The End of World War II

The End of World War II Image gallery

World War II changed the world in many ways. By the end of the second world war, huge amounts of Asia and Europe had been diminished into ruins, immensely wrecked. The war between the Allied and Axis powers resulted in around 80 million deaths, or 4 percent of the whole world. Million were homeless, starved, and had to live in poverty. The European economy and infrastructure had collapsed, which caused the war to mark the end of European imperialism as well. The losses in life, money, resources, and production were so great they can only be estimated. This image gallery will run you through the extreme devastation World War II had caused.

Major countries affected by the war

Germany

After the second world war ended, Germany was utterly razed. The country had suffered immense losses, both in lives and industrial power. Around seven million Germans had been killed, or 8.5 percent of the world's population.

The winter of 1947, thousands protest against the horrendous food situation (March 31,1947).

Like most cities in Germany, Berlin lay in ruins at the end of the second world war.

A view of the decimated city of Mainz from its cathedral, left in ruins like Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Münster, Munich, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Mainz, Nuremberg, Xanten, Worms, Brunswick, Hanover, Freiburg and Dresden.

Because so many men had died in the war, women between the ages 15-50 were given the hard work of reconstruction.

There was a severe shortage of living space because of the vast destruction. Many Germans had to live in emergency camps, like the one shown (1946).

The occupation zones of post-war Germany.

The aftermath of World War II.

Italy

Post-World War II, Italy lost its position as a world power. Nearly 60,000 Italian prisoners of war had died in nazi labor camps, while nearly 20,000 perished in Allied prisoner of war camps.

An image showing Italy’s surrender.

The vast amount of buildings in Italy destroyed after the war.

A picture capturing the immense destruction caused by the war.

In September 1943, Partisan fighters in Italy began organizing in large numbers to help the Allies defeat Nazi Germany and rid their country of the remnants of Benito Mussolini's fascist state. As World War II drew to a close, there was vicious fighting in many villages between the Partisans and Italians still loyal to the dictator.

An image capturing the devastation of Italy after the war.

A map of Italy after World War II.

France

After World War II, France was extremely weakened, both economically and psychologically. The total death toll was around 600,000.

Part of France that was destroyed by the war.

French crowds cheer when they hear the war is over.

Some of the many dead bodies found in the aftermath of the war.

Someone’s house that was ruined by the war.

French children wave from the cab of an 'Entre'Aide Francaise' truck which is bringing dried milk from UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) to needy children.

French doctors working on patients.

France

Japan

In the aftermath of World War II, Japan was totally destroyed as a nation and layed low politically, militarily, and economically.

Newspapers all over the world reported the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. This is a page from the Manchester Guardian, 7 August 1945.

Cloud above Nagasaki after atomic bombing on August 9, 1945.

A photo showing the destruction in the Japanese city of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was exploded.

Allied occupation in Japan after World War II.

A map showing the amount of damage to Yokohama, a city in Japan that was severely damaged by Allied air raids in 1945.

Japanese territory before and after World War II.

Aerial view of Hiroshima, Japan, one year after the atomic bomb blast. It shows some small amount of reconstruction amid much ruin on July 20, 1946.

Although World War II did leave immense destruction all throughout the world and had many consequences, the efforts of reconstruction helped the globe get over the horrendous second world war. To this day, the entire world has put in many efforts to commemorate the victims and redress the crimes of the holocaust.

Contributors: Prasi Thapa, Sofia Zaidi, and Lucy Wiemer.

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