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'''World War II''', also known as the '''Second World War''', was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is generally accepted as the largest and deadliest continuous war in human history. World War II resulted in the direct or indirect death of anywhere from 50 to 60 million people, over 3% of the world population at that time. It is estimated to have cost more money and resources than all other wars combined: about 1 trillion United States dollars in [[1945]] (roughly 10.5 trillion in [[2005]]), not including subsequent reconstruction [http://www.historychannel.com/worldwartwo/?page=triumph5].
The conflict began by most Western accounts on [[September 1]] , [[1939]] with the German invasion of Poland (the Pacific war is taken to have started on [[July 7]] , [[1937]] with the Japanese attack on China) and lasted until the summer of [[1945]], involving many of the world's countries. Some historians contend that the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (The Second Italo-Abyssinian War) which lasted seven months in 1935-1936 was the actual start of World War II. Virtually all countries that participated in [[World War I]] were involved in World War II. Many consider World War II to be the only true world war due to the overwhelming number of nations involved and the extraordinary number of theatres—from Europe and the Soviet Union to North Africa, China, South East Asia and the Pacific. In World War I non-European theatres had seen quick and short colonial battles, but in World War II these theatres demanded far more resources and human sacrifice.
In Europe, the war ended with the surrender of Germany on [[May 8 May]] , [[1945]] (V-E Day), but continued in Asia until Japan surrendered on [[August 15]], [[1945]] (V-J Day).
== [[Greece]] and World War II ==
For Greece, the conflict began on [[October 28]], [[1940]], when Italian Ambassador, Emmanuele Grazzi, handed an ultimatum to Greek Prime Minister [[Ioannes Metaxas]] at 03:00 AM, demanding free passage for Italian troops only to receive the one-word answer "ΟΧΙ" ("no").
The armed campaign lasted from [[October 28]] , [[1940]] to [[April 6]], [[1941]].
It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of [[World War II]].
=== German intervention ===
At the time of the German attack ([[April 6 April]] , [[1941]]) the bulk of the Greek forces were facing the Italians in Albania. Some of the remaining Greek forces were deployed in the [[Metaxas Line]] and most of the rest were with the British intervention forces deploying north of [[Larissa]]. The British wanted the Greeks to abandon the Metaxas Line and deploy north of Larissa; the Greeks vacillated, as this would mean abandoning half the country, along with Greece's second largest city, [[Thessaloniki]], without a shot fired. The Germans invaded Yugoslavia at the same time as Greece and so were able to outflank the Metaxas line by moving through southern Yugoslavia after the rapid decomposition of the Yugoslav resistance. This necessitated a Greco-British retreat further to the narrow pass at [[Thermopylae]], where the Germans broke through again, all the way down until German forces were at the [[Acropolis]]. After some brief actions on the [[Peloponnese]], the Greeks and British Commonwealth forces retreated to Crete.
===The [[Battle of Crete]]===
The [[Battle of Crete]] began on the morning of [[May 20]] , [[1941]], when Germany launched an airborne invasion under the code-name '''Unternehmen Merkur''' (Operation Mercury). The Germans succeeded in taking the island from the Greek and Allied forces holding it, but the victory was so costly that the Germans never again launched a major airborne mission.
