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World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide military conflict, the amalgamation of what had initially been two separate conflicts. The first began in Asia in 1937 as the Second Sino-Japanese War; the other began in Europe in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. This global conflict split the majority of the world's nations into two opposing military alliances: the Allied Forces and the Axis Powers. Spanning much of the globe, World War II resulted in the death of over 70 million people, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. The war ended in defeat for the Axis in 1945.
World War II in 1632[]
The specter of World War II loomed large in the minds of the people of Grantville after they were transferred back in time to 1631 Germany
Mike Stearns' grandfather, Tom, was a serviceman during the Second World War and was part of the American unit that had liberated the concentration camp at Buchenwald. Tom Stearns freed and befriended the father of Morris Roth.
Michael Stearns and others hoped that Grantville's presence in 17th century Europe would prevent events such as World War II and its horrors such as the Holocaust.