Second World War

The Second World War (also known as World War Two or WWII) was a Muggle military conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved all of the world's great powers.

Frank Bryce was called for military service during the Second World War. During the War, his leg was wounded and forced him to leave the service early, being back at Little Hangleton by 1943.

Behind the scenes

 * In the W.O.M.B.A.T. aptitude test, it is mentioned that a secret task force of Wizards and Muggles may have helped the Allies to victory in the Second World War. However, as this was only one of several possible choices, it is unknown if this is true.
 * The fact that Albus Dumbledore defeated dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945 may be based on the Allies victory over Germany.
 * J. K. Rowling draws several parallels between the pure-blood supremacists and Nazi ideology in her works. Rowling consciously drew such parallels: "The expressions 'pure-blood', 'half-blood' and 'Muggle-born' have been coined by people to whom these distinctions matter, and express their originators' prejudice. As far as somebody like Lucius Malfoy is concerned, for instance, a Muggle-born is as 'bad' as a Muggle. Therefore Harry would be considered only 'half' wizard, because of his mother's grandparents. If you think this is far-fetched, look at some of the real charts the Nazis used to show what constituted 'Aryan' or 'Jewish' blood [...] The Nazis used precisely the same warped logic as the Death Eaters. A single Jewish grandparent 'polluted' the blood, according to their propaganda".
 * While one of Rolanda Hooch's lines in the GBA video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone refers to the "Great War", there are differences in some of the translations to other languages. In the Brazilian Portuguese translation, Hooch talks about the Second World War ("Segunda Guerra"), as she does in the Danish translation ("2. verdenskrig").
 * The Axis powers had drawn on mythology to propagandize their causes. Imperial Japan had used ancient tales to promote their "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere"; Fascist Italy saw themselves as a resurected Roman Empire, and Nazi Germany had pointed to earlier "thousand-year reichs" to state themselves as the "Third Reich". In addition, the Nazis were known for their obsession with Dark Arts and the occult, in particular Heinrich Himmler who saw himself as a reincarnation of Henry the Fowler, the first king of Germany.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire