World War II was a moment in history, and for the Allied powers, it was a fight not only to survive but also for the principles of freedom and justice. From the perspective of the Allied capitals, such as London, Washington, Moscow, Paris, and many others, the war was a response to the existential threat presented by the Axis Powers. It was a battle to preserve democracy, resist oppression, and bring peace back to a world on fire.
The roots of the war, as understood by the Allied nations, lay in the unchecked aggression of Germany, Italy, and Japan. Adolf Hitler’s expansionist ambitions, Benito Mussolini’s dreams of a revived Roman Empire, and Japan’s imperialist aspirations in Asia threatened the global balance of power. To the Allies, these actions were not isolated but part of a coordinated attempt to impose tyranny across the world. The failure of appeasement policies in the 1930s highlighted the need for decisive action, as the Axis powers interpreted diplomacy as weakness.
One of the most profound misunderstandings, as viewed from Allied capitals, was the underestimation of the resolve and unity of the Allies by the Axis Powers. Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939 was met with declarations of war by Britain and France, signaling the end of appeasement. From London and Paris, this was not just a response to aggression but a moral imperative to uphold international law and protect smaller nations from conquest. The Axis, however, seemed to believe that the Allies lacked the strength or will to oppose their ambitions, a miscalculation that would prove costly.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was another critical moment in the entry of the United States into the war. From Washington's point of view, it was a betrayal and a clear indication that the Axis Powers sought global domination. For the Allied nations, America's involvement brought renewed hope and resources, transforming the conflict into a truly global war. An equally grave mistake committed by the Axis Powers was not taking America for their industrial might or its ability to mobilize themselves militarily as well as economically.
The Alliance between the allied powers itself were a source of many challenges and misunderstandings between the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union, who collaborated with each other to defeat the Axis, since they had highly conflicting ideologies as well as ways of doing things. For Moscow, the delay in opening a second front in Western Europe was betrayal, as the Soviet Union had to bear the brunt of the Nazi war machine on the Eastern Front. London and Washington, on the other hand, argued that careful planning and adequate preparation were necessary to ensure success, as exemplified by the eventual success of the D-Day invasion in 1944.
Another significant misperception was that the occupied countries in Europe and Asia did not belong to the Axis. For the capitals of the Allied nations, resistance forces within those countries proved the worldwide abhorrence of oppression. The partisan warriors in France, Yugoslavia, and the Netherlands and resistance efforts in occupied China and Southeast Asia showed that the Axis could not subdue the human spirit. These movements were considered important parts of the Allies' war effort, as they provided intelligence, sabotage, and moral support to the overall campaign.
The Allies also considered their military campaigns a way to free oppressed populations and restore sovereignty to occupied nations. The liberation of Paris in 1944 was not only celebrated as a military victory but as a symbolic victory of freedom over oppression. Similar efforts were also directed towards Germany and the Pacific islands as part of the Allied thrust into those lands. In such efforts, dismantling regimes responsible for massive human suffering against civilians was portrayed as the Allied cause. More than defeating an enemy, the Allies' effort during the post-war period from their capitals was that of rebuilding a world on justice and equality.
The war also revealed another misunderstanding in terms of the Allied's intentions for the post-war period. For the Axis-aligned populations, Allied occupation and reconstruction could be somewhat resented as an attempt to force Western ideologies upon the populations. However, from the Allied perspective, such efforts were aimed at preventing the resurgence of militarism and creating a foundation for lasting peace. For instance, the Marshall Plan was an opportunity for the United States to rebuild Europe's economy and prevent the conditions that had led to the rise of fascism.
One of the most contentious issues between the Allies was the use of atomic weapons against Japan. From the perspective of Washington, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a necessity to end the war in a hurry and save the many lives that would have been lost in the continuation of the war. This decision was not without its critics, even from within the Allied ranks. It was argued that such weapons would set a dangerous precedent and unnecessarily cause suffering to civilians. This debate about Allied capitals underscored the moral complexity of war and the points of conflict between military necessity and moral values.
The Allied nations interpreted the legacy of World War II as one of perseverance and sacrifice in the face of unprecedented adversity. The collective action and the fact that it demonstrated the value of standing firm against aggression made this war remarkable. For the Allied capitals, the lessons of the war continue to resound: freedom must be defended, alliances are vital, and the cost of appeasement is often far greater than the cost of resistance.
World War II, from the perspectives of London, Washington, Moscow, and their allies, was more than a war of armies: it was a battle for the soul of humankind. It was an effort to bring democracy, justice, and human dignity to victory against tyranny and oppression. While it left deep scars, it led to a new era of international cooperation and to a renewed commitment to the principles that the Allies had fought so hard to defend.