World War - wikipedia World War `` The World Wars '' redirects here. For the 2014 miniseries, see The World Wars ( miniseries ). Part of a series about War History Prehistoric Ancient Post-classical Early Modern Late Modern Industrial Fourth - Gen Battlespace Air Cyber Information Land Sea Space Weapons Armor Artillery Biological Cavalry Chemical Conventional Cyber Electronic Infantry Nuclear Psychological Unconventional Tactics Aerial Battle Cavalry Charge Counterattack Counter-insurgency Cover Foxhole Guerrilla warfare Morale Siege Swarming Tactical objective Trench warfare Operational Blitzkrieg Deep operation Maneuver warfare Operational manoeuvre group Strategy Attrition Counter-offensive Deception Defensive Goal Naval Offensive Grand strategy Containment Economic warfare Limited war Military science Philosophy of war Strategic studies Total war Organization Command and control Doctrine Education and training Engineers Intelligence Ranks Staff Technology and equipment Logistics Arms industry Materiel Supply chain management Related Asymmetric warfare Broken - Backed War Theory Court - martial Cold war Deterrence theory Irregular warfare Law of war Mercenary Military campaign Military operation Network - centric warfare Operations research Principles of war Proxy war Religious war Slavery Theater War crimes War film War games War novel Wartime sexual violence World war Colonial war Lists Battles Military occupations Operations Sieges War crimes Wars Weapons Writers A world war, as it is commonly understood, is a large - scale war involving many of the countries of the world or many of the most powerful and populous ones. World wars span multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in many theaters. While a variety of global conflicts have been subjectively deemed `` world wars '', such as the Cold War and the War on Terror, the term is widely and generally accepted only as it is retrospectively applied to two major international conflicts that occurred during the 20th century : World War I ( 1914 -- 1918 ) and World War II ( 1939 -- 1945 ). Contents 1 Origin of the term 2 First and Second World Wars 3 Third World War 4 Other global conflicts 4.1 Wars with casualties exceeding those of the First World War 4.2 Wars spanning continents 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Origin of the term The Oxford English Dictionary cited the first known usage in the English language to a Scottish newspaper : the People 's Journal in 1848 : `` A war among the great powers is now necessarily a world - war. '' The term `` world war '' had been used in 1850 by Karl Marx and his associate, Friedrich Engels, in The Class Struggles in France. Rasmus B. Anderson in 1889 described an episode in Teutonic mythology as a `` world war '' ( Swedish : världskrig ), justifying this description by a line in an Old Norse epic poem, `` Völuspá : folcvig fyrst i heimi '' ( `` The first great war in the world ''. ) German writer August Wilhelm Otto Niemann had used the term `` world war '' in the title of his anti-British novel, Der Weltkrieg : Deutsche Träume ( The World War : German Dreams ) in 1904, published in English as The Coming Conquest of England. In English, the term `` First World War '' had been used by Charles à Court Repington, as a title for his memoirs ( published in 1920 ) ; he had noted his discussion on the matter with a Major Johnstone of Harvard University in his diary entry of September 10, 1918. The term `` World War I '' was coined by Time magazine in its issue of June 12, 1939. In the same article, the term `` World War II '' was first used speculatively to describe the upcoming war. The first use for the actual war came in its issue of September 11, 1939. One week earlier, on September 4, the day after France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, the Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad used the term on its front page, saying `` The Second World War broke out yesterday at 11 a.m. '' Speculative fiction authors had been noting the concept of a Second World War in 1919 and 1920, when Milo Hastings wrote his dystopian novel, City of Endless Night. Other languages have also adopted the `` world war '' terminology, for example ; in French : `` world war '' is translated as guerre mondiale, in German : Weltkrieg ( which, prior to the war, had been used in the more abstract meaning of a global conflict ), in Italian : guerra mondiale, in Spanish and Portuguese : guerra mundial, in Danish and Norwegian : verdenskrig, and in Russian : мировая война ( mirovaya voyna. ) First and Second World wars Main articles : World War I and World War II In terms of human technological history, the scale of the two `` world wars '' was enabled by the technological advances of the second industrial revolution and the resulting globalization that allowed global power projection and mass production of military hardware, but wars on such a scale have not been repeated because of the onset of the Atomic Age and the resulting danger of mutually - assured destruction. It had been recognized that the complex system of opposing alliances ( the German, Austro - Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires against the British, Russian, and French Empires was