World War II

War between Germany, Italy, and Japan (the Axis powers) on one side, and Britain, the Commonwealth, France, the USA, the USSR, and China (the Allies) on the other. An estimated 55 million lives were lost (20 million of them citizens of the USSR), and 60 million people in Europe were displaced because of bombing raids. The war was fought in the Atlantic theatre (Europe, North Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean) and the Pacific theatre (Far East and the Pacific).

It is estimated that, during the course of the war, for every tonne of bombs dropped on the UK, 315 tonnes fell on Germany.

In 1945 Germany surrendered (May), but Japan fought on until the USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August).