World War II began in the European Theater, where the European War between the Allied forces and the Axis powers was fought. It included a vast area of heavy combat across Europe. The war was fought on two fronts (the Eastern Front and the Western Front) as well as in the adjoining Mediterranean and Middle East Theater. The European War began with Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. It lasted until the end of the war when the Germans unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945 (also known as Victory in Europe, or V-E, Day). This exhibit includes items that commemorate events associated with the War in Europe. Due to the nature of some of the items received, the collection related to the Holocaust is commemorated on its own exhibit page here:
Credits
Teri Delcamp, Maxim Gantman