Top 10 Most Powerful Countries In 1939
Which countries were the most powerful at the start of WW2?
Since I anonymous in a previous post, I will not say much here, but I can say more facts of why Nazi Germany is the most powerful nation entering 1939. Nazi Germany was already a good-sized nation, stretching from Northern and Northern Central Africa into Germany. They were already pressing into the Soviet Union with little effort, and were bombarding Britain with their air force. Although some may say that Nazi Germany propaganda says it is the most powerful nation that is the reason, but the facts speak for themselves. People who have encountered World War II will tell haunting events of German invasions of Europe or Allies' defeat at Nazi Germany. Hitler did not support propaganda like the vast Soviet Union, but he did not use propaganda at all. Instead, he got the support of the German people, telling them that they are the greatest and the so-called 'inferior' Jews are troublemakers. The Nazis lost World War II, but they left a vast trail of wreckage in their wake. The Nazis have ...more
During this time, Germany was definitely the best. Best tactics, best technology (sporks, which were more efficient than either spoon or forks, tanks, jets), intelligent commanders and determined soldiers, and a special code that no one could figure out for years at a time. They were the most note-worthy country in World War 2, being the ones that declared it in the 1st place. At the time, their main antics were simply conquering, much like the Romans far before them. They've conquered nearly all of Europe at the time, only to get stopped by the combined forces of USA, Russia (who probably was still sore at the time, since they were tricked into making a pact with Germany, only to have their selves attacked by the latter), and others. Germany also was quite the conspirator. They viewed Jews as evil, and after they conquered the world with Italy and Japan (most notably Japan. Italy was insignificant at the time), they would betray them, and conquer their countries too, respectively.
Even by the end of the war (late 44 & early 45) the Germans - particularly the elite German units - had retained a tactical and operational advantage that amazed their enemies on the battlefield. Man-for-man, the German soldier had also outclassed his enemies, even in this late stage of the war. It is often said that if Germany had matched up against any other single power, that powers' military would have been decisively wiped out. It is also often said (by the likes of Dr. Robert Citino) that if the German high command had focused only on one of its three 1943 Soviet objectives rather than splitting the forces up (Leningrad, Moscow & Caucasus) they would have taken at least one of those three war goals, which could have had a profound impact on the war.
Although Germany was undoubtedly a military power, they actually lacked a lot that would make it the most powerful in the world. The military was actually not advanced at all. This is a myth caused by Nazi propaganda at the time. The British army was actually the most modern and best equipped in the world. British artillery were towed by trucks, whereas the Germans were towed mostly by horse. France matched Germany in terms of divisions, and the Royal Navy was vastly superior. The Luftwaffe boasted it was the largest air force in the world, when that was far from the case.
The United States of America, or the U.S.A. for short, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous states. There are two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, which are north and south of the contiguous states, respectively. The United States declared its independence from the British Empire in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. They won their independence in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Its capital, Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) is defined by imposing neoclassical monuments and buildings including the iconic ones that house the federal government's 3 branches: the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court. Though it has no official language, English and ...read more. The USA before WWII was overrated. The US that you think of, with the largest military funding in the world and a military superpower, came after WWII and in the Cold War with the Soviets. The US lacked population, and personnel, only having the advantage being on a separate continent, as well boosting morale and making production skyrocket, kicking the US into a world power. Without the US' economy, coming out of the Great Depression and FDR's leadership, they pulled ahead of the pack. The US got lucky when Germany invaded the USSR, crushing them from the East, and the US finally kicking into gear at the end of the war.
As the head of the Japanese navy during WW2 once said about America "you can't invade the US mainland, behind every blade of grass would be a rifle." Or another quote "to win a war against America we can't simply stop at Hawaii nor San Francisco we would have to march our Army into the White House and force surrender." Like it or not WW2 America was untouchable by any country during the time. You weren't fighting just the American Army Navy and Marine Corps you were fighting 237 million pissed off freedom loving patriots that brought all the US econonical and Industrial might to bare. In short you were fighting a nation with enough manpower, resources and determination to literally beat down any nation of the time.
America's industrial production capabilities rivalled the entire rest of the world at this point. The main reason why the Soviets were able to beat back the Germans is because of American aid in the form of trucks, food, and weaponry. In addition, America is one of the few countries to win a two front war(they fought Germany and Imperial Japan at the same time). Albeit with a bit of help on the Western front.
