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'''{{Expand|date=January 2007}}
'''World War II''' was the most extensive and costly [[war|armed conflict]] in the [[history of the world]], involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing approximately 55.5 million lives <i>(see below)</i>. The war was fought between two groups of powers:
{{otheruses}}
* The [[alliance]] of the [[British Commonwealth]], the [[United States]], the [[Soviet Union]], governments-in-exile of [[France]] and other European countries occupied by Germany and Italy, and [[China]]—collectively known as the [[Allies]]; and
'''Flexibility''' is the popular term for the ability to easily [[bend]] an [[Object (physics)|object]] or the ability to adapt to different circumstances. However, in various professional fields, more precise terms are used.
* The alliance of [[Germany]], [[Italy]], and [[Japan]]—collectively known as the [[Axis Powers|Axis]], and minor countries.
There is a lot of speculation about flexibility . Where does it come from ? How does it reproduce ? What is it`s habitat and more. Flexibility is a small, almost microscopic animal that you can barely see, so don`t listen to of any of this bullshit. Whoever wrote this is no better than a graffiti-ist. Go and do a painting instead.
Most of the fighting occurred in the [[European Theatre of World War II|''European theatre'']] in and around [[Europe]], and in the [[Pacific War|''Pacific theatre'']] in the [[Pacific]] and [[East Asia]].
==Physiology==
The German invasion of [[Poland]] on [[1 September]] [[1939]] is the most common date in the West for the start of World War II. Others cite the Japanese invasion of China in [[1937]] as the war's beginning, or even the [[1931]] Japanese incursion into [[Manchuria]]. The war in Europe ended with the surrender of Germany on [[8 May]] [[1945]], but continued in Asia and the Pacific until [[2 September]] [[1945]], when Japan surrendered.
In the [[physiology]] of vertebrates, including humans, the measurement of the achievable distance between the flexed position and the extended position of a particular [[joint]] or muscle group is called its "flexibility", but this is more properly called its [[range of motion]] or range of movement. In this sense, the flexibility of a joint depends on many factors, particularly the length and looseness of the [[muscle]]s and [[ligament]]s due to normal human variation, and the shape of the [[bone]]s and [[cartilage]] that make up the joint.
Flexibility, or suppleness, is also a more generalized term used to compare the relative range of motion of all joints of an individual with a standard. The ability to achieve a full range of movements – to turn, stretch, twist and bend – without any stiffness, aching or suffering a spine or joint injury is defined as [http://www.healthy-body-healthy-mind.com/how-to-build-suppleness/ suppleness].
The war was significant in that it was the first war in which air power was a significant factor. Indeed, the first combat operation in World War II was a German bombing attack against Poland, while the last combat operation was a thousand-aircraft bombing attack on Japan, on [[14 August]] [[1945]]. The war also saw the re-emergence of the United States from its [[isolationism]], the destruction and rebuilding of Germany and Japan into major industrial powers, the advent of the [[atomic bomb]], and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as global [[superpower]]s. The war also directly led to the [[United Nations]], which was founded by the victorious Allies in order to prevent such a large and destructive conflict from ever happening again.
Medical conditions such as [[arthritis]] can decrease flexibility, while [[Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome]] can increase flexibility. Exercise increases the amount of flexibility in a joint, while decreasing the amount of resistance.
[[Image:Stalingrad.jpg|thumb|250px|Soldiers at the [[Battle of Stalingrad]]]]
Those who practice [[gymnastics]] (especially [[rhythmic gymnastics]]), [[dance]], [[figure skating]], [[martial arts]], [[body toning]], [[yoga]], [[cheerleading]] and [[contortion]] rely on functional flexibility (increased range of motion with strength and control) to perform their actions.
The war caused more civilian casualties than any war in history. This was partly due to its unprecedented scale, the first uses of mass aerial bombings against civilian populations (a policy initiated by the German [[Luftwaffe]] against Poland, and later used more extensively against German cities by the Allies), and the first application of industrial age technology to enable the mass killing of unwanted civilians in [[extermination camp]]s. In total, World War II caused the deaths of about two percent of the population of the world. (For details, see the [[list of World War II casualties by country]].)
