World War II in Pictures: A Look at Our History

By | October 7, 2019

World War II was a global war that continued to escalate from its early days in 1939 through to its brutal conclusion in 1945. It was one of the most terrible periods in known history, with the most powerful countries in the world forming into two rival military alliances: the Axis and the Allies.

The war involved over 100 million people from more than 30 countries, with each one throwing an astonishing amount of resources into the war effort. It was recognized as the deadliest battle in history, with the number of fatalities reaching between 50 to 85 million. While there are quite a few photographs from this era on display in museums and on the web, we’ve managed to round up a stunning collection of WWII photographs most people have never seen before.

When Money Was Worth Nil
Germany suffered one of the worst cases of hyperinflation back in the early 20th century. It all started in World War I when the country’s government borrowed money in order to achieve its dream of dominating Europe. Germany planned to pay off its debts by raiding their enemies and seizing territories that were rich in resources.

However, Germany was defeated in 1918 and this abruptly turned the tables on them. Apart from owing a huge amount in various debts, they also owed punitive reparations to the Allies. To put the magnitude of the German financial crisis in perspective for you, at one point, USD$1 was worth DM$4.2 trillion. It took $200 billion Deutsche Marks just to buy a loaf of bread.

   

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