So there are many events that can be seen as the outbreak of world war 2. This is simply because these were events leading up to more world tension, which resulted in the declaration of War by France and Great Britain to the German Reich to sustain its aggression.

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The first event some people see as the outbreak of World War 2 is the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, marking the first terrritorial expansion of one of the later Axis members and showing that Italy as former Entente member in World War 1 shifting away from France and Britain and more and more towards Hitler Germany. Showing that there were 3 different main ideologies at the time: Democracy, Facism and Communism. However the invasion of Ethiopia is seen more as a build up to World War 2 by most historians, because in the end it was still a local conflict, which resulted in international reactions.

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The second event which is much more popular as a potential starting date for World War 2 is the Spanish civil war. This once again shows the battle for the main ideology in one of the larger countries in Europe. With communists beeing supported mainly by the Soviet Union and Mexico and facists supported by Italy and Germany the Spanish civil war can be seen as first clash between these ideologies. In this conflict there were besides from spanish troops and colonial spanish troops volunteers from Italy, Germany and the Soviets involved, making it an international conflict. Further the spanish civil war marks the failing of the League of Nations, which was not able to stop foreign powers to support either side in the civil war.

The civil war ended on April 1, 1939 before Germany invaded Poland. Thus it is in the eyes of most historians difficult to see as part of World War 2 itself. However it is definitly part of the ongoing conflict between ideologies and the dominace in Europe.

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The start of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937 marks the beginning of the first military conflict that will last to the end of World War 2. Thus making the 7 of July 1937 the start of military action, that will not stop until the end of the war. However some historians do think that Japan invading China is more of a local conflict and just later becoming part of World War 2, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbour and European colonies in Asia.

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Another but rather unpopular point to see the outbreak of World War 2 is the invasion of Czechoslovakia ("Rest Tschechei"). Hitler wanted to start his war already in 1938, however his demands for the Sudetenland (border region with majority of German population) were completly accepted by France and Great Britain. In March 1939 he then invaded the remaining part of Czech territory showing his demands for expansion, which were now definitly not just for the sake of uniting all Germans. He further broke the promises he gave on the Munich conference provoking Great Britain and France who were soon later guaranteeing Polish independece out of fear of further German expansion.

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The last possible and most common time of the outbreak of World War 2 is the ivasion of Poland and the declaration of War by France and Great Britain and its dominions. This marking the start of all armed conflicts in Europe and the Atlantic and soon later Africa. For most historians September 1, 1939 and the declarations of war mark the outbreak of the war.