Meanwhile , the IOC had chosen Helsinki to host the 1940 Olympic Games .
The Second World War , which broke out in September 1939 , led to the cancellation of both the 1940 and 1944 Olympiads .
Meanwhile , the IOC had chosen Helsinki to host the 1940 Olympic Games , but the Second World War , which broke out in September 1939 , led to the cancellation of both the 1940 and 1944 Olympiads .