<p><ins class="ice-ins ice-cts-1" data-changedata="" data-cid="2" data-last-change-time="1525913126392" data-time="1525913122344" data-userid="162" data-username="Author"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">The</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Empire</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Japan</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">aimed</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">to</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">dominate</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia" title="Asia"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Asia</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" title="Pacific Ocean"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Pacific</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">was</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">already</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War" title="Second Sino-Japanese War"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">at</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">with</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China_(1912%E2%80%9349)" title="Republic of China (1912–49)"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Republic</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">China</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">in</mark></mark> 1937,<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBarrettShyu20016_7-0"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBarrettShyu20016-7">[5]</a></sup>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">but</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">world</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">is</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">generally</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">said</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">to</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">have</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">begun</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">on</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">September</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1939,</mark><sup id="cite_ref-8"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II#cite_note-8">[6]</a></sup>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> day <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland" title="Invasion of Poland"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">invasion</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Polish_Republic" title="Second Polish Republic"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Poland</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">by</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany" title="Nazi Germany">Nazi <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Germany</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">subsequent</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">declarations</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">on</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Germany</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">by</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Third_Republic" title="French Third Republic"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">France</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">United</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Kingdom</mark></a>. <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">From</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">late</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1939</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">to</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">early</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1941,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">in</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">a</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">series</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">campaigns</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_Pact" title="Tripartite Pact">treaties</a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Germany</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">conquered</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">or</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">controlled</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">much</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">continental</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Europe,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">formed</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Axis</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">alliance</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">with</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy" title="Kingdom of Italy"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Italy</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan" title="Empire of Japan"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Japan</mark></a>. <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Under</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact" title="Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact">Molotov&ndash;Ribbentrop <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Pact</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">August</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1939,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Germany</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union" title="Soviet Union"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Soviet</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Union</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">partitioned</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">annexed</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">territories</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">their</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">European</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">neighbours,</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland" title="Soviet invasion of Poland"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Poland</mark></a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War" title="Winter War">Finland</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_occupation_of_Bessarabia_and_Northern_Bukovina" title="Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Romania</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Baltic_states" title="Occupation of the Baltic states"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Baltic</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">states</mark></a>. <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">The</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">continued</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">primarily</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">between</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">European</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Axis</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">powers</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">coalition</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">United</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Kingdom</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations" title="Commonwealth of Nations"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">British</mark> Commonwealth</a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">with</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">campaigns</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">including</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Desert_Campaign" title="Western Desert Campaign"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">North</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Africa</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Campaign_(World_War_II)" title="East African Campaign (World War II)"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">East</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Africa</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">campaigns,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">aerial</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain" title="Battle of Britain"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Battle</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> Britain</a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz" title="The Blitz"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Blitz</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">bombing</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">campaign</mark></a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkan_Campaign_(World_War_II)" title="Balkan Campaign (World War II)"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Balkan</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Campaign</mark></a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">as</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">well</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">as</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">long-running</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Atlantic" title="Battle of the Atlantic"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Battle</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> Atlantic</a>. <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">On</mark> 22 <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">June</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1941,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">European</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Axis</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">powers</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">launched</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Barbarossa" title="Operation Barbarossa"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">an</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">invasion</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Soviet</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Union</mark></a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">opening</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Front_(World_War_II)" title="Eastern Front (World War II)"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">largest</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">land</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">theatre</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">in</mark></mark> history</a>, <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">which</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">trapped</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">major</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">part</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Axis</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">military</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">forces</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">into</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">a</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attrition_warfare" title="Attrition warfare"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">war</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> attrition</a>. <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">In</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">December</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">1941,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Japan</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor" title="Attack on Pearl Harbor"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">attacked</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">United</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">States</mark></a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark>&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_invasion_of_Malaya" title="Japanese invasion of Malaya"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">European</mark> colonies</a>&nbsp;<mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">in</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Pacific</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Ocean,</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">and</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">quickly</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">conquered</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">much</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">of</mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true"><mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">the</mark></mark> <mark class="mark" data-markjs="true">Western</mark> Pacific.</ins></p>

<p><ins class="ice-ins ice-cts-1" data-changedata="" data-cid="2" data-last-change-time="1525913126392" data-time="1525913122344" data-userid="162" data-username="Author">test﻿</ins></p>
