World War II (Occupation of the Soviet Union)

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1946 (conflicts like the Sino-Japanese war, which started in 1937, is sometimes included in the general conflict as well). During the conflict two major opposing military alliances formed: the Allies and the Axis. The war resulted in an estimated 85 to 110 million casualties, the majority being civilian. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history.

The war began in September 1939 after Germany and the Soviet Union had invaded Poland and split it in two, as part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and later declarations of war by France and the United Kingdom on Germany. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact enacted the Soviet Union to annex other territories or nations in Eastern Europe, such as the Baltic states, territories of Romania and Finland. The conflict continued after Germany and its allies had invaded Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. With the remaining allied forces evacuating to Britain after their defeat, the Battle of Britain started. Other campaigns throughout the war continued with the North African and East African campaign, the Balkan Campaign and the Battle of the Atlantic. Japan started to invade large areas in East Asia belonging to the British Empire, as well attacking the United States by bombarding Pearl Harbor, resulting in the US declaring war on the Empire of Japan. Shortly after the European forces also were at war with the United States.

In 1942 the Axis powers of Europe succesfully invaded the island of Great Britain which prompted any of the United Kingdom's further military advancements and officially surrendering, resulting in the end of the European theatre and the North and East African campaigns and Germany gaining their possession over-seas. The axis also invaded Ireland to halt any attempted invasion of Europe by the US. Iran and Afghanistan entered the alliance with the Axis-powers during this time. Japan and the United States engaged in war in the Pacific at the end of 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, though other major battles started to take place in 1942.

After the end of the European Theatre, and the Axis controlling virtually all of Africa, much of Europe, much of the Middle East, almost all of South Asia and being allied with the Empire of Japan, all manpower and resources were focused on the Pacific theatre. By 1944 virtually no advancements were made by either side in the Pacific, with both sides suffering heavy losses. The conflict in the Pacific prompted leaders from both sides to negotiate a peace-treaty. By the end of 1944 the peace-treaty was signed, declaring peace between the Axis and the US and its allies. The terms in the peace-treaty were for example: Japan to withdraw their invasion of the Republic of China's territories; Japan and the United States agreed to exchange certain island in the Pacific; among other things... The peace-treaty also included a non-aggression pact between the two parts where they agreed to partition the Soviet Union in an invasion.

In may 1945 the Axis and the US launched a joint-operation invasion of the Soviet Union, making it the world's largest invasion in human history. Total number of soldiers mobilized in the initial invasion are listed here: * European forces (Germans, Italian,	Spanish, French, British etc.): ~6,500,000 * Japanese forces (incl. Korean &	Manchurian): ~3,100,000 * American forces: ~6,800,000 * Other over-seas forces: ~1,200,000 * Soviet forces: ~21,600,000

The invasion was bloody and long, taking with it many casualties, mostly civilians. The casualties were hard to conclude and there are many different numbers but the general consensus is that there were around 15 million military deaths and over 20 million civilian deaths during the invasion. With the end of the invasion the Soviet Union signed an unconditional surrender in october of 1946. Later both Axis and American started negotioating how to partiotion the Soviet Union between them. Axis and American troops had stopped in Moscow, starting disputes as to which side would occupy the city. The treaty signed after the war concluded that the Axis powers would occupy two thirds of the western part of the city and the American power the rest. The rest of the country was also split to different powers to administer.

Since before World War II both German and American scientists had researched nuclear energy. Germans were the first to split the atom but the Americans were the first to build the bomb, which was finished during the war, after the Axis and Americans had signed the peace-treaty. The Germans finished their first bomb one year after World War II ended. The first atomic bomb was tested by the Germans in 1948 in the Sahara in Germany's colonies. The detonation sparked fear around the world amongst most nations since this showed their technological superiority. The Americans answered with also "testing" their bomb by detonating it in the Pacific. Historians generally agree that this instead was a deterrent for their own superiority over their military and technology. This was one of the pre-requisites to the Cold War that would disputably start in 1950 with the Indian civil war.