[History] The Causes of World War II

Perikles · Jul 1, 2006

Author: Perikles
Original Thread: Not Available

The Causes of World War IIThe Causes of World War II

In my opinion, WWII was not just caused by the invasion of Poland by Hitler in 1939 but a series of events since WWI.

WWI economically paralysed Europe and left quite a lot of resentment in various countries. Vast swaths of Europe were devastated by the war, leaving bitterness on all sides. Also during the war, Communism became prevalent in Russia, resulting in a rivalry with the facist state in Germany in the 1930s. However, before the outbreak of war in 1939 the Russians and Nazis signed the 'Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact', which ensured that neither side would attack the other, until Operation Barbarossa was launched in 1941, breaking the pact....

Another cause in the lead up to WWII was the Treaty of Versailles, forced on the Germans by the victorious allies. The conditions of the treaty were very harsh and forced the once proud nation of Germany to have no more than 100,000 men in its army. The Germans were also banned from having any war planes, tanks, or submarines, or allowing its army to enter the demilitarized Rhineland. Germany was also forced to pay all war costs for Britain and France. Germany also lost 13% of it's land, mainly on the border with France. These lands were some of its most profitable and industrialised, crippling its ability to pay back its debts. The treaty caused even more German resentment toward the Allies, saying that it was forced upon them.

Because of the treaty, Germany's economic problems worsened. It lost the Ruhr to the French - the industrial heartland of Germany - when it failed to keep up debt repayments. The French invasion of the Ruhr took place on January 11, 1923, aiming to occupy the centre of German coal, iron, and steel production. To keep up the repayments, the German government printed more banknotes, causing inflation to soar. The new banknotes became worthless, requiring wheelbarrows of money to buy a loaf of bread. Unemployment rose sharply. The Great Depression, following the Wall Street crash of 1929, resulted in higher unemployment in Germany (33%). By that time, people were fed up with economic problems and were willing to submit to anyone who would restore Germany to prosperity.

The Nazis came to power with the promise of more prosperity, jobs, and glory for the German people. Germans saw Hitler as a saviour, a man who would restore them to their rightful place in the world. Hitler built up the German economy and then broke the Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding the armies and moving them into the demilitarized Rhineland bordering France. In a bid to unite the German people under one banner, Hitler said that the Aryan race (blonde hair, blue eyes) was superior to all others and that they were the rightful overlords of the other races. Attacks on Jews began, resulting in the 'Kristallnacht' (Night of Broken Glass), when Jewish shops were broken into and smashed (Kristall) and thousands of Jews were either rounded up or killed. Later, when the war was raging, the Nazis began the final soloution to the Jewish problem, the Holocaust, where over 6 million Jews were killed.

The League of Nations, which had been set up after WWI, seemed incapable of stopping any wars at all. It was weak and did not act upon it's word. This was seen in 1931-33, when Japan invaded Manchuria in northern China to gain natural resources, which Japan had very little of. The Chinese appealed to the League, which blamed Japan, but the member states did not want to help. The League was further undermined in 1935, when Mussolini attacked Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). The League imposed sanctions upon Italy on all goods except steel, copper, and oil - the materials it needed to fight a war. By not acting effectively, the League of Nations showed its weakness to the rest of the world, including Germany, which now knew that the League would not react to any offensive move it made, and would probably rather make concessions than cross the Germans and trigger another war.

Another cause in the lead up to WWII was the British and French policy of appeasement toward Germany. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that by giving Germany everything it wanted, even if it broke treaties, war might be avoided. The Germans defied the Treaty of Versailles by uniting with Austria, but the action was allowed in the name of peace. The Germans were also given the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia to avert war. But all this did was show the Germans that the two major powers in Western Europe were weak and would always appease Germany, rather than force war.

Germany's attack on Poland was a step too far for the British and French. They did not concede any more and instead went to war for the second time in a generation, resulting in the deaths of millions of people around the world.

In conclusion, WWII was not just caused by the invasion of Poland but a number of factors stemming back to WWI, including the Treaty of Versailles and the weakness of the League of nations.

[History] The Causes of World War II

[History] The Causes of World War II

Perikles

Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.

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