World War II affected vast portions of the world, though not all regions within participating countries saw direct conflict. Large areas of Europe, particularly in the east and west, experienced heavy fighting, while neutral countries like Switzerland and Sweden remained relatively untouched. In Asia, eastern China and Southeast Asia saw significant combat, while parts of western China were less affected. North Africa was a key theater, but much of Sub-Saharan Africa, though involved indirectly, saw little fighting. The United States and Canada contributed greatly to the war effort with minimal combat on their mainland, and Australia and Pacific islands were deeply involved, although parts of Australia were spared. Geographically, about 25-30% of the world’s land area was directly affected by military actions, aligning in a striking way with the biblical imagery of the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, who is given power over a quarter of the earth to bring death by war and pestilence. The devastation of World War II, through warfare, disease, and destruction, mirrors this apocalyptic vision as it impacted roughly a quarter of the world’s landmass.
— ChatGPT, 2024
