World War II

World War II. . , The start of the war is generally held to be September 1, 1939, beginning with the German Invasion of Poland; Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The war continued until 1945. The Treaty of Peace with Japan was not signed until 1951., Commonwealth remained the only major force continuing the fight against the Axis in North Africa and in extensive naval warfare. In June 1941, the European Axis launched an invasion of the Soviet Union, giving a start to the largest land theatre of war in history, which, from this moment on, was tying down the major part of the of the Axis military power. In December 1941, Japan, which had already been at war with China since 1937, and which aimed to establish a dominance over East Asia and Southeast Asia, attacked the United States and European possessions in the Pacific Ocean, quickly conquering a significant part of the region., The Axis advance was stopped in 1942 after the defeat of Japan in a series of naval battles and after the devastating defeats of European Axis troops in North Africa and at Stalingrad. In 1943, with a series of German defeats in Eastern Europe, the Allied invasion of Fascist Italy, and American victories in the Pacific, the Axis had lost strategic initiative and passed to strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies invaded France, whereas the Soviet Union regained all territorial losses and invaded the territory of Germany and its Allies., The war in Europe ended with the capture of Berlin by Soviet Troops and subsequent German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945. By that time, the Japanese Navy was defeated by the United States, and invasion of the Japanese archipelago ("Home Islands") became imminent., The war ended with the total victory of the allies over Germany and Japan in 1945. World War II left the political alignment and social structure of the world significantly altered. While the United Nations (UN) was established to foster international cooperation and prevent future conflicts (such as World War III), the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which would last for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers started to decline, while the decolonization of Asia and of Africa began. Most countries whose industries had been badly damaged moving toward economic recovery and across the world political integration emerged in an effort to peacefully stabilise after-war relations.