Do You Really Know World War II?

By: Rebecca Curran
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No war in modern times has had as far a reach or caused as much devastation as World War II. The war between the "Allies" Britain, France, Russia, China, and the United States and the "Axis" powers Germany, Italy, and Japan lasted around six years. Everyone knows that Adolf Hitler ruled Germany, and he wanted his Nazi party to take Europe. Along with the Soviet Union, German troupes invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939. Then, in April 1940, Germany invaded Norway and also took Denmark.

Soon, Britain and France declared war on Germany and thus began World War II. By 1941, the Germans had invaded France, Denmark, Greece, and many other European countries. Not only that, but Hitler killed and imprisoned millions of his own people because they didn't fit the image of his perfect German race, the Nazi party. Hitler believed that all others were their enemies and inferior. The Nazis targeted Jews, resulting in the deaths of around six million people in the Holocaust.

The US got involved in 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. The next day, the US declared war on Japan and Germany by proxy. Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland didn't want to get involved, and so remained neutral. An allied army defeated the Nazis in 1944, freeing France from the Germans. And a year later, allied armies took the Nazis down in Germany, forcing them to surrender.

America sent nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, forcing Japan to surrender as well. Finally, after about six years of war, the Germans surrendered on May 8th, 1945. When World War II came to a close, approximately 60 million people had died.

The world made incredible advancements during the war years. America and other superpowers began developing weapons of mass destruction; military technology moved forward with plenty of funding and labor. Women also became part of the workforce.

World War II was the most infamous war in history, with most of the world joining America and the Allies in the battle for freedom. The war was a catalyst in the United States' rise to military power in the world. But how much do you really know about World War II? Let's find out.