World War II was a global military conflict that can be considered the most devastating war in human history (in terms of lives lost and material destruction). It began in 1939 as an European conflict between Germany and an Anglo-French coalition, but eventually widened to include most of the nations of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a new world order dominated by the United States and the USSR.

More than any previous war, World War II involved the commitment of nations' entire human and economic resources, the blurring of the distinction between combatant and noncombatant, and the expansion of the battlefield to include all of the enemy's territory. 

Basically, the war was fought with the same or improved weapons of the types used in World War I. The greatest advances were in aircraft and tanks.  However, the weapons of WWII were used in a manner unlike that of any earlier wars.  Hitler had introduced a new form of warfare to Europe: the infamous Blitzkrieg.  This "lightning war" tactic capitalized on initial breakthroughs of the Allied lines with fast, hard-hitting tank-airplane forces.  Able to equip their forces with the most modern weapons, initial German operations met with surprisingly rapid success.  

While the Allies could not claim the same tactical expertise or technical edge as the Germans, they could defeat the Axis by brute force alone.  Thus, the Allies used their huge production capabilities and access to raw materials to their advantage.  Ultimately, the most important determinants of the war's outcome proved to be industrial capacity and personnel.

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This page was last updated on 07/25/00.