jwebb@hydra.unm.edu (James Webb) (10/26/89)
From: jwebb@hydra.unm.edu (James Webb)
Recently on a radio station the question was posed:
"How many nations were involved in WWII?"
I was wondering what the answer was, and if anyone could give a listing of
all of the nations involved.
[mod.note: I'll take all the easy ones, and leave the readers to pick out
what I've missed. That way, I won't get so many duplicate answers...
The short answer is "All of them", as the entire world was affected.
Limiting to belligerents, though:
First, take a map of Europe, and circle it. Cross out Switzerland
and Sweden... 8-)
North America: Canada, USA (2) (Does Jamaica make 3, or were they a
Possession of Britain at the time ?)
South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US)
All neutral, I believe
Europe: Norway, Finland, USSR, Britain, Denmark, France, Belgium, Germany
Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Greece,
Yugoslavia, Italy. I separate Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia,
along with Czechoslavokia, Albania, and Austria as having been
"peacefully" absorbed into other nations before involvement. Turkey,
Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal were neutral. 17, 23
including those taken over before hostilities.
Asia: USSR (already counted), China, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Siam,
Federated Malay States, Burma, India, Australia, New Zealand.
I consider Manchuria/Manchutikuo part of China, though I'm
uncertain of Korea's status prior to Japanese occupation.
Indochina was a French possession, I think. Nepal supplied
Ghurkas to the British/Indian army, but I believe was neutral.
Also, did Iran get somehow involved ? I recall British supplies
getting to Russia via Iran. Finally, I'm iffy on the national
status of the islands in the Philippine/New Guinea/Sumatra region.
10, give or take.
Asia Minor: All neutral, I think, though partly controlled by France
and Britain (Syria and Palestine/Transjordan, respectively)
Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italian
Somaliland, South Africa. Most of the rest of Africa were colonies
of the belligerents, but I know of no fighting there. Call it 8.
43, by my first estimate. - Bill ]military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (10/27/89)
From: military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) I received numerous responses to this posting, which I'll summarize below: --- From: Doug Krause <dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu> > [43, by my first estimate. - Bill ] I think Trivial Pursuit says 57. You left out Singapore and Indonesia, although you may be counting Indochina as Indonesia. --- From: spencert@turing.cs.rpi.edu (Thomas Spencer) Here's what I think Bill's errors were: >South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US) > All neutral, I believe Almost all of these countries declared war against the Axis. Argentina waited until about 1944. Brazil actually sent some troops to Europe. >Asia: USSR (already counted), China, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Siam, > Federated Malay States, Burma, India, Australia, New Zealand. Burma and India were British Colonies at the time. I think the Federated Malay states were colonies too. > I consider Manchuria/Manchutikuo part of China, though I'm > uncertain of Korea's status prior to Japanese occupation. Korea was occupied by Japan shortly after teh Russo-Japenese war. (It was occupied in 1910, I think.) > Also, did Iran get somehow involved ? I recall British supplies > getting to Russia via Iran. Iran was occupied (more or less peasefully) by the British and Russians in 1941. >Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italian > Somaliland, South Africa. Most of the rest of Africa were colonies > of the belligerents, but I know of no fighting there. Call it 8. Morocco, Algeria, and Tunsia were French colonies. Lybia and Itailian Somaliland were Italian colonies. Ethopia was non-peacefully occupied by Italy in 1936. --- From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (Random Dude)) >South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US) > All neutral, I believe Brazil was involved. Anyone who owns the ANZIO game from AH, knows that some Brazilian units fought in the Italian campaign. >Europe: ... > Turkey, > Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Portugal were neutral. I think Spain and Turkey got in at the very end. --- From: nsc!taux01.nsc.com!amos@decwrl.dec.com (Amos Shapir) ... >South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US) > All neutral, I believe If I'm not mistaken, Brazil declared war on Germany towards the end of the war. >Asia Minor: All neutral, I think, though partly controlled by France > and Britain (Syria and Palestine/Transjordan, respectively) There were two Jewish brigades which fought under British command; you may count them as pre-natal participation of Israel. --- From: Dan C Duval <dand%tekgvs.labs.