Seventy years ago, the Second World War broke out …

The Second World War was a global military conflict which involved all of the great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The war involved the mobilization of over 100 million military personnel, making it the most widespread war in history. In a state of "total war", over seventy million people were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.

The start of the war is generally held to be September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by most of the countries in the British Empire and Commonwealth, and by France. Many countries were already at war before this date, such as Nationalist China and Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

In 1945 the war ended in a victory for the Allies. The Soviet Union and the United States subsequently emerged as the world's superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. In an effort to maintain international peace, the Allies formed the United Nations, which officially came into existence on October 24, 1945.

Soon after the end of World War II, conflict flared again in many parts of the world. In China, nationalist and communist forces quickly resumed their civil war. Communist forces were eventually victorious and established the People's Republic of China on the mainland while nationalist forces ended up retreating to the reclaimed island of Taiwan.

Economic recovery following the war was varied in differing parts of the world, though in general it was quite positive. In Asia, Japan experienced incredibly rapid economic growth, and led to Japan becoming one of the most powerful economies in the world by the 1980s. China, following the conclusion of its civil war, was essentially a bankrupt nation. But by 1953 economic restoration seemed fairly successful as production had resumed pre-war levels.

The important technological and engineering feats achieved during, or as a result of, the war include the worlds first programmable computers, guided missiles and modern rockets, the development of nuclear weapons, the development of artificial harbours and oil pipelines under the English Channel.

To find out more about the post-war development in the Pacific rim, you are urged to learn the Chinese language and read the first-hand historical documents. Please visit our website at tutorchinese.com for details.