Background
During the 1930s, Germany, Italy, and Japan tried to build world empires at the expense of others.  This resulted in a world war as other nations attempted to stop them.  World War II was the most destructive war in human history and became a turning point in history as is resulted in the division of the world into two competing political ideologies: Democracy and Communism.

Rise of Fascism
Fascism is the rule of a people by a dictatorial government that is both nationalistic and imperialistic.  Fascist are also anti-communist.  Fascism rose in Italy and Germany due to a severe economic depression that caused widespread poverty.  Benito Mussolini in Italy, and Adolf Hitler in Germany both promised solutions to these problems, and were able to win the support of the masses as they took absolute control over their countries.  Imperialistic goals in Italy, Germany, and Japan resulted in the start of World War II.

The War
Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis Powers and waged war against the Allies, composed of Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union.  The war was waged across the globe, with major battles taking place in Europe, North Africa, and various Pacific Islands.  War in Europe ended after the destruction of Germany in the Spring of 1945, and ended in the Pacific after the United States dropped two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in August of that same year.  World War II is a turning point because it marks the beginning of the Nuclear Age, and because it resulted in the creation of the two Superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States.

Rebuilding Japan and Germany
Rather than repeat the mistake made by the Versailles Treaty which severely punished Germany for World War One, the allies occupied and rebuilt Japan and Germany. During this occupation, democratic governments were established and infrastructure destroyed during the war was rebuilt. West Germany and Japan would go on to become very competitive economically, often being ranked and compared to the United States.

Colonialism Ends
After World War Two, self-determination was extended beyond Europe to regions across the world. Former colonial possessions of European nations such as India and French Indochina became sovereign nations, establishing their own governments.

Democracy vs. Communism
After the war, the United States and other democratic nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which was a military alliance against communism.  The Soviet Union, which had gained control of most of Eastern Europe during the war, formed the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance against NATO.  This period of conflict between democratic and communist countries is known as the Cold War.  The two Superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, dominated world events for nearly 50 years after the end of the war.