World War 2 began in September of 1939, pitting the Axis powers consisting of Germany, Italy, and Japan against the Allied powers, consisting of many different countries, but most notably the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. The war began in September of 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and ended in May of 1945, 6 long years later, when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied Powers.World War 2 was the most destructive and costliest war in human history, costing over 60 million people their lives, or 2.5% of the entire world’s population at the time and forever changing millions of others because of permanent handicaps and displacement from their homes.
Europe was left in a state of complete destruction after the war, with entire countries and territories leveled and destroyed by the bombings and intense fighting that took place throughout those 6 years. Not only was the landscape and look of Europe forever altered because of the fighting, but the economic landscape of Europe was also significantly hurt and took years to get back to normal with the help of the Allied and other Western Powers. Overall, World War 2 impacted Europe and the entire world in a way that nobody would ever forget.
Europe was left in a state of complete destruction after the war, with entire countries and territories leveled and destroyed by the bombings and intense fighting that took place throughout those 6 years. Not only was the landscape and look of Europe forever altered because of the fighting, but the economic landscape of Europe was also significantly hurt and took years to get back to normal with the help of the Allied and other Western Powers. Overall, World War 2 impacted Europe and the entire world in a way that nobody would ever forget.