World War II (sep 1, 1939 – sep 2, 1945)

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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global conflict between the Allies and the Axis powers. It lasted from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945, and involved nearly all of the world's countries. The war was the deadliest in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths, with millions dying in genocides, massacres, starvation, and disease.

The causes of World War II included unresolved tensions in the aftermath of World War I, the rises of fascism in Europe, and militarism in Japan. Key events preceding the war included Japan's invasion of Manchuria in 1931, the Spanish Civil War, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, and Germany's annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland.

The war began on 1 September 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, leading the United Kingdom and France to declare war on Germany. Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In 1940, the Soviets annexed the Baltic states and parts of Finland and Romania. After the fall of France in June 1940, the war continued mainly between Germany and the British Empire, with fighting in the Balkans, Mediterranean, and Middle East, the aerial Battle of Britain and the Blitz, and naval Battle of the Atlantic.

In December 1941, Japan attacked American and British territories in Asia and the Pacific, including at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The United States entered the war against Japan and Germany in 1944. The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories, invasions of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, and Germany's unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945.

World War II transformed the political, economic, and social structures of the world and established the foundation of international relations for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century. The United Nations was created to foster international cooperation and prevent future conflicts, with the victorious great powers becoming permanent members of its security council.

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