World War II

Event / Era

World War II

Period / Year

1939–1945

Category

Contemporary (20th–21st century)

Details

World War II (1939–1945)

Rise of fascism and totalitarian regimes: Led by figures like Hitler (Nazi Germany), Mussolini (Italy), and Hirohito (Japan).
Germany's expansionist policies: Fueled by resentment over the humiliation suffered after WWI.
Failure of appeasement policy: Attempts by Allied powers to concede to German demands failed to prevent conflict.
Invasion of Poland: Germany's invasion on September 1, 1939, prompted Britain and France to declare war, marking the beginning of WWII.

The Holocaust: The systematic, state-sponsored genocide of approximately 6 million Jews and millions of others by Nazi Germany.
Battle of Britain (1940): A sustained air campaign by Nazi Germany against the United Kingdom.
Operation Barbarossa (1941): Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.
Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941): Japan's surprise attack on the US naval base, leading to the USA's entry into the war.
D-Day (June 6, 1944): The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, opening a crucial Western Front.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 & 9, 1945): US atomic bomb attacks that led to Japan's surrender.

An estimated 70–85 million deaths, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.
The United Nations was established in 1945 to promote international cooperation and prevent future wars.
The beginning of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR, a period of geopolitical tension.