In addition to this, invading America was virtually impossible due to the ways their citizens were raised(very nationalistic and patriotic) and the sheer amount of domestic weaponry they had. Not to mention the oceans separating them from other major countries(amphibious invasions are hard man) and their strong navy.
United States Army was very VERY efficient. America was a resource rich country and they had so many resources. In 1942 after there decisive victory at midway the us army changed their uniforms making them better equipped and well organized. Also the only weapon they used during the war was m1 garand a semi automatic rifle which was also effective. And also I think we can say that they have strongest army and they had stronger generals.
In 1939, Britain was the world's major superpower. It had by far the world's strongest navy, and it had an empire so large it was home to roughly a quarter of the world's population, which would be the largest empire in history. In 1939, Germany was still recovering from the Treaty of Versailles. The Red Army had proven itself to be ineffective and the USSR was still recovering from the Russian Civil War, and most of the world hatted this country. The United States did not yet have a substantial military or dominant political position, and like the rest of the world, its economy was struggling from the great depression. Japan's military was very effective, but it always suffered from various limitations, and it never really succeeded in making it onto the platform of major powers. In terms of power status, the only country that rivaled the British Empire was France, who was a British ally and major victor of the previous world war. But the following year, they proved to be incapable ...more
The UK was still relatively powerful. It always maintained a small standing army, that was very professional and well equipped. The Royal Navy gave the British Empire the trump card as it was the largest and most powerful at the time. The airforce had great planes such as the Spitfire that helped win the Battle of Britain. Germany was more powerful, followed by the United States. The Soviet Union relied on a massive population and was not really sophisticated, man to man they were much less capable fighters than of Germany, Britain or the USA. Italy was a bit of a joke, France over rated, China was still developing, and Japan was a formidable force.
By the last 3 years of WW2 the Brits and Americans had hardened up and were much better quality troops than the Soviets. However, still not as good as the battle hardened and sophisticated Germans.
It's such a shame that Germany expended all that energy on the wrong course. If it took more noble way it could now conceivably ...more
In addition to the wealth and man-power of the Indian sub-continent, the United Kingdom had the military and economic strength of Canada, Australia and New Zealand at its side. Nations covering vast tracts of Africa and Asia also stood shoulder to shoulder with Britain and many other great powers were it's allies. With its international cultural domination in terms of science, sports, the arts and entertainment and with English itself being effectively the global lingua franca, The British Empire was truly a force to be reconned with.
The British Empire should be at least 2nd on this list. The British Empire in 1939 had a population of nearly 600 million which was over 24% of the world population in 1939, 4 times the population of the USA at the time (147 million) and nearly 6 times the population as Nazi Germany which had a population of 86 million people in 1939. Yes, the Nazi's were more military focused than the British Empire at the time and perhaps even slightly more technologically advanced but the British Empire still had far more manpower and it's navy was still the largest in the world in 1939. There is a solid argument whether Nazi Germany was as powerful as the British Empire in 1939 on land, but there's no way the US was stronger than the British Empire at the time. The 1930's US War Plan Red only realistically targeted on conquering Canada, as the Americans knew they were no match for the Royal Navy. Also let's not forget that the British Empire stood alone against the might of Nazi Germany, Fascist ...more
They didn't have the best military technology or tactics (since Stalin had executed all his high-ranking generals) but the Soviets fought the Nazis with unmatched force by simply overwhelming them with their sheer numbers. The Battle of Stalingrad was easily the bloodiest battle in WWII if not of all time, resulting in over 2 million casualties, and the fact that Stalingrad still never surrendered really says something about the strength of the Soviet military. Heck, without these guys the Allies would've been complete toast facing up against the Axis. It was only after Hitler invaded Russia that things started to tip in the Allies' favor. Roosevelt and Churchill were willing to ally with Joseph "the Brutal and Paranoid Dictator" Stalin just to get the Soviets on their side. And don't forget, these guys kicked the Nazis' asses in Eastern Europe. These guys were not to be messed with, which is one of the main reasons why we were so afraid of them during the Cold War. There's a reason ...more
The Soviet Union was the most unique military during World War II, the most effective vehicles for the allies( putting a rocket launcher on the back of a truck), the most reliable firearms, the most soldiers, though they did not have guns for every person, not to wise of attack strategy, and lost a ton of people, the Soviets being desperate made them thrive, they came up with the most brilliant ideas for being way behind in technology, yet they did practically win the war as they made it to Berlin first. The fact that the soviets really didn't believe in high technology, they made simple yet effective weapons.
