160. Which war lasted from 1939 to 1945?

Answer options

1. the First World War
2. the Second World War
3. the Vietnam War
4. the Gulf War

Explanation

The Second World War (1939–1945), initiated by Nazi Germany with the invasion of Poland, ended in Europe with the unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945. The experience of war, genocide, and a totalitarian regime decisively shaped the Basic Law: human dignity as the supreme value (Art. 1 GG), the constitutional prohibition of wars of aggression (Art. 26 GG), and integration into peace-oriented systems of collective security. The Bundeswehr is subject to strict parliamentary control (Art. 87a GG), and the doctrine of a militant democracy responds to the collapse of the Weimar Republic. Memory culture and international criminal law since Nuremberg reinforce the constitutional commitment to never again.