Dark times The Second World War, which took place from 1939 to 1945, was the largest armed conflict in history history of humanity. It spread across six continents and caused more than fifty million civilian and military deaths (Brinkley). The Second War gave rise to new problems. One of the major consequences of World War II was the start of the Great Depression. The depression brought Hitler to his zenith and helped democracy in Germany and Europe. It also helped propel Japan to conquest (Roberts). World War II also ended America's isolation from the rest of the world, resulting in the creation of the United Nations (Brinkley). The war began when Nazi Germany attacked Poland in September 1939. Even then, the United States held firm and decided not to intervene. Finally, it did when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The start of World War II brought many unthinkable events. Many lives were lost and, more importantly, Japanese Americans were subjected to life in internment camps. Japan joined forces with the Allied Powers but played a small role in fighting German forces in East Asia. After the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Japan's goal of peace was rejected by Britain, Australia, and the United States. World War II was by far the most horrific tragedy of its time and marked the end of a brutal and bloody war for democracy. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japan did the unthinkable by bombing the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii. The Japanese had launched their planes from a point 220 miles from Oahu and the impact was catastrophic (Lyon). Needless to say, Pearl Harbor was disastrous for the Americans, but it could have been much more flawed. The attack on P...... middle of paper ......follows to be heard and treated like the humans they are. Through the elimination of disloyal Japanese Americans, they were given questionnaires and eventually released. They were also ordered not to return to the West Coast. The last internment camp only closed in 1946 and no reparations were provided to the Japanese people who were deprived of their livelihood, property and civil rights. Once all the camps were closed, the government gave each Japanese American fifty dollars per family. In all that the internees endured, there was never any evidence of betrayal or espionage. Today, Americans are ashamed of the injustices that deprived the Japanese of their constitutional rights. The need to intern the Japanese stemmed from Americans describing them as animals or less than human..