The soviet union had a crazy amount of flaws in its military. They were disorganised, they had 1 gun for every 5 men and they didn't have that great strategy. Their military was losing to a small country like Finland which is very funny and they would have lost to Germany if not supplied by USA as their leader, Stalin confirmed. But, what made them so powerful was shear numbers. They had the largest amount of tanks, artillery pieces and more of such things. They also had a crazy amount of manpower.
The Soviet union was not as powerful in terms of sheer might however its possibilities for war (shown when the Nazis invaded) was greater than the Americans and British combined. The Soviet Union is the country that defeated the Nazis and they did about 70% of the work.Were as countries like america were near enough useless in the war only providing in the last two years of the war! The Soviet Union was also the country that did most of fighting against Japan.Yet the U.S took the credit. They pushed the Nazis back across Russia even after the take over of Moscow back into Berlin and they rescued the Auschwitz captives and this was all when they were not even ready or even expected an invasion. The Soviets moved their entire economy east (in three years) and amassed an army more powerful than a empire which focused its entire economy on war and the soviets crushed them.
Japan had one of the most powerful navies in the world, second only to the U.S. and Great Britain, giving it unparalleled force projection in the Eastern Hemisphere. Isoroku Yamamoto lost Midway through bad tactical judgement, crippling the IJN carrier force. If Yamamoto had engaged the U.S. with his full fleet and maintained air superiority, the lightly escorted U.S. carriers would have been picked off by the battleships Yamato and Nagato, and the U.S. navy would not have recovered.
. The Japanese Empire was now under a dictatorship, conquering Manchuria and annexing parts of China. The Japanese regime was extremely militaristic and imperialistic, greatly expanding in size from 1931-1939 as a result of a war with China. Japan also notably abandoned the Genoa Treaty, which agreed that the Japanese navy was to be three-fifths of the British and American navies.
The Japanese Empire had a decent army that went through china with almost no difficulty, their troops are every disciplined and well trained and can give any country a hard time fighting them. They had an ok airforce but what made them so powerful was their navy. In total, they sunk 300 ships of the US navy. They were eventualy defeated though.
Japanese Were unstoppable if They never attacked Hawaii and midway. They Were already in great favor And Could Have Conquered all of asia
When combined, China was still indeed a powerful country in 1939. The war with its more powerful neighbour and an ongoing civil war though deeply hurt China economically.
China was occupied by japan throughout the war not even sure how it's in 8th position it should be much lower. The performance of Chinese troops in repelling japanese forces was pathetic
I think the biggest problem of China during WWII was its civil war，but it was still able to fight off Japan eventually with some help.
They had a ton of people
Canada is a country in North America that is next to the United States, and it's the 2nd largest country in the world by area (size is 9.985 million km²). This country has 10 provinces, and 3 territories. Canada became a dominion on July 1, 1867. Its 10 provinces are: Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Its 3 territories are: Yukon, Northwest territories, and Nunavut. Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, St. John's, and Fredericton are major cities in the country. Canada's capital city, Ottawa, is in the southeastern province of Ontario, near the city of Montreal ...read more. Canada Fought on all Fronts of the War. She Played a huge part in the battle of the Atlantic and invasion of Italy. Canada was on the beaches at Normandy and made major contributions in the air as well. Definitely made a larger contribution than France or Poland which were defeated so early in the war or India, Australia, or New Zealand who played very little roles in comparison. Pound for pound Canada lost more men percentage wise than the US. Canada is definitely more deserving to be in the top ten than a few of the nations that are already there.
Canada stood by Great Britain during its darkest hour, and sent them the help they needed during the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of Britain. I really doubt that Britain would have survived were it not for Canada. Unlike the United States of America and the Soviet Union, Canada was fighting against the Nazis since the very beginning of World War Two.
When traveling abroad it's always good to come home.
All the different cultures living peacefully together. It is truly a great mix that is not perfect but for the better part works.
You can make a great life for yourself and family in Canada, that is being Canadian at it's best.
The landscape from coast to coast is awesome.
It is a world model.