==Causes=Benefits===
Suppleness or flexibility is an important part of a healthful life. Being supple means that you can reach up to take an item down from a bookshelf, for example, or bend down to tie your shoe laces, without feeling that your movements are restricted in any way. When you are young, you tend to take suppleness for granted. But as and when you start growing older, you need to spend a bit of time enhancing and maintaining your suppleness.
''Main article: [[Causes of World War II]]''
Anyone can start a daily routine of simple stretches at any age to restore or increase that flexibility to your muscles as well as joints. Some studies show that you are never too old to reverse the reduced level of suppleness that comes with the age. It really doesn’t matter as to how long it has been building up.
The Second World War came about for a variety of reasons. Some of the most commonly mentioned causes include the [[war reparation]]s demanded of Germany after [[World War I]] coupled with the effects of the [[Great Depression]] and the lack of raw materials in Japan.
===How To Achieve Flexibility===
==Prelude to War==
Flexibility can be temporarily increased by regular [[stretching]] of the muscles either by performing specific exercises or by actively participating in activities that take the joints through their full range of movement and lengthens the muscles. Muscles are wrapped in connective tissues, which, rather like chewing gum, are resistant to being stretched when cold. For this specific reason, it is very important to attempt stretching exercises only when your muscles are warm. When stretching, a slight degree of tension should be felt in the muscle. Attempting to stretch too far may cause physical discomfort or even pain and can further result in an injury. So in order to maintain your suppleness, stretches need to be held for at least 10-40 seconds which gives connective tissues enough time to lengthen.
''Main article: [[Events preceding World War II in Europe]]''
Stretching regularly can result in flexibility that is retained for as long as 48 hours, depending on the duration and depth (effective relaxation) of the stretch. This component is important to avoid injuries during leisure activities{{Fact|date=February 2007}}.
Resentment of the victorious [[Power (international)|powers]]' treatment of the [[Weimar Republic]] in the [[aftermath of World War I]], and economic difficulties caused by [[war reparation]]s and the Great Depression, allowed [[Adolf Hitler]]'s extreme [[nationalist]] [[NSDAP]] movement to come to power in Germany. Due to the fragile political situation, Hitler could assume emergency power and virtually total control of the country. Defying post-World War I treaties he redeveloped the German military by means of the democratic constitution that then was put aside. He remilitarized the border zone next to France, enforced the re-unification with [[Austria]] in the so-called [[Anschluss]], and with Franco-British approval he annexed parts of [[Czechoslovakia]].
===Relative flexibility===
In [[1922]] [[Benito Mussolini]] and the [[Fascist]] party had risen to power in Italy. Mussolini's Italian fascists shared some ideological goals with the German [[National socialist]]s or Nazis and although Mussolini distrusted Hitler, the two countries formed an agreement that became known as the "Rome-Berlin Axis" in 1936.
Since muscles which go through grow in size but not in length, when one muscle grows through hypertrophy its opposite side muscle (the antagonist) will have to lengthen, and absolute flexibility is the term to describe a muscle's length, in and of itself, where relative flexibility is the flexibility of a joint, as compared to its antagonistic movement<ref>[http://www.chekinstitute.com/articles.cfm?select=73 "Back to the Basics for the New Year"], by Paul Chek</ref>.
For example, the [[calf muscle]] extends the foot towards the [[ground]] ([[plantarflexion]]) and the [[anterior tibialis|shin muscle]] flexes the foot in the opposite direction ([[dorsiflexion]]).
[[Image:Hitlermusso.jpg|right|framed|Benito Mussolini ("Il Duce") with Adolf Hitler]]
If a person's calf is [[tonic (physiology)|overly strong]] it will not be as flexible as the opposite shin muscle, and plantarflexion will be exhibit relatively inflexible as compared to dorsiflexion using the person's [[phasic (physiology)|weaker]], but more flexible shin muscle.
==Systems theory==
== European Theatre ==
In [[systems theory]], which has applications in diverse fields including biology, ecology, psychology, economics, and management, the flexibility of a [[adaptive system|system]] is related to its [[adaptation]] to a new environment or its [[resilience]] in recovering from a shock or disturbance.
