Final answer:
World War II had a devastating impact on civilians and soldiers, with widespread casualties and changes to daily life. The complex causes of the war included unresolved conflicts and aggressive expansion by Axis powers. Despite potential diplomatic efforts, the aggression led to a war that altered global history.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impacts of World War II on Civilians and Soldiers
The impacts of World War II on civilians and soldiers were profound. Civilians endured aerial bombings, resulting in massive casualty rates and alterations to their daily lives. Soldiers, numbering about 30 million, fought in numerous theaters of war, facing the brutality of combat and the psychological tolls of warfare.
Globally, between 35 and 40 million people lost their lives, including military personnel and civilians. On the home front, citizens became 'citizen soldiers' as their day-to-day activities, such as what to purchase and eat, were influenced by the war effort.
Efforts to support the war significantly altered government, economics, and society, particularly in the United States where 10% of the population served in the armed forces.
Preventing World War II and Its Atrocities
Regarding prevention, the causes of World War II were complex, including unresolved issues from World War I, aggressive expansionism by Axis powers, political appeasement, and differing civic values compared to democratic countries like the United States.
While more could have been done diplomatically, the aggressiveness of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and others pushed the world into war.
The atrocities, such as the Holocaust, might have been mitigated with earlier intervention or different strategies, but considerations of the broader conflict and its management constrained the actions of the Allied forces.