Canada contributed hugely to the WW2 Allied effort both on land, where a sizeable percentage of the available population was sent to serve in Italy and D-Day, and as well as in sea, where they participated in organizing convoys, bringing supplies, bombardment of positions and naval battles.
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine and Belarus to the east; and the Baltic Sea, Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) and Lithuania to the north. With a population of approximately 38.5 million people, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw. Other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Szczecin. It is currently led by President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. ...read more. Didn't appear that strong, but they only really lost because both Germany and Russia were both attacking. They previously BEAT russia in the Polish-Russian war of the 1920s; if Russia didn't attack Poland in 1939, the progress of Germany would've been slowed
Poland fought even when occupied, its government never surrendered, was attacked by USSR and Nazi Germany, fought for the survival of fatherland and lost 1/6 inhabitant during the war. Also fought in foreign armies, as in North Africa, Britain, France in 1940 and after Overlord, Italy and USSR.
I think it was a powerful country in the world war 2 because they tried to stop the naziparty however failed, although some countries didn't even try to do anything.So big applauses to the poles for being brave.
Have you already heard Polish-Russo war? Then search it.
France still retained Indochina and African and Pacific colonies in 1939. WW1 had effected France more profoundly than perhaps any other economically, as did the Great Depression, as France's fragile economy was only beginning to recover when the Depression hit in '29. France was still very much military-orientated, comparable to its 1914 levels, as they were still extremely wary of the growing power of Germany in the east.
In 1939, French tanks were considered the best in the world. One famous example is the Char B1. Look up the Battle of Stonne.
Considered the most powerful army in the world, even by Hitler who feared having to face the French troops.
Weak leadership and overconfidence, an industry and an economy that never fully recovered from WWI, with outdated tactics (De Gaulle's book on his vision of future warfare was distributed among German officers but not accepted among the French army, he preached the use of tanks and planes above all else among other things which the Germans applied) and old generals that wouldn't leave room to younger ones is what mostly lead France to a swift defeat.
But they had the most modern army, aircraft and armored units, recent guns and a navy far superior to Germany's.
The German capital was almost open to the French army but unfortunately its leaders didn't seize the opportunity to take it, as Germany was busy with most of its troops in Poland, it's probably a political decision that was aiming to avoid casualties early on and discontentment at home after the ...more
Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe.
It borders Norway to the west and Finland to the east, and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund. At 450,295 square kilometers (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of 10 million. Nazi Germany point of view: I surrender!
The Italian Empire was an Empire now that Mussolini had invaded and conquered Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the start of 1936. Compared to the big five, though, Italy was an embarrassment industrially, barely keeping up with small European states such as Belgium and the Netherlands. Mussolini's officials were usually corrupt and disloyal, and Mussolini couldn't and didn't check whether they were doing what he told them. The Fascist regime was however, extremely military orientated, like Nazi Germany and Italy maintained a population of just under 50 million.
Mussolini, who is the creator of fascism and influenced Adolf Hitler to be fascist.
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. Its capital is New Delhi. Some other major cities are Mumbai, Chennai, and Ahemdabad. The most spoken languages are Hindi and English, but there are 22 official Indian languages. Single-handedly, India defeated the oncoming Japanese Imperial Army and also fought on the European front, despite not having full control over the army.
India played a major role in the Great War, perhaps second only to the Soviet Union. The freedom of the West owes a great deal to the contributions of Indian soldiers.
It is unclear why China is ranked above India, considering that there was no China during World War II, and Chinese soldiers did not fight in Asia or Europe, while Indians fought on both fronts.
India was not what it is today I.e. not an independent state. It was just a poor and underdeveloped british colony. Its military was directly under british. Everyone agrees that India is great today with a military much larger than the present british military whose part it used to be in ww2.
Though India was not given any credit for their sacrifices, it did play a very important role in ww2.
India was part of the British Empire, number three on the list.
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country in Eurasia, mainly in Anatolia in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries with Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, ...read more. Mustafa Kemal was the one Of the most great leaders ever in the Turkey
Good strong country
They are awesome
Turkey is big
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in southwestern Europe with parts of territory in the Atlantic Ocean and across the Mediterranean Sea. The largest part of Spain is situated on the Iberian Peninsula; its territory also includes the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and several minor overseas territories also scattered along the Moroccan coast of the Alboran Sea. The country's mainland is bordered to the south by Gibraltar; to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea; to the north by France, Andorra and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain was the biggest empire along time ago and then they lost everthing. Spain had a civil war it was Spain vs replublicanos and Spain won so franco became prime minister of Spain that's why Spain didant join the second would war
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal republic in Europe. It consists of 26 cantons, and the city of Bern is the seat of the federal authorities. ...read more.