''Main article: [[European Theatre of World War II]], [[The end of World War II in Europe]]
One example is the attribute of [[Flexibility (engineering)|flexibility]] in engineering.'''''Italic text''
In [[1939]], Hitler laid claim to parts of [[Poland]] and concluded the [[Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact]] with the [[Soviet Union]] in response to Britain's and France's supportive defense alliance with Poland, of March 1939. The German [[Wehrmacht]] then [[Polish September Campaign|invaded Poland]] on [[September 1]], and on [[3 September]], [[1939]], Britain and France declared war on Germany. The Polish government collapsed, with President [[Ignacy Moscicki]] fleeing into [[Polish government in exile|exile on the 18th]]. Within weeks the Soviet [[Red Army]] also invaded Poland, and hostilities ended with French and British troops giving no assistance to the Poles.
==References==
The period from the conclusion of the invasion of Poland in October 1939, till the German invasion of [[Benelux]] and [[France]] in May 1940, became known as the ''[[Phony War]]''. The German and Soviet forces were moved from the attack on Poland. The Red Army concentrated on the [[Baltic region|Baltic]] countries and on [[Finland]], where the [[Winter War]] came in focus of the world's interest in absence of other hostilities. Meanwhile, the Wehrmacht moved to the north and invaded Denmark and Norway in [[Operation Weserübung]]. France mobilized and manned its heavily defended border against the [[Rhine]]; and the British sent a large expeditionary force to France. Apart from a brief attack by the French across the Rhine there were little hostilities as both sides built up their forces.
<references/>
[[es:Flexibilidad]]
In May of 1940 German forces attacked the [[Low Countries]] ([[The Netherlands]], [[Belgium]] and [[Luxembourg]]). The three countries were occupied quickly with all of their governments and monarchs fleeing to [[London]], except for the Belgian king [[Leopold III of Belgium|Leopold III]] who stayed in his country.
[[nl:Flexibiliteit]]
[[France]] was then promptly invaded. The Germans' [[Blitzkrieg]] tactics succeeded in defeating the French and British armies in France. The [[British Expeditionary Force]] (BEF) evacuated [[Dunkirk]] in [[Operation Dynamo]], leaving their heavy equipment behind, and the French government made a peace, which left the Germans in control of the North and the [[Vichy France|Vichy government]] in charge of the South.
[[Luftwaffe]] was unable to defeat the [[Royal Air Force]] in the [[Battle of Britain]] and gain the air superiority needed to invade Britain. Instead they began a [[strategic bombing]] campaign which the British called [[the Blitz]], and to blockade Britain into submission in the [[Battle of the Atlantic (1940)|Battle of the Atlantic]]. Britain failed to succumb to either.
In June 1941 Germany attacked the Soviet Union, with whom they had a [[non-aggression pact]], in [[Operation Barbarossa]], starting what is known in Russia as the [[Great Patriotic War]] ([[Russian language|ru]]: Великая Отечественная Война, ''Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna''). The Russians were caught largely by surprise and the Wehrmacht initially conquered vast areas of territory, and captured hundreds of thousands of troops. The Soviets withdrew, and managed to move most of their heavy industry away from the front line and re-establish it in more remote areas. Tenacious, sacrificial defense prevented the Germans from capturing [[Moscow]] ([[Hero City]]) by the time winter set in (see [[Battle of Moscow]]). Hitler, expecting the campaign to be over in a few months, had not equipped their armies for winter fighting. Five days after the Soviets launched their counter attack, on [[December 11]], [[1941]], Germany declared war on the United States following the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] by [[Japan]] - see [[World_War_II#Asian_Theatre|Asian Theatre]].
[[Image:Chrost.jpg|right|framed|The "Big Three" Allied Leaders, [[Winston Churchill]], [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] and [[Joseph Stalin]]]]
In spring the German army made further attacks in the Soviet Union, but appeared to be unable to choose between a direct attack on [[Moscow]] and the capture of the [[Caucasus|Caucasian]] oilfields. Moscow was again spared, and at the end of 1942 the Soviets succeeded in smashing the Axis' front lines in the south, and surrounding the German 6th Army in the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] ([[Hero City]]). In February 1943 the paltry remnant of the 300,000 man army surrendered. This blunder could have been avoided had Hitler taken Stalingrad when it was empty of Soviet troops; however, he mistakenly believed it was too well defended, setting the stage for the defeat of the 6th Army. In the spring the Wehrmacht was able to restore the front line and make a successful riposte in the [[Second Battle of Kharkov]], but their offensive at the massive [[Battle of Kursk]] (July 1943) was so unsuccessful that the Red Army were able to counterattack and regain the ground previously lost. From that time forward the Soviet Union had the initiative in the East. By the early 1944 Red Army reached border of Poland and ended the [[Siege of Leningrad]].
