The first detail which describes the first detail of my message, is that it is important to describe the details as detailed as possible. It is, usually, very hard to describe details. A detail is very specific, detailed information about something. You can not just start off with describing the bigger picture. I can, for example, talk about World War 2. I could tell you that World War 2 started in 1939. But someone else could argue that this is inaccurate. But why is this inaccurate? Is it inaccurate because I told you a lie? Is it inaccurate because your opinion happens to be different from that of mine? And how could someone even have an opinion on when a major event began? To know why I am wrong, or why the other person is wrong, we have to look at details. Let's take the World War 2 example. I told you that World War 2 started in 1939. This is not a detail. This doesn't describe World War 2, or the year 1939, at all. It just tells you that an event started in 1939. What can you do with this information? Do you have any knowledge about World War 2? No. I need to explain why I think World War 2 started in 1939. But first, we have to define when we can speak of a ''World War''. At this point, we don't even talk about a date anymore. The date is irrelevant now. You might be confused because this is very sudden. First, it was about WHEN World War 2 started. The date was of great importance. But now, I tell you that the date is not important at all. How can I claim that World War 2 started in 1939, if I can't even proof that the event I am speaking of (World War 2), was a World War?
It is really difficult to define when a war is actually a World War. How many nations do have to participate in the war? Or how many continents? Must the war be between different ethnicities and races to be considered a World War? To make this clear, I will have to provide you with several examples of the things I just mentioned. A war is not a World War when many countries (or all) from the same continent are in conflict with each other. The war takes place at one specific theater, so one can not speak of a World War. A war is defined as a World War when at least one country from at least 80% of the populated continents are at war with each other. In 1939, Japan was at war with China (among many other nations). These countries were located on the Asian continent. In 1939, Nazi-Germany invaded Poland. This was the European theater/continent of the war. Canada, part of the North-American continent, declared War on Nazi-Germany because it had a pact with Great-Britain/part of the British Empire, which on its turn declared War on Nazi-Germany for invading Poland. So did Australia, as it was. At this point, at least 3 major countries from 3 continents were at war with each other. But Italy, an ally of Nazi-Germany, was also at war. The Kingdom of Italy had invaded several countries on the African continent. This means 4 populated continents were involved in a war. All of the belligerents of this had a connection with each other:
Japan - Italy - Nazi-Germany: The Axis Forces
Japan invaded British-held colonies/countries, Britain, The Dutch Empire etc. were at war with the Japanese Empire
Nazi-Germany was at war with Poland, Britain, France, and some other irrelevant countries in Europe
Nazi-Germany supported Italy in North-Africa (Italian Army was a failure)
Nazi-Germany & Japan supported each other. German U-boats & Japanese submarines made trips and exchanged information. In 1944, Japanese soldiers fought alongside the Wehrmacht against the Allied Forces.
To get back at the definition of a World War. At least 80% of the populated continents must be at war with each other.
The continents are defined as follows:
Asia, Africa, North America, South America,
Antarctica is not a populated continent. We scrap Antarctica from the map (although there are rumors that the Nazi's had an Antarctic fort, but this was after 1939, so we can not include Antarctica in our calculations).
So there are 6 populated continents:
Asia - Check: Japan, China, etc.
Africa - Check: Italy, British Empire, etc.
North-America - Canada, ally of The British Empire
South-America - /
Europe - Check, Nazi-Germany, Poland, France, bunch of other irrelevant countries.
Australia - Australia, declared war on Nazi-Germany in 1939.
4 out of 6 continents.
5/6 x 100% = 83.33%.
Based on this information we can conclude that a World War did start in 1939, as over 80% of the continents had at least one major player in the war.
But now we need to confirm that this was indeed the second World War. I can not claim that World War 2 started in 1939, unless I can proof that there was a First World War. Otherwise it will be just 'a World War started in 1939'.
More will follow soon.