ubiquitin: In much of Europe there was an armed rebellion against the German government (which had recently acquired much of Europe, exclusive of Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and Portugal), and the effectiveness of gun control was such that it seriously handicapped the local population and rendered their resistance to tyranny and genocide ineffective.
It should also be noted that much of the population of the United States lives in fear of being attacked (note many of the lead article in YWN), and this has always been the case (considering the USA was initially populated by people fleeing or being kicked out of the old world, often offered the choice of the gallows or emigration). And note that the American courts have held that the police are under no obligation to protect you from criminals (even if the police disarm you and render you unable to defend yourselves).
However the origin of the 2nd amendment was to reverse the British practice of not allowing “deplorables” (just as Catholics, Jews, non-establishment church Protestants, not to mention political dissidents) from having weapons.