The German disaster at Stalingrad was promptly followed by a disaster of similar importance in Tunisia (see [[World_War_II#African_and_Middle_Eastern_Theatre|African theatre]] below), resulting in the loss of the last Axis foothold in North Africa and the capture of a quarter of a million German and Italian [[POW]]s (May 1943). Thereafter the Allies used North Africa as a springboard for the [[Operation Husky|invasion of Sicily]] (July 1943) and [[Allied invasion of Italy|mainland Italy]] (September 1943), which [[Winston Churchill]] described as "the soft underbelly of Europe". Italy surrendered, but German troops moved to disarm the Italians and set about defending the country on their own. They established a series of tough defensive lines in mountainous country that was ideally suited to defense, and progress by the Allies was slow.
The Allies invaded [[Normandy]] in [[Operation Overlord]] on June 6th [[1944]] and liberated most of France and the Low Countries by the end of the year.
On [[June 9th]] Soviet Union began offensive on [[Karelian Isthmus]] forcing German co-belligerent Finland out of war. On [[June 22nd]] Soviets began [[Operation Bagration]]; 2.5 million men and 6,000 tank attack along 1,000 km front, destroying completely German 500,000 men [[Army Group Centre]] and taking 350,000 prisoners. Romania surrendered in August and Bulgaria on September. Germans withdrew from Balkans and managed to hold their position in Hungary until February 1945.
After a desperate counteroffensive by the German army in the Ardennes during the [[Battle of the Bulge]] in December 1944, the Allies entered Germany in [[1945]]. By now the Soviets had reached the Eastern borders of the German [[Reich]], and her fate was sealed. Red Army captured [[Vienna]] [[April 14th]] and the final assault on Berlin began on [[April 16th]]. As the Russians surrounded [[Berlin]], Hitler and his staff moved into the bunker underneath the Chancellery. There, on [[30 April]] 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide as Russian shells exploded in the Chancellery garden above. It was twelve years and three months since he had become dictator of Germany. He had appointed Admiral [[Karl Dönitz]] President of Germany, but one week later the German armed forces surrendered unconditionally on [[7 May]] [[1945]].
==The Pacific War==
[[Image:US landings.jpg|right|thumbnail|250px|US landing in the Pacific, August 1942-August 1945]]
''Main article: [[Pacific War]]''
The weakening of [[China]], partly through the actions of British colonialism, and the rapid modernization of [[Japan]] in the late 19th century were perhaps the first precursors to the Pacific theatre of the war. Japan modernized its military and went to war with China in 1894, winning handily. Western leaders were surprised at the strength shown by the Japanese. Russia, France and Germany united to force Japan to make land concessions to China. In 1904 Russia and Japan would face off in a war in which Japan is victorious. For the first time, a non-Western country had defeated a European power. The repercussions were felt worldwide as colonies saw that with Western technology, the weapons of the West could be used against the colonizers.
In the First World War, Japan joined the Allied powers, but played only a minor role in fighting German colonial forces in East Asia. At the following Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Japan's proposal of amending a "racial equality clause" to the covenant of the League of Nations was rejected by the United States, Britain and Australia. In 1924 the US Congress passed the Exclusion Act that prohibited further immigration from Japan.
In 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations since she was heavily criticized for her actions in China.
In 1940, Japan occupied French Indochina (Vietnam) upon agreement with the French Vichy government, and joined the Axis powers Germany and Italy. These actions intensified Japan's conflict with the United States and the United Kingdom which reacted with an oil boycott.
