September 1, 1939 marked the beginning of the deadliest and most violent armed conflict in the history of humanity: the Second World War. Triggered by Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland, the war lasted six years and caused an estimated more than 50 million military and civilian deaths from more than 30 different countries.1 World War II has a lot to do teach, not only about military, strategic preparedness and combined military operations in the coalition war against fascism, but also about the ways in which civilians were involved in the war – in particular, about the impactful role of women on the war front. One such way that women became involved was through nursing, which was a key element of healthcare during the war. The war was a time of great advances in medicine and was a direct response to newly developed weapons of war. The role of women as nurses was crucial, as it represented the potential difference between life and death for many wounded soldiers. The need for nurses became more evident than at any other time in the history of warfare. As this nursing role became increasingly critical as World War II progressed, the number of nurses increased significantly. But most importantly, women were allowed to demonstrate their competence even in the most dangerous conditions. In recalling the history of the Second World War, the contribution of women nurses during the conflict is highly recognized and indispensable. In essence, the war brought these women closer to battle than ever before. Their duties allowed them to participate in nearly every aspect of the war. The skills e1. Wikimedia Foundation. "Second World War." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II (accessed 17 March 2014). the nurses' skills were taken into account... at the heart of the document... important dates, number of victims, etc. Works Cited Bellafaire, Judith and Herrera Graf, Mercedes, Women Doctors In War, Texas A&M UniversityPress, October 27, 2009. Chapter 3Lang Eleanor, Her War: American Women in World War II, iUniverse, December 28, 2003, 41Monahan Evenlyn and Neidel-Greenlee , Rosemary, And If I Perish: Frontline US Army Nurses in World War II, (Random House LLC, December 18, 2007), 6Rostker Bernard, Providing for the Casualties of War: The American Experience through WorldWar II, RAND Corporation (May 14, 2013 ), 189 --- "The Army Nurse Corps." The Army Nurse Corps. http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/72-14/72-14.HTM (accessed March 18, 2014).---Wikimedia Foundation. "Second World War." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II (accessed March 17, 2014).