World War II

"Man had no interest in splitting the atom until World War II. I'm just trying to make this world a better place, one war at a time."

- Vandal Savage on World War II

World War II was a war that occurred on Earth One in 1940s. Among the opposing sides were the Nazis, the Soviet Union and the United States.

History
Vandal Savage alluded to World War II when discussing his motivations, hinting that he was somehow behind the ignition of the conflict For Vandal Savage, each war, each conflict represented a push that would allow humanity to progress further in technology, making the world a better place in the long run. Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, was later called a "rank amateur" in comparison to Vandal Savage as far as conquerors go, according to Rip Hunter.

During World War II, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. According to Valentina Vostok, the invasion reduced Soviet Union to ashes, but it was able to rise again, harder and stronger. .

In 1944, the commune of Saint-Lô, France became a battlefield in the war, with the Nazis and the United States as the opposing sides. Sergeant Rock served as a combatant in the United States Army at that time, fighting the Nazis. As the two sides were at the midst of battle, the time-traveling Vandal Savage has arrived to claim his prize, a meteor from Thanagar, a source of great powers. On the battlefield, Rock has seen Kendra Saunders, a recent escapee of Savage, and wondered whether she was running away from the Nazis, and from whom else, if not them. Rock gave Kendra a pen and paper to write with, before allowing her to stuff the note in his helmet. He was promptly stabbed with a knife thrown by Vandal Savage. His helmet eventually entered the possession of Rip Hunter aboard the Waverider.

A military caravan, led by a Nazi officer, took hold of the Thanagarian meteor and was transporting it near Saint-Lô when it was confronted by Vandal Savage. Speaking to the officer in German, Vandal Savage demanded for the meteor to be handed over to him. The officer did not take the immortal's demands seriously, ordering him to move, only to be attacked by Vandal. The struggle was soon joined by the members of Rip Hunter's team, who, fighting both the Nazis and Vandal Savage, tried to make sure that the meteor would not end in Savage's hands, while his prisoners, Kendra Saunders and Scythian Torvil, would escape. The battle ended with all the Nazis present dead or otherwise knocked out.

Legacy
Soviet Union's historical experience during World War II would later influence Dr. Valentina Vostok's motivation behind "Operation Svarog", which would allow the Union to rise again, stronger than before, defeating the United States in Cold War thanks to the use of Firestorm Matrix, which would allow to create a Soviet Firestorm.

Behind the scenes

 * Historically, World War II was a a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations—including all of the great powers, eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries.
 * In DC Comics, the depiction of World War II changed depending on age and continuity. In the original 1940s stories, heroes such as Batman and Superman used to fight in the war, or somehow support the war effort. These events were later retconned, with other superheroes and supervillains being depicted as veterans of World War II, while previous stories ended up as part of alternate continuities, such as Earth Two.