A now-defunct country in Southeastern and Central Europe, Yugoslavia was established in 1918 and dissolved in 1992. Composed of several ethnic groups, the country faced significant political and social challenges, culminating in its breakup into several independent states. The capital was Belgrade, and the official language was Serbo-Croatian. Only Nation that freed themselves from occupation.
Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City, is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. It is the smallest nation on Earth, and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It should be the strongest since it's the smallest you know?
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. The Philippines covers an area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 ...read more. The Philippines in 1939 had a small army, small navy, and an almost non - existent navy. However, two key factors made the Philippines a very hard country to take. First of all, the American support of this country greatly prolonged the actual invasion of the Japanese. Many US troops fought until they couldn't in defending key areas such as manila bay and parts of the visayas. Secondly, the Filipino soldiers were known to be even more resilient, clever, and brutal than even the Japanese, often using stealth and surprise as weapons to butcher Japanese troops, often in painful and sanguine manners. While the Japanese might have surrounded the Philippines, the sheer number of those willing to die for their country allowed the liberation of the Philippines to be one of the easiest in the entire war. Never underestimate the cleverness, cruelty, willpower, and sheer patriotism of a Filipino soldier.
Philippines, being a developed country during pre-war era or before world war 2. Philippines before was one of the richest country before but sadly after WW2, Philippines' economy and country fallen because of damages during war.
Philippine is the puppet of the USA which supplies by the USA during the occupation.
They faught well during the japanese invasion and the last southeast asian nation to fall...
The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country located in north-western Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces, and borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coast-line to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium in the North Sea. The country's official language is Dutch, with West Frisian as a secondary official language in the province of Friesland. Dutch Low Saxon and Limburgish are recognised regional languages, while Dutch Sign Language, Sinte Romani, and Yiddish are recognised ...read more. It was stronger then Nazi Germany and Hitler knew it and made a plan to make Netherlands force to give up and the plan was to bomb Rotterdam and it was completely wiped off the map.
It fought bravely
Romania is a sovereign state located in Southeastern Europe It borders the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and Moldova. It has an area of 238,391 square kilometres and a temperate-continental climate. With over 19 million inhabitants, the country is the seventh-most-populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city, Bucharest, is the sixth-largest city in the EU, with 1,883,425 inhabitants as of 2011. Romania derives from the Latin romanus, meaning "citizen of Rome". The first known use of the appellation was attested in the 16th century by Italian humanists travelling in Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the northeast. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, featuring thousands of islands. The country consists of nine traditional geographic regions, and has a population of approximately 10.7 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest ...read more. Greece fought back an Italian invasion in 1942 and launched a counterattack into Albania. Germany had to conquer them.
To do justice to history, I am obliged to state that, of the enemies confronting us, the Greek soldier fought with death-defying valor. He surrendered only after further resistance had become impossible and senseless. - Hitler
Greece Showed Italy And Albania That They Are weak (Albania was already not that strong) And Greece Had Such Victory Germany Itself Had To Face This Brave land. It Also Saved Russian Lives from stopping the invaison for awhile
They holded back Italy and slowed down the invaison of Russia. If Greece sis not exist, Russia would of been conquered. Thank you, Greece!
Denmark is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the most populous and politically central constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean. European Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, lying southwest of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany. ...read more. Strong and powerful
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of 7,617,930 square kilometres (2,941,300 sq mi), Australia is the largest country by area in Oceania and ...read more. We save butt of lot of European Army and back then we pretty powerful in compression to lot of other nation we got population back then that able keep japan occupied we Help in battle of Normandy. in battle of pacific we help us by giving them US base and also help them side by side in navel and land campaign we also help UK / French in Battle of French along side with US Australia should get a lot more credit then I t really does.
We helped sending lots to war in Europe and shut off many things so our economy wouldn't collapse
Easily in the top 10
Greater Nepal is one of the most powerful but untold army force. I never seen about nepal army before this article. But they fought so bravely with others.