World War 2 was a world conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It was the deadliest war in human history, with an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities. The war involved the majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers, eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis.
The war had its roots in the rise of fascist regimes in Europe, particularly Nazi Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Hitler's aggressive foreign policy, which included the annexation of Austria and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, led to the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union in August 1939. This pact allowed Hitler to launch a surprise attack on Poland on September
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The Allies launched several major offensives, including the invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch), the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky), and the invasion of Italy (Operation Avalanche). These offensives weakened the German hold on Europe and set the stage for the eventual liberation of the continent.
The war in Europe reached its climax in June 1944, with the successful Allied landing in Normandy (Operation Overlord), also known as D-Day. This marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe, as the Allies fought their way through France and into Germany. The war in Europe officially ended with the German surrender on May 8, 1945, known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day).
The war in the Pacific, which had begun with the Japanese invasion of China in 1937, continued until the summer of 1945. The Allies launched several major offensives in the Pacific, including the Battle of Midway in 1942, which marked a turning point in the conflict. The Allies eventually succeeded in taking control of the Pacific, with the successful invasion of the Philippines (Operation Musketeer) and the liberation of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg) in the spring of