The Second World War, was a
global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved
the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the
great powers—eventually forming two opposing
military alliances: the
Allies and the
Axis.
It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million
people serving in military units from over 30 different countries. In a
state of "
total war",
the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and
scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the
distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by mass
deaths of civilians, including the
Holocaust and the
only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it resulted in an estimated
50 million to 85 million fatalities. These deaths make it likely that World War II is the
deadliest conflict in
human history.
[1]
The
Empire of Japan aimed to dominate
East Asia and was already
at war with the
Republic of China in 1937,
[2] but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the
invasion of
Poland by
Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by
France and the
United Kingdom. From late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and
treaties, Germany formed the Axis alliance with
Italy, conquering or subduing much of continental Europe. Following the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories between themselves of their European neighbours,
including Poland and the
Baltic states. The United Kingdom and the other members of the
British Commonwealth were the only major Allied forces continuing the fight against the Axis, with battles taking place in
North Africa as well as the long-running
Battle of the Atlantic. In June 1941, the European Axis launched
an invasion of the Soviet Union, giving a start to the
largest land theatre of war in history, which tied down the major part of the Axis' military forces for the rest of the war. In December 1941, Japan joined the Axis,
attacked the United States and
European territories in the
Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific.
The Axis advance was stopped in 1942, after Japan lost a series of naval battles and European Axis troops were defeated in
North Africa and, decisively, at
Stalingrad. In 1943, with a series of
German defeats in
Eastern Europe, the
Allied invasion
of Italy which brought about that nation's surrender, and American
victories in the Pacific, the Axis lost the initiative and undertook
strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies
invaded France,
while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and
invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the United States
defeated the
Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands.
The war in Europe ended with an
invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union culminating in the
capture of Berlin by Soviet and Polish troops and the subsequent
German unconditional surrender on
8 May 1945. Following the
Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945, the United States
dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively. With
an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent, and the
Soviet Union having declared war on Japan by
invading Manchuria,
Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, ending the war in Asia and cementing the total victory of the Allies over the Axis.
World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. The
United Nations
(UN) was established to foster international cooperation and prevent
future conflicts. The great powers that were the victors of the war—the
United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, and
France—became the
permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council.
[3] The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the
Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers started to decline, while the
decolonisation of Asia and
Africa began. Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards
economic recovery. Political integration, especially
in Europe, emerged as an effort to stabilise postwar relations and fight more effectively in the Cold War.s the
Second World War, was a
global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved
the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the
great powers—eventually forming two opposing
military alliances: the
Allies and the
Axis.
It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million
people serving in military units from over 30 different countries. In a
state of "
total war",
the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and
scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the
distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by mass
deaths of civilians, including the
Holocaust and the
only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it resulted in an estimated
50 million to 85 million fatalities. These deaths make it likely that World War II is the
deadliest conflict in
human history.
[1]
The
Empire of Japan aimed to dominate
East Asia and was already
at war with the
Republic of China in 1937,
[2] but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the
invasion of
Poland by
Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by
France and the
United Kingdom. From late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and
treaties, Germany formed the Axis alliance with
Italy, conquering or subduing much of continental Europe. Following the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories between themselves of their European neighbours,
including Poland and the
Baltic states. The United Kingdom and the other members of the
British Commonwealth were the only major Allied forces continuing the fight against the Axis, with battles taking place in
North Africa as well as the long-running
Battle of the Atlantic. In June 1941, the European Axis launched
an invasion of the Soviet Union, giving a start to the
largest land theatre of war in history, which tied down the major part of the Axis' military forces for the rest of the war. In December 1941, Japan joined the Axis,
attacked the United States and
European territories in the
Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific.
The Axis advance was stopped in 1942, after Japan lost a series of naval battles and European Axis troops were defeated in
North Africa and, decisively, at
Stalingrad. In 1943, with a series of
German defeats in
Eastern Europe, the
Allied invasion
of Italy which brought about that nation's surrender, and American
victories in the Pacific, the Axis lost the initiative and undertook
strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies
invaded France,
while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and
invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the United States
defeated the
Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands.
The war in Europe ended with an
invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union culminating in the
capture of Berlin by Soviet and Polish troops and the subsequent
German unconditional surrender on
8 May 1945. Following the
Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945, the United States
dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively. With
an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent, and the
Soviet Union having declared war on Japan by
invading Manchuria,
Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, ending the war in Asia and cementing the total victory of the Allies over the Axis.
World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. The
United Nations
(UN) was established to foster international cooperation and prevent
future conflicts. The great powers that were the victors of the war—the
United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, and
France—became the
permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council.
[3] The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the
Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers started to decline, while the
decolonisation of Asia and
Africa began. Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards
economic recovery. Political integration, especially
in Europe, emerged as an effort to stabilise postwar relations and fight more effectively in the Cold War.
i/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000.
