Summary
Highlights
World War II began in September 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland using blitzkrieg tactics. Britain and France declared war but initially took little action, a period known as the Phony War. In 1940, Germany rapidly defeated Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, pushing the British Army to evacuate from Dunkirk. Britain then faced sole attack during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, with the Luftwaffe failing to defeat the RAF.
In June 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, invading Russia. December 1941 saw Japan attack Pearl Harbor, bringing the USA into the war. The Axis powers were formed by Germany, Italy, and Japan, while Britain, Russia, and the USA became the major Allied combatants. In 1942, the Nazis implemented their 'Final Solution' to exterminate Jewish people.
Critical battles that changed the war's course included Midway in the Pacific (June 1942), El Alamein in Egypt (November 1942), and Stalingrad in Russia (January 1943). On June 6, 1944, D-Day marked the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, as part of Operation Overlord. The Red Army advanced from the East, being the first to reach Berlin.
Germany surrendered in May 1945, shortly after Adolf Hitler's suicide. On August 6, 1945, the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, leading to Japan's surrender on V-J Day, August 15, 1945, officially ending the war. World War II, lasting from 1939 to 1945, remains the most geographically widespread military conflict in history.