World War II[b] or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis. Nearly all of the world 's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war . Tanks and aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war . World War II is the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 70 to ... Home World News in depth How close are we to World War Three? The Taiwan Strait, the Israel-Iran theatre, Nato’s eastern front and the Korean peninsula all have different risk factors but ... World War IWorld War I (WW I), also known as the Great War , lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. WW I was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. The main members of the Allied Powers were France, Russia, and Britain. The United States also fought on the side of the Allies after 1917. The main members of the Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. Causes of the War There was no single event that led to World War I . The war ... Introduction to World War II (1939–1945) World War II (1939–1945) was the deadliest, most costly, most widespread war in human history. The war saw the decline of the European colonial powers that had dominated global politics for the previous four centuries and the rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers. Tremendous advances in science, medicine, and military technology were made over the course of the conflict—from antibiotics to the atomic bomb —and ...