likely to lead to a worldwide conflict if a war broke out. Due to this fact, a very minute conflict between two countries had the potential to set off a domino effect of alliances, triggering a world war. The fact that the powers involved had large overseas empires virtually guaranteed that such a war would be worldwide, as the colonies ' resources would be a crucial strategic factor. The same strategic considerations also ensured that the combatants would strike at each other 's colonies, thus spreading the wars far more widely than those of pre-Colombian times. War crimes were perpetrated in both world wars. Chemical weapons were used in the First World War despite the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 having outlawed the use of such weapons in warfare. The Ottoman Empire has been considered responsible for the Armenian genocide, the death of over one million Armenians during the First World War. The Second World War is the only conflict in which atomic bombs have been used. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in Japan, were devastated by atomic bombs dropped by the United States. Nazi Germany was responsible for genocides, most notably the Holocaust, the killing of six million Jews. The United States, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Canada deported and interned minority groups within their own borders, and largely because of the conflict, many ethnic Germans were later expelled from Eastern Europe. Japan was responsible for attacking neutral nations without a declaration of war, such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is also known for its brutal treatment and killing of Allied prisoners of war and the inhabitants of Asia. It also used Asians as forced laborers and was responsible for the Rape of Nanking where 250,000 civilians in the city were brutally murdered by Japanese troops. Non-combatants suffered at least as badly as or worse than combatants, and the distinction between combatants and non-combatants was often blurred by belligerents of total war in both conflicts. The outcome of the world wars had a profound effect on the course of world history. The old European empires either collapsed or were dismantled as a direct result of the wars ' crushing costs and, in some cases, their fall was due to the defeat of imperial powers. The United States became firmly established as the dominant global superpower, along with its ideological foe, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in close competition. The two superpowers exerted political influence over most of the world 's nation - states for decades after the end of the Second World War. The modern international security, economic, and diplomatic system was created in the aftermath of the wars. Institutions such as the United Nations were established to collectivize international affairs, with the explicit goal of preventing another outbreak of general war. The wars had also greatly changed the course of daily life. Technologies developed during wartime had a profound effect on peacetime life as well, such as by advances in jet aircraft, penicillin, nuclear energy, and electronic computers. Third World War Main article : World War III Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War, there has been a widespread and prolonged fear of a potential Third World War between nuclear - armed powers. The Third World War is generally considered a successor to the Second World War and is often suggested to become a nuclear war, devastating in nature and likely much more violent than the First World War and the Second World War combined ; in 1947, Albert Einstein commented that `` I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. '' It has been anticipated and planned for by military and civil authorities and has been explored in fiction in many countries. Concepts have ranged from purely - conventional scenarios, to limited use of nuclear weapons, to the complete destruction of the planet 's surface. Other global conflicts See also : American Revolutionary War, Cold War, War on Terror, Second Congo War, Syrian Civil War, Iraqi Civil War ( 2014 -- present ), and Cold War II Various former government officials, politicians, authors, and military leaders ( including the following people : James Woolsey Alexandre de Marenches, Eliot Cohen, and Subcomandante Marcos ) have attempted to apply the labels of the `` Third World War '' and `` Fourth World War '' to various past and present global wars since the closing of the Second World War, for example, the Cold War and the War on Terror, respectively. Among these are former American, French, and Mexican government officials, military leaders, politicians, and authors : Despite their efforts, none of these wars are commonly deemed world wars. The Second Congo War ( 1998 -- 2003 ) involved nine nations and led to ongoing low - level warfare despite an official peace and the first democratic elections in 2006. It has often been referred to as `` Africa 's World War ''. During the early - 21st century the Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi Civil War and their worldwide spillovers are sometimes described as proxy wars waged between the United States and Russia, which led some commentators to characterize