Danger UXB was written during the Second World War.
World War II -LRB- often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 -RRB- , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier .. global war. World war. It involved the vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually forming two opposing military alliances  : the Allies and the Axis .. Allies. Allies of World War II. Axis. Axis powers. It was the most widespread war in history , and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries .. In a state of `` total war '' , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources .. total war. total war. war effort. war effort. Marked by mass deaths of civilians , including the Holocaust -LRB- in which approximately 11 million people were killed -RRB- and the strategic bombing of industrial and population centres -LRB- in which approximately one million were killed , and which included the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -RRB- , it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities .. the Holocaust. the Holocaust. strategic bombing of industrial and population centres. strategic bombing during World War II. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 50 million to 85 million fatalities. World War II casualties. Hiroshima. Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Nagasaki. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history .. deadliest conflict. List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll. human history. History of the world. The Empire of Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with the Republic of China in 1937 , but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and the United Kingdom .. Pacific. Pacific Ocean. China. Second Sino-Japanese War. Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany. Empire of Japan. Empire of Japan. Asia. Asia. at war. Second Sino-Japanese War. Republic of China. Republic of China ( 1912–49 ). invasion. invasion of Poland. Poland. Soviet invasion of Poland. France. French Third Republic. United Kingdom. United Kingdom. Japan. Empire of Japan. Supplied by the Soviet Union , from late 1939 to early 1941 , in a series of campaigns and treaties , Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe , and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan .. Europe. European theatre of World War II. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Axis. Axis powers. treaties. Tripartite Pact. Italy. Kingdom of Italy. Japan. Empire of Japan. Under the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 , Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours , Poland , Finland , Romania and the Baltic states .. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Poland. Soviet invasion of Poland. Finland. Winter War. Romania. Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Baltic states. Occupation of the Baltic states. The war continued primarily between the European Axis powers and the coalition of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth , with campaigns including the North Africa and East Africa campaigns , the aerial Battle of Britain , the Blitz bombing campaign , the Balkan Campaign as well as the long-running Battle of the Atlantic .. Atlantic. Battle of the Atlantic. North Africa. Second Battle of El Alamein. North. American Theater ( World War II ). Axis. Axis powers. United Kingdom. United Kingdom. British Commonwealth. Commonwealth of Nations. East Africa. East African Campaign ( World War II ). Battle of Britain. Battle of Britain. Blitz bombing campaign. The Blitz. Balkan Campaign. Balkan Campaign ( World War II ). Battle of the Atlantic. Battle of the Atlantic. Africa. decolonisation of Africa. On 22 June 1941 , the European Axis powers launched an invasion of the Soviet Union , opening the largest land theatre of war in history , which trapped the major part of the Axis ' military forces into a war of attrition .. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Axis. Axis powers. invasion. invasion of Poland. an invasion of the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa. largest land theatre of war in history. Eastern Front ( World War II ). war of attrition. Attrition warfare. In December 1941 , Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean , and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific .. Pacific. Pacific Ocean. United States. United States. Japan. Empire of Japan. attacked the United States. Attack on Pearl Harbor. European colonies. Japanese invasion of Malaya. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway , near Hawaii , and Germany was defeated in North Africa and then , decisively , at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union .. North Africa. Second Battle of El Alamein. North. American Theater ( World War II ). Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Axis. Axis powers. Japan. Empire of Japan. Battle of Midway. Battle of Midway. Hawaii. Hawaii. Stalingrad. Battle of Stalingrad. Africa. decolonisation of Africa. In 1943 , with a series of German defeats on the Eastern Front , the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy which brought about Italian surrender , and Allied victories in the Pacific , the Axis lost the initiative and undertook strategic retreat on all fronts .. Eastern Front. Eastern Front ( World War II ). Pacific. Pacific Ocean. Allied. Allies of World War II. Axis. Axis powers. invasion. invasion of Poland. Italy. Kingdom of Italy. Allied invasion of Sicily. Allied invasion of Sicily. Allied invasion of Italy. Allied invasion of Italy. In 1944 , the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France , while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies .. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Allies. Allies of World War II. France. French Third Republic. invaded German-occupied France. Normandy landings. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma , while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands .. Pacific. Pacific Ocean. China. Second Sino-Japanese War. Japanese. Empire of Japan. Allies. Allies of World War II. Asia. Asia. South. Second Guangxi Campaign. Central China. Battle of West Hunan. Burma. Burma Campaign. Japanese Navy. Imperial Japanese Navy. The war in Europe concluded with an invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union , culminating in the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops and the subsequent German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 .. Europe. European theatre of World War II. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Allies. Allies of World War II. invasion. invasion of Poland. invasion of Germany. Western Allied invasion of Germany. capture of Berlin. Battle of Berlin. German unconditional surrender. German Instrument of Surrender. 8 May 1945. Victory in Europe Day. in Europe. European integration. Following the Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945 and the refusal of Japan to surrender under its terms , the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively .. Japanese. Empire of Japan. United States. United States. Allies. Allies of World War II. Japan. Empire of Japan. Potsdam Declaration. Potsdam Declaration. dropped atomic bombs. Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hiroshima. Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Nagasaki. With an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent , the possibility of additional atomic bombings , and the Soviet Union 's declaration of war on Japan and invasion of Manchuria , Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 .. Japanese. Empire of Japan. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. invasion. invasion of Poland. Japan. Empire of Japan. invasion of the Japanese archipelago. Operation Downfall. invasion of Manchuria. Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Japan surrendered. Surrender of Japan. Thus ended the war in Asia , cementing the total victory of the Allies .. Allies. Allies of World War II. Asia. Asia. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world .. The United Nations -LRB- UN -RRB- was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts .. United Nations. United Nations. The victorious great powers -- the United States , the Soviet Union , China , the United Kingdom , and France -- became the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council .. China. Second Sino-Japanese War. United Nations. United Nations. United States. United States. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. France. French Third Republic. United Kingdom. United Kingdom. permanent members. Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. United Nations Security Council. United Nations Security Council. 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 .. United States. United States. Soviet Union. Soviet Union. Cold War. Cold War. Meanwhile , the influence of European great powers waned , while the decolonisation of Asia and Africa began .. Asia. Asia. decolonisation of Asia. decolonisation of Asia. Africa. decolonisation of Africa. Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery .. economic recovery. Post–World War II economic expansion. Political integration , especially in Europe , emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities and to create a common identity .. Europe. European theatre of World War II. in Europe. European integration