It is considered one of the most devastating and deadly conflicts in human history. The war began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. In response to this attack, England and France declared war on Germany. The war rapidly expanded, affecting many regions from Europe to Asia, from Africa to the Pacific Ocean.
The main reasons for the war include the economic and political burdens brought by the Treaty of Versailles signed after World War I, the economic depression experienced worldwide, and the rise of totalitarian regimes. Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, formed the Axis Powers together with Italy and Japan, while countries such as England, France, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States joined the war as Allied Powers.
In Europe, Germany quickly invaded many countries with blitzkrieg tactics. In the Pacific, Japan captured a large area in Asia. However, Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 created a significant turning point in favor of the Allies by drawing the United States into the war. The same year, Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union opened the eastern front and changed the course of the war.
One of the darkest events of the war was the Holocaust, systematically carried out by the Nazi regime. Approximately six million Jews and millions of people from different ethnic, religious and political groups were subjected to genocide.
With the Allied landings in Normandy (D-Day) in 1944, Germany began to retreat in Western Europe. In the East, the Soviets advanced as far as Berlin. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. The war in the Pacific ended with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, after the atomic bombs dropped on Japan by the USA.
World War II caused the deaths of approximately 70-85 million people and had a profound effect on the world. The war paved the way for the establishment of the United Nations, the beginning of the Cold War and the end of colonialism. This tragic period in human history once again emphasized the importance of peace and international cooperation.
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