The Japanese had already invaded [[China]] before World War II started in Europe. U.S. President Roosevelt signed an executive order in May of 1940 allowing U.S. military personnel to resign from the service so that they could participate in a covert operation in China. Hence was born the All Volunteer Group, more commonly known as Chennault's Flying Tigers. With the United States and other countries cutting exports to Japan, Japan decided to [[attack on Pearl Harbor|bomb Pearl Harbor]] on [[7 December]] [[1941]] without warning or declaration of war. Severe damage was done to the American [[Pacific Fleet]], although the [[aircraft carrier]]s escaped as they were at sea. Japanese forces simultaneously invaded the British possessions of [[Malaya]] and [[Borneo]] and the American occupied [[Philippines]], with the intention of seizing the oilfields of the [[Dutch East Indies]]. The British island fortress of [[Singapore]] was captured in what Churchill considered one of the most humiliating British defeats of all time.
In May 1942, a Japanese naval attack on [[Port Moresby]], [[New Guinea]] which had it succeeded would have put them within striking range of [[Australia]], was thwarted by the Allied navies in the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]], becoming both the first successful opposition to Japanese plans and the first naval battle fought only between aircraft carriers. A month later the U.S. Navy again prevented the invasion of [[Battle of Midway|Midway island]], this time destroying four Japanese carriers, which Japanese industry could not replace, and putting the Japanese navy on the defensive.
However, in July the Japanese Army attempted an overland attack on Port Moresby, along the rugged [[Kokoda Track]]. Australian reservists, many of them very young and untrained, fought a stubborn rearguard action, until they were relieved by Australian regular troops returning from action in the [[Middle East]].
The Allied leaders had agreed even prior to the American entry to the war that priority should be given to the defeat of Germany. Nonetheless US and Australian forces under General [[Douglas MacArthur]] began to attack captured territories, beginning with, against the bitter and determined defense of Japanese troops, [[Battle of Guadalcanal|Guadalcanal Island]]. On [[7 August]] 1942 the island was assaulted by [[United States Marines]]. In late August and early September, while battle raged on Guadalacanal, Australian forces fought off a Japanese amphibious attack on the eastern tip of New Guinea at [[Battle of Milne Bay|Milne Bay]], the first conclusive defeat suffered by Japanese land forces. US forces triumphed on Guadalcanal in February 1943.
Exhausted Australian and US forces then strove to retake the occupied parts of [[New Guinea]] and the Dutch East Indies, experiencing some of the toughest resistance of the Pacific Theatre. The rest of the [[Solomon Islands]] were retaken in 1943, [[New Britain]] and [[New Ireland]] in 1944. The Philippines were attacked in late 1944 following the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]].
US and Allied submarines and aircraft also attacked Japanese merchant shipping, depriving Japanese industry of the raw materials she had gone to war to obtain. The effectiveness of this stranglehold increased as the U.S. captured islands closer to the Japanese mainland.
The Nationalist [[Kuomintang]] Army under [[Chiang Kai-shek]] and the [[Communist Party of China|Communist]] Chinese Army under [[Mao Zedong]] both opposed the Japanese occupation of China, but never truly allied against the Japanese. Conflict between Nationalist and Communist forces continued after and, to an extent, even during the war.
Capture by the Allies of islands such as [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]] and [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]] close to Japan brought the homeland within range of naval and air attacks, [[Tokyo]] was firebombed and later an [[atomic bomb]], the "Little Boy", was dropped from the B-29 "Enola Gay" and destroyed [[Hiroshima]]. On 8 August 1945 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, attacking her possessions in Manchuria. On August 9th, in [[Nagasaki]], another atom bomb, "Fat Man" was dropped by the B-29 "Bock's Car". The Japanese surrendered on 14 August 1945, signing official surrender papers on 2 September 1945 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
==African and Middle Eastern Theatre==
The [[North African Campaign]] began in [[1940]], when small British forces in [[Egypt]] turned back an Italian advance from [[Libya]]. This advance was stopped in [[1941]] when German forces under Erwin Rommel landed in Libya. In addition, in [[June]] [[1941]] the [[Australian Army]] and allied forces invaded [[Syria]] and [[Lebanon]], capturing [[Damascus]] on [[17 June]]. Rommel's [[Afrika Korps]] advanced rapidly eastward, laying siege to the vital seaport of [[Tobruk]]. The Australian and British troops in the city resisted all until relieved, but a renewed Axis offensive captured the city and drove the Eighth Army back to a line at [[El Alamein]].
The [[First Battle of El Alamein]] took place between [[July 1]] and [[July 27]], [[1942]]. German forces had advanced to the last defensible point before [[Alexandria]] and the [[Suez Canal]]. However they had outrun their supplies, and a British and Commonwealth defense stopped their thrusts. The [[Second Battle of El Alamein]] occurred between [[October 23]] and [[November 3]], [[1942]] after [[Bernard Montgomery]] had replaced [[Claude Auchinleck]] as commander of the Eighth Army. Commonwealth forces took the offensive and destroyed the Afrika Korps. Rommel was pushed back, and this time did not stop falling back until [[Tunisia]].
To complement this victory, on [[8 November]], [[1942]], American and British troops landed in [[Morocco]] and [[Algeria]] in [[Operation Torch]]. The local forces of [[Vichy France]] put up limited resistance before joining the Allied cause. Ultimately German and Italian forces were caught in the pincers of a twin advance from [[Algeria]] and Libya. Advancing from both the east and west, the Allies completely pushed the Wehrmacht out of [[Africa]] and on [[May 13]], [[1943]], the remnants of the Axis forces in North Africa surrendered. 250,000 prisoners were taken; as many as at [[Stalingrad]].
North Africa was used as the jumping-off point for the invasions of [[Sicily]] and mainland [[Italy]] in 1943.
==Consequences==
In contrast to [[World War I]], the Western victors in the Second World War did not demand compensation from the defeated nations. On the contrary, a plan created by U. S. Secretary of State [[George Marshall]], the "Economic Recovery Program", better known as the [[Marshall Plan]], called for the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] to allocate billions of dollars for the reconstruction of [[Europe]].
Since the [[League of Nations]] had obviously failed to prevent the war, a new international order was constructed. In 1945 the [[United Nations]] was founded.
The future [[Warsaw Pact]] countries did not subscribe to the Marshall Plan. In the [[Paris Peace Treaties, 1947|Paris Peace Treaty]], the Soviet Union's enemies [[Hungary]], [[Finland]] and [[Romania]] were required to pay [[war reparations]] of $300,000,000 each (in 1938 dollars) to the USSR, Hungary and Romania. [[Italy]] was required to pay $360,000,000, shared chiefly between [[Greece]], [[Yugoslavia]] and the Soviet Union.
In the areas occupied by US troops, capitalist governments were created, in the areas occupied by Soviet troops, communist governments were created. Germany was partitioned into four zones of occupation, with the American, British and French zones grouped as [[West Germany]] and the Soviet zone as [[East Germany]]. [[Austria]] was once again separated from Germany and it, too, was divided into four zones of occupation which eventually re-united and became the state of Austria. The [[Cold War]] had begun, and soon [[NATO]] and the [[Warsaw Pact]] would form.
The repatriation, pursuant to the terms of the [[Yalta Conference]], of two million Russian soldiers who had come under the control of advancing American and British forces, resulted for the most part in their deaths.
The massive research and development involved in the [[Manhattan Project]] in order to quickly achieve a working [[nuclear weapon design]] greatly impacted the scientific community, among other things creating a network of national laboratories in the United States. In addition, the pressing for numerous calculations for various things like ballistics tables kickstarted the development of electronic [[computer]] technology.
In the military sphere, World War II marked the coming of age of airpower, mostly at the expense of warships. While the pendulum continues to swing in this never-ending competition, air powers are now a full partner in any military action. World War II also saw the creation of [[guided missile]]s which, like airpower, are now used in virtually every conflict.
The war was the high-water mark for mass armies. While huge armies of low-quality troops would be seen again (during the [[Korean War]] and in a number of African conflicts), after this victory the major powers relied upon small highly-trained and well-equipped militaries.
After the war, many high-ranking Germans were prosecuted for [[war crime]]s, as well as the mass murder of the [[Holocaust]] committed mainly on the area of [[General Government]], in the [[Nuremberg trials]]. Similarly Japanese leaders were prosecuted in the [[Tokyo War Crime Trial]]. In other countries, notably in Finland, the Allies demanded the political leadership to be prosecuted in "[[war-responsibility trials]]" - i.e. not for ''crimes'' of war.