the situation as a `` proto - world war '' with nearly a dozen countries embroiled in two overlapping conflicts. Wars with casualties exceeding those of the first World War See also : List of wars by death toll and World War I casualties The two world wars of the 20th century had caused unprecedented casualties and destruction across the theaters of conflict. There have been several wars that occurred before the 20th century with as many or more casualties than those of the First World War ( 16,563,868 -- 40,000,000 ), including : Estimated death tolls. Log. mean calculated using simple power law. Event Lowest estimate Highest estimate Location From To Duration ( years ) Three Kingdoms 36,000,000 40,000,000 China 184 280 96 An Lushan Rebellion 13,000,000 36,000,000 China 755 763 9 Mongol conquests 30,000,000 40,000,000 Eurasia 1206 1324 118 Conquests of Timur 15,000,000 20,000,000 Asia 1369 1405 37 Qing dynasty conquest of the Ming dynasty 25,000,000 25,000,000 China 1616 1662 47 Taiping Rebellion 20,000,000 100,000,000 China 1851 1864 14 Wars spanning continents There have been numerous wars spanning two or more continents throughout history, including : Estimated death tolls. Log. mean calculated using simple power law. Event Lowest estimate Highest estimate Location From To Duration ( years ) Late Bronze Age collapse Egypt, Anatolia, Syria, Canaan, Cyprus, Greece, Mesopotamia 1200s BCE 1150s BCE 40 - 50 Greco - Persian Wars Greece, Thrace, Aegean Islands, Asia Minor, Cyprus, Egypt 499 BCE 449 BCE 50 Peloponnesian War Greece, Asia Minor, Sicily 431 BCE 404 BCE 27 Wars of Alexander the Great Thrace, Illyria, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Babylonia, Persia, Sogdiana, India 335 BCE 323 BCE 12 Wars of the Diadochi Macedon, Greece, Thrace, Anatolia, Levant, Egypt, Babylonia, Persia 322 BCE 275 BCE 47 First Punic War 285,000 400,000 Mediterranean Sea, Sicily, Sardinia, North Africa 264 BCE 241 BCE 23 Second Punic War 616,000 770,000 Italy, Sicily, Hispania, Cisalpine Gaul, Transalpine Gaul, North Africa, Greece 218 BCE 201 BCE 17 Roman -- Seleucid War Greece, Asia Minor 192 BCE 188 BCE Roman -- Persian Wars Mesopotamia, Syria, Levant, Egypt, Transcaucasus, Atropatene, Asia Minor, Balkans 92 BCE 629 CE 721 First Mithridatic War Asia Minor, Achaea, Aegean Sea 89 BCE 85 BCE Great Roman Civil War Hispania, Italy, Greece, Illyria, Egypt, Africa 49 BCE 45 BCE Byzantine -- Sassanid wars Caucasus, Asia Minor, Egypt, Levant, Mesopotamia 502 CE 628 CE 126 Muslim conquests Mesopotamia, Caucasus, Persia, Levant, North Africa, Anatolia, Iberia, Gaul, Greater Khorasan 622 1258 636 Arab -- Byzantine wars Levant, Syria, Egypt, North Africa, Anatolia, Crete, Sicily, Italy 629 1050 421 Crusades 1,000,000 3,000,000 Iberian peninsula, Near East, Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt. 1095 1291 197 Mongol conquests 30,000,000 40,000,000 Eurasia 1206 1324 118 Byzantine -- Ottoman Wars Asia Minor, Balkans 1265 1479 214 European colonization of the Americas 2,000,000 100,000,000 Americas 1492 1900 408 Ottoman -- Habsburg wars Hungary, Mediterranean, Balkans, North Africa, Malta 1526 1791 265 First Anglo - Spanish War Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Low Countries, Spain, Spanish Main, Portugal, Cornwall, Ireland, Americas, Azores, Canary islands 1585 1604 19 Dutch -- Portuguese War Atlantic Ocean, Brazil, West Africa, Southern Africa, Indian Ocean, India, East Indies, Indochina, China 1602 1663 61 Second Anglo - Spanish War Caribbean, Spain, Canary Islands, Spanish Netherlands 1654 1660 6 Nine Years ' War Europe, Ireland, Scotland, North America, South America, Asia 1688 1697 9 War of the Spanish Succession Europe, North America, South America 1701 1714 13 War of the Quadruple Alliance Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, North America 1718 1720 Third Anglo - Spanish War Spain, Panama 1727 1729 War of the Austrian Succession Europe, North America, India 1740 1748 8 Seven Years ' War 1,500,000 Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia 1754 1763 9 American Revolutionary War North America, Gibraltar, Balearic Islands, India, Africa, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean 1775 1784 8 French Revolutionary Wars Europe, Egypt, Middle East, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, Indian Ocean 1792 1802 9 Napoleonic Wars 3,500,000 7,000,000 Europe, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Río de la Plata, French Guiana, West Indies, Indian Ocean, North America, South Caucasus 1803 1815 13 Crimean War 255,000 1,000,000 Sicily, Sardinia, Spain, North America, Southeastern Europe, Black Sea 1853 1856 World War I 15,000,000 65,000,000 Global 1914 1918 World War II 40,000,000 85,000,000 Global 1939 1945 6 Cold War Global 1947 1991 44 War on Terror 272,000 1,260,000 Global present 16 See also War portal Neocolonialism New Imperialism Revolutionary wave List of largest empires First wave of European colonization List of military conflicts spanning multiple wars List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll References Jump up ^ Engels, Frederick. `` Introduction to Borkheim ''. 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Question: when did world war 2 become a world war
Answer: 1939