World War II

Name given to Twentieth Century conflict from 1939-1945, involving all the world's major powers, and which cost nearly sixty million military and civilian casualties. The conflict resulted in a major shift in the balance of power: The Axis powers. led by Germany and Japan, were defeated by the Allied Powers. The charge against Nazi Germany was led by France and Great Britain. By the end of the conflict, these two powers, which had dominated international affairs for centuries, had become less important, while the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the new dominant powers in the post-war world.

Fast Facts

1. Began in September 1939 after German invasion of Poland
2. Became a truly global conflict after Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941
3. Ended in August 1945 after the first combat use of atomic weapons against two Japanese cities

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