The defeat of Japan, and her occupation by American Forces, led to a [[westernization]] of Japan that was surely more far-reaching than would otherwise have occurred. Japan approximated more closely to a Western style democracy and, because of her defeat by the USA, set out to imitate the United States. This huge national effort led to the post-war Japanese economic miracle and Japan's rise to become the world's second largest economy.
==World War II military history by country==
* [[Military history of Germany during World War II]]
* [[Military history of Britain during World War II]]
* [[Military history of Italy during World War II]]
== Military engagements ==
===Battles===
*[[Battle of Dunkirk]] "Dynamo"
*[[Battle of Britain]]
*[[Battle of Crete]]
*[[Operation Barbarossa]]
*[[Battle of Moscow]]
*[[Battle of Kursk]]
*[[Battle of Stalingrad]]
*[[Operation Bagration]]
*[[First Battle of El Alamein]]
*[[Second Battle of El Alamein]]
*[[Battle of Normandy]], also known as ''D-Day'' or ''Operation Overlord''
*[[Battle of Tali-Ihantala]]
*[[Operation Market Garden]] (Battle of Arnhem)
*[[Battle of Monte Cassino]]
*[[Battle of the Bulge|Battle of Ardennes (1944)]] (a.k.a. Battle of the Bulge)
*[[Battle of Hurtgen Forest]]
*[[Battle of Berlin]]
*[[Battle of Leyte]]
*[[Battle of Peleliu]]
*[[Battle of Iwo Jima]]
*[[Battle of Okinawa]]
*[[Battle of Lugou Bridge]]
*[[Battle of Tai er zhuang]]
*[[Battle of Changsha]]
*[[Battle of Hundred Regiments]]
*[[Battle of Milne Bay]]
===Sieges===
*[[Siege of Leningrad]]
*[[Siege of Lwów]]
*[[Siege of Modlin]]
*[[Siege of Novorossiysk]]
*[[Siege of Odessa]]
*[[Siege of Sevastopol]]
*[[Siege of Tobruk]]
*[[Siege of Warsaw]]
===Naval engagements===
*[[The Battle of the River Plate]]
*[[First Battle of Narvik]]
*[[Second Battle of Narvik]]
*[[Battle of the Atlantic (1940)]]
*[[Battle of Cape Matapan]]
*[[Battle of Pearl Harbor]]
*[[Battle of the Coral Sea]]
*[[Battle of Midway]]
*[[Battle of Guadalcanal]]
*[[Battle of Leyte Gulf]]
===Major bombing campaigns===
* [[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|Dresden]]
* [[Bombing of Kassel in World War II|Kassel]]
* [[Rostock]] (Heinckel Airplane Construction Plant, Seaport, and City)
* [[Lübeck]]
* [[Baedeker Blitz|Baedeker raids]]
* [[London]] ([[The_Blitz|"The Blitz"]] and the [[V1 Flying Bomb |V1]] and [[V2 rocket |V2]] campaigns)
* Bombing of [[Battle of Stalingrad|Stalingrad]] 23 August 1942
* [[Helsinki]] February 1944, was mostly ineffective due to air defense and deception.
* [[Tallinn]] February - March 1944. Bombed by Soviet ADD. Large-scale damage.
* [[Narva]] March 1944. Evacuated town was destroyed by Soviet ADD.
* [[Hiroshima]]
* [[Nagasaki]]
* [[Bombing of Tokyo in World War II|Tokyo]]
* [[Bombing of Warsaw in World War II|Warsaw]]
* [[Bombing of Rotterdam in World War II|Rotterdam]]
* [[Bombing of Hamburg in World War II|Hamburg]]
* [[Coventry]]
See also [[Strategic bombing survey]] for the overall impact of the bombing.
==Defensive lines==
*[[Atlantic Wall]]
*[[Gustav Line]]
*[[Maginot Line]]
*[[Mannerheim Line]]
*[[Siegfried Line]]
*[[GHQ Line]]
*[[Taunton Stop Line]]
== Political and social aspects of the war ==
*[[Appeasement]]
*[[Occupation of Denmark]]
*[[German children 1933-1945]]
*[[Nazi children]] in the times of peace
*[[Gold Star Mothers Club]] for those mothers who lost their children, KIA
== Production and logistics ==
The Axis lost, at least partly because the Allies, after the USA's and the Soviet Union's entrance into the war, had greater productive resources, and were able to turn these resources into greater numbers of soldiers and weapons than the Axis.
