World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict that extended from 1 September 1939 to 2 September 1945, involving most of the world's nations organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. This war marked the deadliest conflict in human history, with an estimated 70 to 85 million fatalities, over half of whom were civilians who died due to genocides, starvation, massacres, and disease. Among the major genocidal events was the Holocaust, the systematic extermination of six million Jews by the Nazi regime.
The origins of World War II can be traced back to unresolved issues following World War I and the rise of fascist regimes in Europe, notably Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany and militaristic expansion in Japan. Significant pre-war events that contributed to its outbreak included Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the Second Sino-Japanese War beginning in 1937, Germany's annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland, and the Spanish Civil War that served as a precursor to the wider conflict. The war formally began on 1 September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, prompting declarations of war from Britain and France.
Early phases of the conflict were marked by swift German advances in Europe, occupying Poland, Denmark, Norway, and later France. Despite initial German successes, notable turning points included the Battle of Britain in 1940, which thwarted Hitler's plans for an invasion of the UK, and the Battle of Midway in 1942, which checked Japanese advances in the Pacific. Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 opened up the Eastern Front, which would become one of the largest and bloodiest theaters of war.
From 1943 onwards, the tide of the war turned in favor of the Allies. In Europe, Allied forces launched significant campaigns such as the invasion of Italy and the Normandy landings (D-Day) in 1944, which led to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. In the Pacific, the United States effectively rolled back Japanese territorial gains through a strategy of island hopping, culminating in devastating attacks on the Japanese mainland with firebombing raids and ultimately, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
The war concluded with the unconditional surrender of Germany on 8 May 1945 following heavy defeats on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Japan's surrender followed shortly after the atomic bombings and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, with formal surrender documents signed on 2 September 1945 aboard the USS Missouri.
The aftermath of World War II brought profound changes to international structures and relations. It led to the establishment of the United Nations, aimed at preventing future conflicts of such a scale. The war also initiated the process of decolonization as former colonial powers weakened by the war retreated from their colonies, reshaping nations in Asia and Africa. Importantly, the geopolitical divide resulting from the war's end laid the seeds for the Cold War, a prolonged period of political and military tension between the Soviet Union and the Western bloc led by the United States.
Technological and social advances were another legacy of World War II, including developments in computing, rocketry, and medicine. The conflict saw innovations in warfare such as strategic bombing and the use of new weapons like jet aircraft and advanced naval vessels. The post-war period also saw significant economic recoveries in war-affected regions facilitated by initiatives like the Marshall Plan, and the restructuring of international economic institutions.
In summary, World War II was a pivotal event in world history, reshaping global power structures, driving technological advances, and raising awareness of human rights issues through the horrors that came to light during and after the war.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
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World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths, more than half of which were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.
