Portal:World War II

The World War II Portal World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military conflict. It began as the joining of what had initially been two separate conflicts, with the first beginning in Asia in 1937 (the Second Sino-Japanese War) and the other beginning in Europe in 1939 (the German and Soviet invasion of Poland). The war split the majority of the world's nations into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history, and placed the participants in a state of "total war", which erased the distinction between civil and military resources and resulted in the complete activation of a nation's economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities for the purposes of the war effort. Over 70 million people, the majority of them civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. The Allies won the war, and as a result, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as the world's leading superpowers. This set the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 45 years. The United Nations was formed in the hope of preventing another such conflict. The self-determination spawned by the war accelerated decolonization movements in Asia and Africa, while Europe itself began moving toward integration. More about World War II... Featured article Hispanic Americans in World War II fought in every major battle in the European Theatre, from North Africa to the Battle of the Bulge, and in the Pacific Theater of Operations, from Bataan to Okinawa. According to the National World War II Museum, between 250,000 and 500,000 Hispanic Americans served in the Armed Forces during WWII, out of a total of 10,420,000, comprising 2.3% to 4.7% of the Armed Forces. The exact number is unknown as, at the time, Hispanics were integrated into the general white population census count. Separate statistics were kept for African-Americans and Asian-Americans.On December 7, 1941, when the United States officially entered the war, Hispanic Americans were among the many American citizens who joined the ranks of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps as volunteers or through the draft. Selected equipment The German S-mine (Schrapnellmine in German), also known as the Bouncing Betty, is the best-known version of a class of mines known as bounding mines. These mines launch into the air at about waist height and explode, propelling shrapnel horizontally at lethal speeds. The S-mine was an anti-personnel landmine developed by Germany in the 1930s and used extensively by German forces during World War II. It was designed to be used in open areas to attack unshielded infantry. Two versions were produced, designated by the year of their first production: the SMi-35 and SMi-44. There are only minor differences between the two models.The S-mine entered production in 1935 and served as a key part of the defensive strategy of the Third Reich. Until production ceased with the defeat of Germany in 1945, Germany produced over 1.93 million S-mines.These mines were responsible for inflicting heavy casualties and slowing, or even repelling, drives into German-held territory throughout the war. The design was lethal, successful and much imitated, and remains one of the definitive weapons of World War II. Selected battle December, 1941. Soviet troops in winter gear supported by tanks take on the Germans in the counter-attack. The Battle of Moscow (Russian: Битва за Москву, Romanized: Bitva za Moskvu, German: Schlacht um Moskau) is the name given the Nazi strategic offensive Operation Typhoon, and a series of Soviet strategic and smaller operations executed during the defense of Moscow, and the subsequent Soviet counter-offensive that occurred between October 1941 and January 1942 on the Eastern Front during World War II as a response to the Hitler's strategy that considered Moscow, capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the largest Soviet city, to be the primary military and political objective for Axis forces in their invasion of the Soviet Union. A separate operational German plan was codenamed Operation Wotan was included in the concluding phase of the German offensive.In August 1941, German forces captured the city of Smolensk, an important stronghold on the road to Moscow. Smolensk was historically considered as the "key" to Moscow because it controlled a landbridge located between the Dvina, Dnieper, and several other rivers, allowing for a fast advance by ground troops without the necessity of building major bridges across wide rivers. Selected picture The crew of the sinking Zuikaku salute as the flag is lowered on 25 October 1944. Selected biography Otto Ernst Lindemann (28 March 1894 – 27 May 1941) was a German naval captain and the only commander of the battleship Bismarck during its eight months of service in World War II. In May 1941, Lindemann commanded Bismarck during Operation Rheinübung. Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens, were to break out of their base in German occupied Norway and attack British merchant shipping lanes in the Atlantic Ocean. The task force's first major engagement was the Battle of the Denmark Strait which resulted in the sinking of HMS Hood. Less than a week later, on 27 May, Lindemann and most of his crew lost their lives during Bismarck's last battle. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes), an honour that recognised extreme bravery on the battlefield or outstanding military leadership. Did you know...? ...that the Polish Second Army was the second major formation of the Peoples' Army of Poland fighting alongside the Soviet Union in the Second World War? ...that U-256 was one of seven German World War II submarines converted into anti-aircraft submarines, and the last German submarine to leave Brest, France? ...that Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges was awarded two DSOs and a Bar to his DFC for flying secret missions for SOE in Europe and the Far East in the Second World War? Categories ▼ World War II ► World War II by continent ► World War II by country ► Lists of World War II topics ► World War II-related lists ► Aftermath of World War II ► Aviation in World War II ► Battles and operations of World War II ► World War II casualties ► Chronology of World War II ► Collaboration during World War II ► Cultural history of World War II ► Military deception during World War II ► Economic history of World War II ► Friendly fire incidents of World War II ► Historiography of World War II ► Intelligence of World War II ► World War II