Facts about WWII | y6pa-ww2-documentary

Audio clip of the Declaration of War: PM Neville Chamberlain announcing that Britain is at War.

World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945.
World War II began when German troops invaded Poland on 1 September 1939.
The UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. It was announced by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
While many countries were involved in the war, they each took sides – either with the Allies, or the Axis.
The main Axis countries were Germany, Italy and Japan.
The main Allied countries were Great Britain, the United States, France and the Soviet Union.
Prime Ministers during World War II were Neville Chamberlain until 1940, then Winston Churchill.
The Battle of Britain, between the German Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force, was the first ever battle to be fought only in the air. It was made up of lots of air battles that lasted from 10 July-31 October 1940.
World War II ended in Europe on 8 May 1945 – this is also known as VE Day.
World War II carried on for a few months after it ended in Europe, and officially ended when Japan formally surrendered to the Allies on 2 September 1945 (also called VJ Day).

World War Two Top Ten Facts

The Axis and the Allies

The main countries and leaders that made up the Allied powers were:

The three main countries and leaders that made up the Axis powers were:

Germany – the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler
Italy – the Fascists, led by Benito Mussolini
Japan – known at that time as the Empire of Japan, led by Hideki Tojo; the emperor of Japan during World War II was Emperor Hirohito.