World War II
Global conflict from 1939 to 1945 involving most of the world's nations, resulting in approximately 70–85 million deaths and reshaping the international order.
Last refreshed: 8 May 2026
Timeline for World War II
Mentioned in: North Korean rockets on Russian robots
Russia-Ukraine War 2026Mentioned in: HMS Dragon sails for Hormuz without rules of engagement
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: IRGC fires on US destroyers in Hormuz
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Trump orders Navy to shoot mine-layers
Iran Conflict 2026Mentioned in: Strikes Gut Iran's Vaccine Labs and 30 Universities
Iran Conflict 2026- What parallels are being drawn between the Iran conflict and World War II?
- The Iran-conflict-2026 briefing references the Gulf of Tonkin rather than World War II directly; WWII appears as a historical frame for precedent around naval incidents triggering escalation and the difficulty of managing dual military-diplomatic tracks in wartime.Source: Lowdown
- How did World War II affect international law on maritime conflicts?
- World War II's aftermath produced the UN Charter (1945) and subsequent conventions on the laws of armed conflict at sea, including rules on naval blockades, maritime exclusion zones and the rights of neutral shipping that directly underpin today's debates over the Strait of Hormuz.
Background
World War II (1939-1945) was the largest armed conflict in history, involving most of the world's nations in two opposing military alliances: the Allied Powers (led by the United Kingdom, Soviet Union and United States) and the Axis Powers (led by Germany, Italy and Japan). The conflict resulted in approximately 70-85 million deaths, including an estimated 6 million Jewish victims in the Holocaust. It ended with unconditional Axis surrenders in Europe (May 1945) and the Pacific (September 1945), following the use of nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The post-war settlement established the United Nations, Bretton Woods institutions, and the framework of international law that has governed state conduct since.