legislation ► Military logistics of World War II ► World War II and the media ► Military animals of World War II ► Military discipline and World War II ► Military equipment of World War II ► Military medicine in World War II ► Military units and formations of World War II ► Naval history of World War II ► World War II non-governmental organizations ► People of World War II ► Politics of World War II ► Pope Pius XII and World War II ► World War II propaganda ► World War II resistance movements ► Science and technology during World War II ► World War II sites ► Sociology of World War II ► Unfree labor during World War II ► World War II crimes ► Works about World War II ► World War II naval ships ► World War II stubs Selected quote "I said, to the people of the Philippines whence I came, I shall return. Tonight, I repeat those words: I shall return!" — Douglas MacArthur, 30 March 1942 Topics World War II Theatres Main events Specific articles Participants Prelude • Causes • in Europe • in Asia Main theatres • Europe • Eastern Europe • China • Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa • Asia and the Pacific • Atlantic General timeline • Timeline 1939 • Invasion of Poland • Winter War 1940 • Invasion of Denmark/Norway • Battle of France • Battle of Britain 1941 • Invasion of the Soviet Union • Battle of Moscow • Attack on Pearl Harbor 1942 • Battle of Midway • Battle of Stalingrad • Second Battle of El Alamein 1943 • Battle of Kursk • Guadalcanal campaign • Invasion of Italy 1944 • Battle of Normandy • Operation Bagration • Battle of Leyte Gulf • Operation Market Garden • Battle of the Bulge 1945 • Battle of Iwo Jima • Battle of Okinawa • Battle of Berlin • End in Europe • Hiroshima and Nagasaki • Surrender of Japan • more... • Blitzkrieg • Cryptography • Equipment • Home Front • Military engagements • Production • Resistance • Technology Civilian impact and atrocities • Nanking Massacre • The Holocaust • Siege of Leningrad • Bataan Death March • Dutch famine of 1944 • Bengal famine of 1943 • Hiroshima and Nagasaki • Unit 731 • Strategic bombings • Comfort women • Allied war crimes • German war crimes • Japanese war crimes Aftermath • Effects • Casualties • Expulsion of Germans • Denazification • Cold War • Universal Declaration of Human Rights • Decline of the British Empire The Allies • Australia • Belgium • Brazil • British India • Canada • Czechoslovakia • Egypt • El Salvador • France (after June 16, 1940: Free France) • Greece • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Philippines • Poland • Republic of China • South Africa • Soviet Union • United Kingdom • United States • Yugoslavia more... The Axis • Bulgaria • Croatia • Japan • Finland • Vichy France • Hungary • Italy • Germany • Romania • Thailand • Slovakia more... Things you can do From the World War II task force of the Military history WikiProject: Attention needed ...to referencing and citation  • ...to coverage and accuracy  • ...to structure  • ...to grammar  • ...to supporting materials  Popular pages Full list Cleanup needed Battle of Kiev (1943) • Battle of Ko Chang • Colditz Castle • Spiritual national defence • Tuskegee Airmen Requested articles  Battle of Uhtua-Kiestinki • Battles of Repola-Rukajärvi • Battle of Siiranmäki • Battle of Łuck • Battle of Równe • Battle of Włodzimierz Wołyński • Battle of Lubartów • Battle of Miedniki • Battle of Jodła • Francis Blanchain • Shinshou Draenger • Christer Lyst Hansen • Holocaust slave labor litigation (draft) • Ove Kampman • League for Combat Policy • Julien Meline • Operation Bigot • Operation Mittelmeer • Operation Richard • Otto Program • Martin Poppel • Roehm's Avengers • Dorothy Tartiere • Poul Bruun • Raoul Boulanger • Serge Asher-Ravanel • Battle of West Ukraine (1941) • Battle of Zunyi • Liberation of Denmark (currently redirect) • Operation Vado (currently redirect) • Finnish 19th Division (Continuation War) • Finnish 11th Division (Continuation War) • Finnish VII Corps (Continuation War) • Finnish VI Corps (Continuation War) • Finnish IV Corps (Continuation War) • Finnish Cavalry Brigade • 1st Jaeger Brigade • 2nd Jaeger Brigade • Finnish 1st Division (Continuation War) • 168th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) • 71st Rifle Division (Soviet Union) • Group Oinonen • A.S. Ksenofontov • Siege of Tobruk (June 1942) • 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (ru) • Novorossiysk-Taman operation (ru) • 1943 Novorossiysk operation (ru) • 1943 Aerial Battles over Kuban (ru) • Battle of Rostov (1943) (ru) • Olshansky amphibious landing (ru) • Nalchik-Ordzhonikidzevskaya operation (ru) • Bukrinsky landing (ru) • Cape Tarhan Landing (ru) • 1942 Sudak Landing (ru) ] • Turning point of World War II Expansion needed Princess Irene Brigade • Battle of Bay of Viipuri • Demilitarisation • Free Dutch Forces • Martha Desrumeaux • Mochitsura Hashimoto • Operation Cascade • Operation Tan No. 2 • Burma Area Army • Battle of Courland • Battle of Munda Point • Battle of Voronezh (1943) • Drive on Munda Point • First Battle of Kharkov • Race to Berlin • Marie Fourcade • Victor Strydonck de Burkel • Donald Blakeslee • Operation Nordwind • Battle of Skerki Bank • Michael Sinclair (soldier) • Battle of Maastricht • Battle of Zeeland • Landings on Rendova • New Georgia counterattack • Operation Waterfall • Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive • American-British-Dutch-Australian Command • Battle of Viru Harbor • Battle of Wickham Anchorage • Western New Guinea campaign (and the individual battles of the campaign) • Operation Blockbuster • more Images needed Twelfth Army (United Kingdom) • 4th Airborne Division (United Kingdom) • 5th Airborne Division (United Kingdom) • XVI Corps (United Kingdom) • Battle of Dakar • Battle of the Lys (1940) • Battle of Zeeland • Battle of the Grebbeberg • Franco-Thai War • Battle of Ko Chang • Switzerland during the World Wars • Berthe Fraser • Western Allied invasion of Germany • LXXXIII Army Corps (Wehrmacht) Merging needed Add an article here! Citations needed Battle of Borneo (1941–42) • Battle of Imphal • Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene • Japanese invasion of French Indochina • Japanese invasion of Thailand • Luxembourg in World War II • New Georgia Campaign • Operation Cartwheel • Operation Chastise • Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade • Solomon Islands campaign • Battle of Radom • Translation needed  pt:Tobrouk (militar) Associated Wikimedia Portals Activities Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Random portal