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET> >North America: Canada, USA (2) (Does Jamaica make 3, or were they a > Possession of Britain at the time ?) Also Mexico: did not provide ground troops, but patrolled Gulf of Mexico for U-boats and provided emergency airstrips in the Yucatan. Entered the war due to U-boat attacks on neutral (incl Mexican) shipping. >South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US) > All neutral, I believe Brazil was an active participant: provided bases for ASW air patrols, provided bases for air ferry across to Africa, provided a brigade of infantry which fought in Italy (part of British 8th Army), participated in South Atlantic patrol against raiders and U-boats. Venezuela could also be considered a participant of sorts, since they lost tanker tonnage to the U-boats and fought back (I do not know of any U-boats actually sunk by Venezuela, though.) I recall there was a declaration of war on Germany, but I am not sure they ever allied themselves with the Allies, choosing rather to fight as a co-belligerent. > I consider Manchuria/Manchutikuo part of China, though I'm > uncertain of Korea's status prior to Japanese occupation. Korea was occupied as a result of the Russo-Japanese War of 1902. It was not considered an independent nation. > Finally, I'm iffy on the national > status of the islands in the Philippine/New Guinea/Sumatra region. The Philippines came closest to being an independent nation: they were scheduled for complete independence in 1944. The other islands of the Pacific were all owned by one side or the other (except for Tristan de Cuhna, which was claimed by Chile.) >Asia Minor: All neutral, I think, though partly controlled by France > and Britain (Syria and Palestine/Transjordan, respectively) Iran and Iraq were both involved. Soviets "occupied" Iran when Lend Lease started (several divisions took up positions along the Lend Lease communication lines -- allowed Shah to take over after the war was over.) pro-Axis revolt in Iraq was put down with British troops and aircraft. British took French Syria from the Vichy. >Africa: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italian > Somaliland, South Africa. Most of the rest of Africa were colonies > of the belligerents, but I know of no fighting there. Call it 8. French West Africa also in this. After Operation Torch (Nov 1942), aircraft ferry flights over and through French West Africa. Elements of the French Fleet also stationed at Dakar, where the Brits shelled them after the Vichy government established. Many smaller nations also declared themselves as part of the Allied effort: I'd have to dig up a copy of the World Almanac to name all of them. A lot of countries declared in 1944 when it was clear the Axis was going down and the U-boats could do very little damage to their shipping. --- From: ron@mlfarm.UUCP (Ronald Florence) I believe Brazil was a belligerent, with troops fighting on the Italian front. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker Moderator, sci.military military-request@att.att.com (614) 860-5294 Send submissions to military@att.att.com
military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (10/28/89)
From: military-request@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) More responses on the nations of WWII... From: smb@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Steven M. Bellovin) One way to learn who was involved on the Allied side is to look at the initial membership of the U.N.; that was restricted to the Allies at that time. Note, though, that a number of nations declared war on the Axis late in the game but never did anything; they saw which way the wind was blowing, and figured to collect whatever minor spoils their piece of paper might entitle them to -- such as U.N. membership. --Steve Bellovin att!ulysses!smb smb@ulysses.att.com --- From: cperlebe@encad.Wichita.NCR.COM (Chris Perleberg) >North America: Canada, USA (2) And Mexico, which sent a fighter squadron to the Pacific in 1945 >South America: (& Central America, excluding Panama Canal Zone, US) > All neutral, I believe But no! Brazil sent troops to fight in Italy in 1944/45. Actually, I think all the South American countries except Argentina eventually went with the Allies (although only Brazil actually sent troops). >Asia: USSR (already counted), China, Mongolia, Japan, Korea, Siam, > Federated Malay States, Burma, India, Australia, New Zealand. I don't think Malaya and Burma should count, as they weren't "countries" at the time, being British colonies. >What about Iran? Didn't they participate? (I accidentally deleted the original line -- sorry) More like they got invaded. The government was leaning pro-axis (like Iraq), and was nipped in the bud by both the Russians and the British. (There's a lot more to this story, but I can't be expected to remember all of it!) > Finally, I'm iffy on the national > status of the islands in the Philippine/New Guinea/Sumatra region. The Phillipines were a U.S. colony. Indonesia was a Dutch colony. >Asia Minor: All neutral, I think, though partly controlled by France > and Britain (Syria and Palestine/Transjordan, respectively) Forced neutrality in the case of Iraq. The British were forced to invade the place in 1942(?) to keep the Germans out. >43, by my first estimate. - Bill ] Aw, you add it up. Yer first reponse (all of them) is closer to the mark. Chris Perleberg cperlebe@encad.wichita.ncr.com --- From: siegman@sierra.Stanford.EDU (Anthony E. Siegman) Didn't Ireland stay neutral in WW II? I recall being surprised to hear that some time ago. The "Fighting Irish"!?! --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker Moderator, sci.military military-request@att.att.com (614) 860-5294 Send submissions to military@att.att.com
jdp@caleb.UUCP (Jim Pritchett) (10/30/89)
From: jdp@caleb.UUCP (Jim Pritchett)
Didn't Spain, Turkey, and a few others (e.g. Brazil?, etc.) declare war on
Germany in 1945 after it became clear that the Allies were going to win? Should
these type countries count?
Jim Pritchett
UUCP: {attctc|texbell}!letni!caleb!jdp