Introduction to World War II

World War II began on September 1, 1939, with Germany invading Poland. This marked the beginning of a global conflict that lasted six long years, and involved the majority of the world's nations. The war ended on September 2, 1945, when Japan formally surrendered after atomic bombs were dropped on their cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, the war had already taken a huge toll on the world, with more than 60 million people having lost their lives, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. The root causes of World War II can be traced back to the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. The treaty had placed severe sanctions on Germany, such as huge war reparations and loss of territory, which led to an economic depression in the country. In addition, the rise of dictatorial regimes in countries such as Japan and Italy, as well as the militarization and aggression of Nazi Germany, created tensions that eventually erupted into war. The war had far-reaching consequences on the world, including the establishment of the United Nations and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers.