World War II

World War II, or abbreviated as WWII, was an international conflict that occurred on Earth between 1939 and 1945.

Background
On September 1st, 1939, the German Army and Air Force stormed across the border with Poland, igniting war. The German Forces quickly took over most of Europe (save for Britain), and began to invade their ally Russia. On the other side of the world, Japan brought the United States of America into the conflict after bombing Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii. The war was fought between the Allied Nations and the Axis Nations (led by chancellor Adolf Hitler). The war lasted for six years. The European theater ended in April 1945 when Hitler committed suicide and the remaining Axis negotiated a surrender. The Pacific front ended when two nuclear bombs were dropped over the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The Japanese subsequently surrendered in September. Shortly after the war, the Soviet Union gained the ability to create nuclear weapons. The resulting tension gave birth to the Cold War between the world's last remaining superpowers, America and the Soviet Union.

The United Nations
As a result of the Allied victory over the Axis Nations, the United Nations Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, marking the replacement of the defunct League of Nations and the creation of the United Nations. The United Nations was formed to prevent a Third World War.

References in Halo

 * Colonel Herzog apparently researched World War II extensively.
 * The war has been analyzed in comparison to the Human-Covenant War.

Related Articles

 * United Nations
 * UN Charter