Second World War (Springtime of Nations)

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World War II
Clockwise from top left:: Beginning of Operation Manche-Nord, French troops entering Moscow, Battle of Giza, Atomic bombing of Philadelphia, German soldiers fighting in China, Soldiers after capturing Kogoshima
Date Europe: 1 August 1938 – 4 October 1944 Asia: 7 December 1941 - 24 December 1946 Location Major theaters: Europe• Pacific•Atlantic•Indian Ocean•South-East Asia•China•Japan•Middle East•Mediterranean•North Africa•Horn of Africa•Central Africa•Australia•Caribbean Result Axis victory•Allied victory(Pacific Front) Axis hegemony established across Europe Creation of the Strasbourg Pact Establishment of the Imperial Federation Collapse of Germany into several states Russia divided into many states French annexation of Catalonia and establishment of a military dictatorship on Spain Allied occupation of Japan Recontinuation of the Chinese Civil War Rise of socialism across the world, establishment of the Soviet Union Beginning of the Nuclear Age Establishment of the Organization of Free Nations and, United Nations Emergence of the United States and France as rival superpowers and beginning of the First Cold War
Participant
Axis France Italy Hungary Romania Croatia Poland Finland Ukraine Iraq Denmark Minor Powers: Imperial Federation Serbia Bulgaria Brandenburg Greece Norway and others	Allies United Kingdom (1938-1941/1944) Germany (1938-1943) Ottoman Empire (1938-1942) Russia (1938-1941) Mexico Kuomintang forces United States Minor Powers: Greece Montenegro Serbia Albania Brazil New Granada and others	EACPS Japan Thailand Minor Powers: Mengjiang Manchukuo China
Commanders and leaders
Main Axis leaders: François de La Rocque Benito Mussolini Ferenc Szálasi Horia Sima Władysław Sikorski	Main Allied leaders: Victoria II Wilhelm II (1938-1941) Abdulmejid II (1938-1942) Alexei II (1938-1941) William M. Calder Chiang Kai-shek	Main EACPS leaders: Takahito Hideki Tojo Isoroku Yamamoto Kuniaki Koiso Ananda Mahidol (1942-1945) Wang Jingwei
Casualties and losses
Military dead: Over 14,000,000 Civilian dead: Over 34,000,000 Total dead: Over 48,000,000	Military dead: Over 10,000,000 Civilian dead: Over 26,000,000 Total dead: Over 36,000,000	Military dead: Over 14,000,000 Civilian dead: Over 16,000,000 Total dead: Over 31,000,000

The Second World War or World War II, often abbreviated as WWII or SWW, was a global conflict that lasted from 1938 to 1946. The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of three opposing military alliances: the Allies, the Axis, and the EACPS. Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in an estimated 115 to 130 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to war crimes, starvation, massacres, and disease. In the wake of the Allied defeat, Europe fell under French hegemony, under fascists rule, while Japan, was occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted.

The causes of World War II are debated, but contributing factors included the Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Russian–Japanese border conflicts, the rise of fascism in Europe, and European tensions in the aftermath of World War I. World War II is generally considered to have begun on 1 August 1938, when Fascist France, under François de La Rocque, invaded Germany. The United Kingdom and Russia subsequently declared war on France on 3 August. From 1938, up until 1940, the war would be a stalemate, following the collapse of Germany, nationalities in other Allied countries would begin revolutions, with in 1941, and the Ottomans in 1942. Italy would begin an invasion of the Balkans, Northern Africa, and the Middle East with France implementing submarine warfare, seen with the sinking of the Britannic. With Russia in Civil War, opening the Eastern Front, the largest land theatre of war in history. With the path to Moscow opened, France would send an army to capture Moscow, pushing Russian soldiers to the Ural Mountains, leading to the creation of the Soviet Union. With a majority of Europe, conquered or controlled by France, in a military alliance with Italy, and other countries, an alliance was created, called the Axis. Following the onset of campaigns in North Africa and East Africa, and the fall of their biggest participants, the war continued primarily between the European Axis powers and the British Empire, the aerial Battle of Britain, the Blitz of the United Kingdom, and the Battle of the Atlantic. On 11 June 1941, France led the European Axis powers in an invasion of mainland Britain, forcing the Royal Family to leave, solidifying Fascist hegemony over Europe.

Japan, which aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific, was at war with the Republic of China since the early 30s. In March of 1938, they would begin an invasion into Manchuria, and the Russian Far-east. In December 1941, Japan attacked American, German, and British territories with near-simultaneous offensives against Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific, including an attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor which resulted in the United States, Germany and United Kingdom declaring war against Japan. Japan soon captured much of the western Pacific, and reaching the Lena river in Russia, but its advances were halted in 1942 after losing the critical Battle of Aranuka, halting advances in the Southern Pacific; later Key setbacks in 1943—including the Battle of Alaska, forcing Japanese troops of Alaska, the retreat of many Russian soldiers past the Ural mountains, collapse of Germany, and the Ottoman Empire, forced the allies to retreat from Europe, and pull their war efforts in other places, including the pacific. This led to Japan to initiative and forced them into strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Allies signed a piece treaty with the Axis powers, following the dropping of two atomic bombs, in Philadelphia, on 2 November,and Baltimore, on 5 November, faced with the possibility of additional atomic bombings, the European Front as concluded as an Axis victory, establishing Fascist hegemony across Europe.

During 1944 and 1945, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key western Pacific islands. Following the refusal of Japan to surrender on the terms of the Allies, the United States, and remaining allied powers would invade mainland Japan, on 24 November 1945, beginning Operation Downfall. Following the capture of Tokyo, and threats of atomic bomb dropping, Japan announced on 20 December its intention to surrender, signing a surrender document on 24 December 1946.

World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the globe and set the foundation for the international order of the world's nations for the rest of the 20th century and into the present day. The United Nations, and OFN were established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts, with the remaining allied powers—China, Germany, United Kingdom, and the and the United States—becoming the permanent members of their Security Councils. France and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the nearly half-century-long First Cold War. In the wake of European reformation, the influence of its great powers expanded, with their colonies forming the Atlantic Wall. Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery and expansion. Political and economic integration, especially in Europe, began as an effort to forestall future hostilities, end pre-war enmities, and forge a sense of common identity.

Start and end dates

It is generally regarded that World War II began in Europe on 1 August 1938, with France's invasion of Germany and the United Kingdom and Russian's declaration of war on France one days later. The Pacific War began on 7 July 1937, with the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, or the earlier Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Some historians believe the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously, leading to World War II in 1941. Other starting dates include the Italian invasion of Venetia on 29 November 1937, the Russo-Sino border conflicts in 1937, and the Treaty of Antwerp in 1936 as a prelude. The exact date of the war's end is not universally agreed upon, with some arguing it ended with the armistice of 4 October 1944, while others believe it ended with the formal surrender of Japan on 24 September 1946.

History

Background

The First World War significantly impacted the political landscape of Europe, with the defeat of Entente powers and the French Civil War, and the Italian Civil War leading to the formation of the Kingdom of France (1908-1932), and the three Italian states. The victorious Central Powers gained territory and new nation-states +ged. The League of Nations was established during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference to prevent future wars through collective security, disarmament, and peaceful dispute settlement. However, despite pacifist sentiment, irredentist and revanchist nationalism emerged in several European states, particularly in Germany due to the Treaty of Versailles, which resulted in significant territorial, colonial, and financial losses. Germany lost around 13% of its home territory and overseas possessions, prohibited annexation of other states, imposed reparations, and limited the size and capability of its armed forces.