world war World War II http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85148273 http://purl.bioontology.org/ontology/MESH/D047789 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:World_War_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II https://homosaurus.org/terms/worldWarII https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q362 D731-D838 A global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. In a state of total war, directly involving more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries, 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 70 to 85 million fatalities. Tens of millions of people died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), premeditated death from starvation, massacres, and disease. Second World War WW2 WWII World War 2