A Decade of Uneasy Peace

A Decade of Uneasy Peace World War II was the worst war that was fought in the 20th Century, and perhaps the worst war in the history of man. The loss of lives in World War II was a staggering 50-60 million dead (Mitchner, Tuffs Global Forces of the 20th Century 130). World War II also ushered in the era of nuclear weapons. How did this war come about, and could it have been prevented? War …

…frustration with the Versailles Treaty led to the inevitability of war in 1939. Six years of war followed, with heavy casualties for both sides. The war ended in Europe in May of 1945, after Hitler commits suicide. Two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, and Japan surrendered in late August of 1945. The United States and the Soviet Union emerged out of the war as superpowers, and the United States is still a World superpower to this day.