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The Second World War (1939-1945): the consequences
The sheet explains the consequences of the Second World War in France and in the world. This war is a war of annihilation, an ideological war and a total war.
Key points of the sheet
- Each side wants to destroy the other completely: its army, its economy and its population. Violence against civilians is extreme: bombings, genocides, deportations.
- Each side defends opposite ideas. For example, Nazi Germany wants to wipe out the Jews of Europe, and the Allies defend democratic values.
- The war mobilises the whole society: the economy, culture and propaganda. Germany, the USSR and Japan even use forced labour.
- The war killed more than 60 million people, soldiers and civilians. There were also millions of wounded.
- The Nazi regime carries out a policy of extermination. More than 11 million people were killed, including 6 million Jews and 25,000 Roma (Tziganes).
- Politically, Germany is divided into zones run by the winners. The UN is created in 1945 and the Cold War begins between the United States and the USSR.
- The Nazi leaders are tried at the Nuremberg trial. It lasts from 20 November 1945 to October 1946.
- Adolf Hitler is the dictator who led Germany from 1933 to 1945. Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, leads the "Battle of Britain" against German bombings.
Words to know
- war of annihilation (guerre d’anéantissement)
- It is a war in which each side wants to destroy the other completely: army, economy and population.
- ideological war (guerre idéologique)
- It is a war in which each side defends opposite ideas.
- propaganda (propagande)
- It is the will to influence public opinion.
- forced labour (travail forcé)
- Germany, the USSR and Japan rely on forced labour during the war.
- Cold War (guerre froide)
- It begins after the war between the United States and the USSR.
- Nuremberg trial (procès de Nuremberg)
- It is the trial where the Nazi leaders are judged, from 20 November 1945 to October 1946.
Test yourself: 3 questions
In which city are the Nazi leaders tried?
In French, the language of the exam: Dans quelle ville sont jugés les responsables nazis ?
The Nazi leaders are tried at the Nuremberg trial, from 1945 to 1946.
How many deaths did the Second World War cause?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien de morts fait la Seconde Guerre mondiale ?
The Second World War killed more than 60 million people, soldiers and civilians.
Between which countries does the Cold War begin?
In French, the language of the exam: Entre quels pays commence la guerre froide ?
After the war, the Cold War begins between the United States and the USSR.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- When did the Second World War take place?
- Which international organisation was created in 1945, after the Second World War?
- Which organisation was created in 1945 after the Second World War?
More in this topic (World conflicts and the new world order)
- Rebuilding the world order: the construction of Europe
- Reshaping the world order: decolonisation
- The First World War (1914-1918): the context
Source
Sheet “La Seconde Guerre mondiale (1939-1945) : les conséquences” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.