* [[American tank production during World War II]]
* [[German tank production during World War II]]
* [[Soviet tank production during World War II]]
* [[WW2 aircraft production]]
* [[US weapon production (1942-1945)]]
==Common military awards==
===Soviet Union===
*[[Hero of the Soviet Union]]
*[[Order of Lenin]]
*[[Order of Suvorov]]
*[[Order of the October Revolution]]
*[[Order of the Red Banner]]
*[[Order of Victory]]
<!-- the list is incomplete -->
In Soviet Union orders and medals were also awarded to cities and military divisions. <!-- I don't know if that was common in other countries, I think not -->
===United States===
*[[Medal of Honor]]
*[[Silver Star]]
*[[Bronze Star Medal]]
*[[Distinguished Flying Cross (USA)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
*[[Air Medal]]
*[[World War II Victory Medal]]
*[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]
*[[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
*[[American Campaign Medal]]
===United Kingdom===
*[[Victoria Cross]]
*[[Air Force Cross (UK)|Air Force Cross]]
*[[Distinguished Flying Cross (UK)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]
===Germany===
*[[Iron Cross]]
== Related articles ==
* [[Timeline of the Second World War]]
* [[Axis Powers]]
* [[Generalplan Ost]]
* British [[Women's Land Army]]
* [[Polish contribution to World War II]]
* [[Free French Forces]]
* [[Deutsches Afrika Korps]]
* [[Potsdam Agreement]]
* [[Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)]]
* The [[Operation Chastise|Dambusters raid]]
* [[Devil's Brigade]]
* [[Operation Shingle]]
* [[Persecutions of Nazi collaborators]]
* [[Holocaust]]
* [[Special Operations Executive]]
== Lists ==
* [[List of World War II Theatres and Campaigns]]
* [[List of countries involved in World War II]]
* [[List of World War II casualties by country]]
* [[List of people associated with World War II]]
* [[List of World War II Veterans]]
* [[List of equipment used in World War II]]
* [[List of World War II aces by country]]
* [[Glossary of German WWII military terms]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/world_war_2_photos/world_war_2_photos.html Photos]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/ WW2 People's War] - A project by the [[BBC]] to gather the stories of ordinary people from World War II
* [http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/W/WW2.html World War II, Wars And Battles]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/ BBC History of WW2]
* [http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-1/ww2.html Using Historical Statistics To Teach about World War II. ERIC Digest.]
* [http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-2/war.htm World War II in the Curriculum]
* [http://www.nationalparksgallery.com/parks/World-War-2-Memorial World War II Memorial Pictures]
* [http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/ Directory of Online World War II Indexes & Records]
* [http://warmuseum.ca/cwm/newspapers/intro_e.html World War 2 Newspaper Archives]
== References ==
* [[Winston Churchill]], ''The Second World War'', 6 vols. ([[1948]]-[[1953]])
* [[Martin Gilbert]], ''Second World War'', Phoenix, 1995. ISBN 1857993462
* [[John Keegan]], ''The Second World War'' ([[1989]])
* [[B.H. Liddell Hart]], ''History of the Second World War'' ([[1970]])
* [[Williamson Murray]] and [[Allan R. Millett]], ''A War to Be Won: Fighting the Second World War'' ([[2000]]) ISBN 067400163X
* [[Richard Overy]], ''Why the Allies Won'', Pimlico, 1995. ISBN 0712674535
* [[Gerhard L. Weinberg]], ''A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II'' ([[1994]]) ISBN 0521443172
[[Category:World War II]]
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[[cy:Yr Ail Ryfel Byd]]
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[[de:Zweiter Weltkrieg]]
[[el:Β' Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος]]
[[es:Segunda Guerra Mundial]]
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[[fr:Seconde Guerre mondiale]]
[[fy:Twadde Wrâldkriich]]
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[[zh-tw:第二次世界大戰]]
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