subject: The End Of World War Ii [print this page] World War II was a military conflict from 1939 to 1945 that was waged between the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allied Powers (United States, Great Britain, Soviet Union and France).
Word War II was the most destructive war both in scope and destructiveness. In terms of scope the battles were raged in the European Theater and Pacific Theater. The European Theater included the whole of Europe and the African countries in the Mediterranean. The Pacific Theater was waged in Asia and the Pacific.
Almost the whole of Europe was under German and Italian control at the height of the Axis invasions while most of Asia was under the dominion of Japanese military forces. The major turning points were the failure of Germany to invade Russia in 1941 and the victory of United States forces over Japan in the Battle of Midway in June 4, 1942. During these times, the forward movements of the Axis powers where checked.
The liberation of Italy in August 1943 and Normandy landings in northern France in June 1944 were major victories for the Allied forces in Europe. This gave footholds for Allied forces in the Western Front of the European Theater. The Eastern Front of the European Theater, on the other hand, was marked by the retreat of German forces against the advancing Soviet military. Germany finally surrendered in May 7, 1945.
In the Pacific theater, Japanese forces were under retreat after the Battle of Midway. The Solomon Islands were liberated from Japan in August 1942. In July 1944, the Marianas Islands were liberated. This paved the way for the building of air fields from which Japanese home islands could be bombed. In October 1944, American forces landed in Leyte, Philippines and by the spring of 1945, the whole Philippine archipelago was liberated. After that, the Japanese islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were conquered.
In August of 1945, atomic bombs were dropped into Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito broadcasted the surrender of Japan.
World War II was a unique war in several ways. How it was waged and what it created after were the distinguishing features. The aftermath of World War II saw the emergence of air power as an important factor in waging and winning wars. The terror bombing of civilian populations was another feature of World War II. The emergence of the nuclear arms was another characteristic of the war. The beginning of the Cold War between communist states and capitalist states was another outcome of World War II. The United Nations was created in 1945 to maintain world peace and foster cooperation among countries.
