The outbreak of World War II in 1939 was initiated by Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, marking a significant escalation in global conflict. This invasion prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany, leading to a widespread and devastating war involving multiple nations across Europe and beyond. The war would have profound and lasting impacts on geopolitics, society, and the global order, shaping the course of the 20th century.

The outbreak of World War II produced a wealth of Holocaust literature and existential poetry, with writers like Paul Celan and W.H. Auden reflecting on the human condition in the face of atrocity. Their works grappled with themes of loss, trauma, and the search for meaning in a fractured world.