The Second World War was one of the deadliest wars we know of in history, with over sixty million casualties, most of whom were civilians. It has impacted many countries, almost the entire world, which is why it is given the name. This war impacted many countries around the world and severely damaged almost all countries involved. It also led to the fall of Western European countries as world powers, giving way to the Soviet Union and the United States. The war began in 1939 and ended in 1945, with the invasion of Poland and the surrender of the Axis respectively. It changed the economy and growth of large countries, including Germany, Great Britain, the United States, Japan, Russia and France. Apart from this, the Jews were also greatly influenced. They were harmed, but then they donated. The war began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded the territory of Poland, which was allied with Great Britain and France. German officials signed a peace treaty on August 24 and 25 with the Soviet Union to prevent them from participating in the invasion and to maintain peace between the two countries. Thus Great Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. After this event, Canada also declared war on Germany on September 10, 1939. Germany quickly crushed Poland, as it had an incredible army with 100 infantry divisions and six armored divisions. Due to the peace treaty between the Germans and the Soviets, the Soviets also invaded and took eastern Poland on September 17. Later that year, on November 30, the USSR invaded Finland while Britain and France occupied Germany. At the time, Japan was in the Far East and had Asia in turmoil. Imperial Japan invaded China and various other territories... middle of paper... the atomic bomb, leaving Japan defenseless. Japan surrendered in several places from September 7 to 16. Works Cited O'Neill, William L. World War II A Student Companion. 1st ed. William H. Chafe. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Britannica Online, Encyclopedia. "3." http://www.school.eb.com.proxygsu-scob.galileo.usg.edu/eb/article-53533 (accessed March 2011).Stokes, Phil. "1." 1999. http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/dates.html (accessed March 2011).Stokesbury, James L. http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar610460&st=world+war (accessed March 2011). Robinson, Bruce. 23 April 2004. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/ww2_summary_01.shtml (accessed 30 March 2011). worldwar-2.net, “War in Europe”. 2006.http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-europe/war-in-europe-index.htm (accessed March, 2011).