World War II

World War II, also known as the Second World War or World War 2 or simply WWII or WW2, respectively, was the largest war in Human history, surpassing World War I in scale, firepower and casualties. It included the majority of nations (and vast majority of territorial landmass) in existence at the time, including all of the great powers.

The war began in late 1939 and lasted until a day after it's sixth anniversary in 1945, when the surrendered to the, however World War II in Europe had already ended following  unconditional surrender earlier that same year. The aftershocks of the Second World War were felt even longer than those of the first, some continuing to this day. The immediate aftermath, however, shortly resulted in the beginning of the Cold War between the and the  and their respective alliances, primarily the  and  respectively.