<P> World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier . The vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually formed two opposing military alliances : the Allies and the Axis . It was the most global war in history ; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries . In a state of total war , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources . World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history , marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities , most of which were civilians in the Soviet Union and China . It included massacres , the genocide of the Holocaust , strategic bombing , starvation , disease , and the first use of nuclear weapons in history . </P>
<P> World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier . The vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually formed two opposing military alliances : the Allies and the Axis . It was the most global war in history ; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries . In a state of total war , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources . World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history , marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities , most of which were civilians in the Soviet Union and China . It included massacres , the genocide of the Holocaust , strategic bombing , starvation , disease , and the first use of nuclear weapons in history . </P>
when did worl war 2 start and end
when did worl war 2 start and end
1939 1945
1939 1945