World War II

**World War II**, also called the Second World War and often abbreviated as **WWII** or **WW2** was a World war that lasted from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945.

### Date

Start: September 1, 1939 End: September 2, 1945(6 years, 1 day)

### Succeded by

* The United Nations
* The Cold War
* British Empire
* French Fourth Republic
* Polish People's Republic
* Empire of Japan After WWII
* Mao Zedong
* Mahatma Gandhi
* The Kingdom of Iraq
* People's Republic of Albania
* People's Republic of Bulgaria
* Greece Civil War
* The Kingdom of Hungary
* People's Republic of Romania
* Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
* And more...

### Casualties

73,000000 Total deaths

It was the most widespread war in history and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.

# September 1, 1939

Hitler's forces stormed into Poland, unleashing a devastating display of military might. The invasion sparked an immediate response from Britain and France, who honored their alliance with Poland, plunging the world into the abyss of World War II.

Britain and France, honoring their commitment to Poland, declared war on Germany, officially marking the beginning of World War II. As the conflict escalated, other nations took notice and began to align themselves in opposition to the Axis powers. In the face of Hitler's aggression, the formation of alliances became crucial for collective defense and the preservation of freedom.

Britain, under the leadership of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, stood as a steadfast bulwark against Nazi Germany. Across the Atlantic, the United States, led by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, initially adopted a policy of neutrality. However, as the war progressed and the true nature of Hitler's regime became apparent, public opinion shifted, and support for intervention grew. The United States began providing aid to Allied nations and took steps towards rearmament.

In the East, the Soviet Union, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, shattered the non-aggression pact with Germany, after Hitler's betrayal. The Soviet Union joined the fight against the Axis powers, fiercely defending its territories and pushing back against Hitler's forces.

As the war raged on, the formation of the Allies took shape. The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union emerged as the three major powers united against the common enemy. Their shared goal was to defeat Nazi Germany, dismantle its fascist regime, and restore peace and stability to the world.

# The Allied forces

As the war continued, the Allied forces, made significant progress in their fight against Hitler and Nazi Germany. The Soviets launched a series of offensives on the Eastern Front, pushing the German forces back and inflicting heavy casualties.

The Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted from August 1942 to February 1943, was a turning point in the war. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad not only halted the German advance but also marked the first major defeat for Hitler's forces.

In 1943, the Allies launched the invasion of Italy, with the aim of removing Italy from the war and gaining a foothold in Europe. The Soviet Union provided support by launching offensives on the Eastern Front, diverting German forces away from the Italian campaign. Despite facing stiff resistance from German forces, the Allies were able to capture Sicily and gradually advance northward on the Italian mainland.

In June 1944, the Allies launched the largest amphibious invasion in history, known as D-Day, landing in Normandy, France. The Soviet Union had been urging its Western allies to open a second front in Europe to relieve pressure on the Eastern Front, and the success of D-Day was a significant step towards that goal. The Allies, including the Soviet Union, continued to advance across Western Europe, liberating occupied territories and pushing German forces back.

# The Yalta Conference

Recognizing the need for coordination and collaboration, representatives from the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union met to discuss their common goals and strategies. These meetings included the Tehran Conference in 1943 and the Yalta Conference in 1945. Through these diplomatic efforts, the Allies solidified their commitment to defeating the Axis powers and shaping the post-war world.

At the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin reached agreements on a variety of issues, including the post-war occupation of Germany and the establishment of The United Nations. One significant outcome of the conference was the "percentages agreement" between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. This agreement acknowledged the Soviet Union's influence over Eastern Europe after the war, effectively dividing the continent into spheres of influence.

With the Soviet Union having predominance in Romania and Bulgaria, and the United Kingdom having predominance in Greece. The percentages mentioned in the agreement represented the level of influence each country would have in the respective countries.

 Greece | 10%
 Hungary | 50% → 80%
 Romania | 90% → 100%
 Yugoslavia | 50%

# Defeat of Nazism

By early 1945, the Soviet Union launched a massive offensive on the Eastern Front, known as the Vistula-Oder Offensive, which aimed to capture Berlin and bring an end to Hitler's regime. The Soviet forces advanced rapidly, overcoming fierce resistance from the German army. In April 1945, Soviet troops reached the outskirts of Berlin, and intense street-to-street fighting ensued.

On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler, realizing the inevitable defeat, committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin. The Soviet Union played a crucial role in the capture of Berlin, with Soviet soldiers hoisting the Soviet flag over the Reichstag building on May 2, 1945, symbolizing the Soviet victory. The German surrender was formally signed on May 7, 1945, bringing an end to World War II in Europe.

The Soviet Union suffered immense losses during the war, with estimates of Soviet military and civilian casualties ranging from 26 to 40 million. The Soviet contribution to the defeat of Hitler and Nazi Germany was pivotal, and the Soviet Union emerged as one of the world's two superpowers, alongside the United States, following the war.

# The Pacific War

Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, the focus of the Allies turned towards Japan, the last remaining Axis power. The Pacific War had been raging since 1941, and the Allied forces, led by the United States, were determined to bring an end to the conflict.

In the Pacific theater, the Allied forces had been engaging in a series of intense and bloody battles against the Japanese forces, slowly pushing them back. The island-hopping strategy employed by the Allies involved capturing key strategic islands and using them as bases for further offensives. The Battle of Midway in June 1942 and the Battle of Guadalcanal from 1942 to 1943 were crucial victories for the Allies, marking the turning point in the Pacific War.

As the war progressed, the Allied forces were faced with the challenging prospect of invading the Japanese home islands, which were heavily fortified and defended by a determined Japanese military. The estimated casualties for such an invasion were expected to be extremely high. In order to avoid a protracted and costly invasion, the United States made the controversial decision to use atomic weapons against Japan.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb named "Little Boy" on the city of Hiroshima, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 140,000 people. The devastation caused by the bomb was immense, with significant damage to infrastructure and widespread radiation effects. Despite the catastrophic loss, Japan did not immediately surrender.

On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb named "Fat Man" on the city of Nagasaki, resulting in the deaths of approximately 70,000 people. The combined impact of the atomic bombings and the Soviet Union's declaration of war on Japan led to Emperor Hirohito announcing Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945.

The formal surrender ceremony took place on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. World War II, the most devastating conflict in human history, had finally come to an end.

The use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ushered in a new era of nuclear weapons and arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, setting the stage for the tensions and competition that characterized The Cold War.

# Major Battles

See Also -

* The Holocaust