World War II

World War II

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World War II (1939-1945) was the most devastating conflict in history: approximately 70-85 million dead and a complete reshaping of the world order.

Phase 1: Axis Victories (1939-1941)

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Germany conquered Poland, Denmark, Norway, Benelux, France. Battle of Britain: the RAF resisted. Italy entered the war (June 1940).

Phase 2: The Turning Point (1941-1943)

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Germany invaded the USSR (June 1941). Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (December 1941) — US entered the war. Decisive battles: Stalingrad, El Alamein, Midway.

Phase 3: Axis Defeat (1943-1945)

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Allied landings in Sicily (July 1943). Mussolini deposed. Italian armistice (8 September 1943). D-Day in Normandy (6 June 1944). Soviet advance from the east.

Italy in the War

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Mussolini fell in July 1943. The armistice split Italy in two. Partisans fought against Germans and Fascists. Liberation on 25 April 1945.

The Horrors

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The Holocaust (Shoah): 6 million Jews murdered. Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945).

Conclusion

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WWII reshaped the world: Europe lost its primacy, two superpowers emerged (USA and USSR), the UN was created, and the Cold War began. Its greatest lesson: hatred, racism and totalitarianism lead only to destruction.