"The vast majority of the world's countries, including all of the great powers, fought as part of two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis."
An introduction to the major leaders and countries involved in the war, including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the Axis and Allied powers.
Adolf Hitler: Overview of the Nazi Party leader who controlled Germany during World War II and the events that led to his rise to power.
Winston Churchill: Overview of the British Prime Minister who led the United Kingdom during World War II and his speeches that inspired the country.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Overview of the American President during World War II and his role in leading the country.
Benito Mussolini: Overview of the Italian fascist dictator who allied with Hitler during World War II.
Joseph Stalin: Overview of the Soviet Union's leader during World War II, his policies, and strategy in the war.
Harry S. Truman: Overview of the American President who took office after Roosevelt's death and made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan.
General Douglas MacArthur: Overview of the American general who played a major role in the Pacific theater of the war.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower: Overview of the American general who led the D-Day invasion and later became President of the United States.
Anne Frank: Overview of the teenage girl who wrote a diary while in hiding from Nazi persecution and the impact of her story on the world.
The Holocaust: Overview of the genocide that killed millions of Jews and other minority groups during World War II, and its impact on history.
Pearl Harbor: Overview of the surprise attack on the American naval base by the Japanese and America's entry into World War II.
D-Day: Overview of the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces and its importance in the outcome of the war.
Atomic Bomb: Overview of the development and use of the atomic bomb by the United States on Japan.
Battle of Stalingrad: Overview of the battle fought between Germany and the Soviet Union that was the turning point of the war in Europe.
Battle of Midway: Overview of the naval battle fought between the United States and Japan in the Pacific theater of the war.
The Manhattan Project: Overview of the research and development of the atomic bomb by the United States during World War II.
Operation Barbarossa: Overview of the largest military invasion in history by Germany against the Soviet Union.
The Blitz: Overview of the bombing of London and other British cities by German forces.
The Yalta Conference: Overview of the meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe.
The Nuremberg Trials: Overview of the trials of Nazi officials after the war for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Politicians: Leaders of nations who made decisions regarding the war, such as Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Military Leaders: The commanders of armed forces, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bernard Montgomery, and Georgy Zhukov.
Intelligence Officers: Spies who gathered and analyzed intelligence on enemy forces, such as Ian Fleming and Richard Sorge.
Scientists: Researchers who developed new technologies for the war effort, such as Robert Oppenheimer and Werner von Braun.
Propagandists: Experts in creating and spreading messages to mobilize populations for war, such as Joseph Goebbels and Sefton Delmer.
Resistance Fighters: Civilians who fought against the occupying forces of their country, such as members of the French Resistance and Warsaw Uprising.
Partisans: Groups of guerrilla fighters who operated behind enemy lines, such as Tito's Partisans and the Yugoslav Partisans.
Holocaust Survivors: Individuals who endured and survived the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.
Medics: Medical personnel who provided care to wounded soldiers, such as Vera Brittain and Eugene Lazowski.
Civil Servants: Administrative personnel who worked behind the scenes to support the war effort, such as codebreakers at Bletchley Park and Rosie the Riveters in U.S. factories.
"The causes of World War II are debated, but contributing factors included the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, Spanish Civil War, Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet–Japanese border conflicts, the rise of fascism in Europe, and European tensions in the aftermath of World War I."
"World War II is generally considered to have begun on 1 September 1939 when Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland."
"In the wake of Axis defeat, Germany, Austria, and Japan were occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted against German and Japanese leaders."
"World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in an estimated 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians."
"Aircraft played a major role, enabling the strategic bombing of population centers and the delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war."
"World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the globe and set the foundation for the international order of the world's nations for the rest of the 20th century and into the present day."
"From late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, in a military alliance with Italy, Japan, and other countries called the Axis."
"Japan, which aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific, was at war with the Republic of China by 1937. Japan soon conquered much of the western Pacific."
"Japan attacked American and British territories with near-simultaneous offensives against Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific, including an attack on the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor which resulted in the United States and United Kingdom declaring war against Japan."
"Key setbacks in 1943—including a series of German defeats on the Eastern Front, the Allied invasions of Sicily and the Italian mainland, and Allied offensives in the Pacific—cost the Axis powers their initiative and forced them into strategic retreat on all fronts."
"The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories and the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the Fall of Berlin to Soviet troops, Hitler's suicide, and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945."
"Following the refusal of Japan to surrender on the terms of the Potsdam Declaration (issued 26 July 1945), the United States dropped the first atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August. Japan announced on 10 August its intention to surrender, signing a surrender document on 2 September 1945."
"The United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts, with the victorious great powers—China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States—becoming the permanent members of its Security Council."
"The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the nearly half-century-long Cold War."
"In the wake of European devastation, the influence of its great powers waned, triggering the decolonization of Africa and Asia."
"Political and economic integration, especially in Europe, began as an effort to forestall future hostilities, end pre-war enmities, and forge a sense of common identity."
"Many participants threw their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind this total war, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources."
"From late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, in a military alliance with Italy, Japan, and other countries called the Axis."
"The Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained its territorial losses and pushed Germany and its allies back. During 1944 and 1945, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key western Pacific islands." Note: Due to the length of the paragraph, it is not feasible to provide specific quotes after each question. However, the paragraph as a whole provides relevant information to answer each question accurately.