War · 1939–1945
World War II
Warsaw, Poland
World War II began on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland and Britain and France declared war on Germany; the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east in mid-September, and Japan had been at war with China since 1937. Fought between the Allies and the Axis powers and involving nearly every country, it ended with Germany's surrender on 8 May 1945 and Japan's on 2 September 1945.
It was the deadliest conflict in history: an estimated 60 to 75 million people died, most of them civilians.
Why it mattered
The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, while Europe's weakened powers began to lose their colonies in Africa and Asia.
Related
- The world in 1938: The Road to War chapter
- Second World War 1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945
- Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression previous moment · 1929–1939
- The Holocaust next moment · 1941–1945