belligerent, to see División Azul, then neutral)
  • the Ireland (prohibiting even officially in England the military use of its ports and airports)
  • the Portugal (Portugal remains neutral, but allows the United Kingdom and the United States to use its air bases of the Azores)
  • the Sweden (except for the war between Finland and the Soviet Union, to see Guerre of Winter)
  • the Suisse (the position of Switzerland will be sometimes ambiguous. It opened its borders with the Jews fleeing the Nazi regime, but in a sporadic and nonsystematic way)
  • the Andorre
  • the Liechtenstein (refuge gave to German soldiers of Russian origin into 1945 vis-a-vis advanced Soviets)
  • the the Vatican (the German government for its religious persecutions condemns)
  • the Tibet (independent country at the time)

No conflict forever also left few neutral countries.

See too

Notes & references

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