World War II

World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It was the 
deadliest conflict in human history, with an estimated 70-85 million fatalities.

The war began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. This 
prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939.

Major Axis Powers:
- Germany, led by Adolf Hitler
- Italy, led by Benito Mussolini
- Japan, led by Emperor Hirohito and General Hideki Tojo

Major Allied Powers:
- United States, led by Franklin D. Roosevelt (later Harry Truman)
- United Kingdom, led by Winston Churchill
- Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin
- France and China

Key Events:

1940: Germany conquered France in six weeks through the Blitzkrieg strategy.
The Battle of Britain was fought from July to October 1940, with the Royal Air 
Force defending against German Luftwaffe attacks.

1941: Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa on June 22, 1941.
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, bringing the United States into 
the war.

1942-1943: The Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 - February 1943) was a major 
turning point on the Eastern Front. German forces surrendered after intense 
urban warfare and Soviet counteroffensives.

1944: D-Day occurred on June 6, 1944, when Allied forces landed in Normandy, 
France. Over 156,000 troops participated in the largest amphibious invasion 
in history.

1945: Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day). The United 
States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9). 
Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day).

The Holocaust was the genocide of approximately 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany.
The Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946) prosecuted prominent Nazi leaders for war crimes.
The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, to prevent future conflicts.