WHAT CAUSED WORLD WAR 2?
World war two is one of the most studied events in history in terms of understanding the origins of such a disastrous global conflict. The world has experienced many wars; however, none were as horrific as this. Approximately fifty million people were killed during this war. The war began in September 1939 when Britain and France declared war on Germany following its invasion of Poland. It ended in August 1945, after the dropping of two atomic bombs on the islands of Hiroshima and Nagasaki(Otake and Schull 1982). The major causes of the Great War were the intense anger over the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the actions that Adolf Hitler took.
The first cause of world war two was the intense anger over the Versailles treaty. Following world war one, the victorious Allied Powers met to discuss how Germany was to pay for the damage caused(Neilson, 1999). Germany could not afford to pay the money, and during the 1920s, they began to experience a fall in the economy. Factors like unemployment and poverty led to anger among the citizens. This caused them to be swayed by dictatorial governments, which forced them to loot from countries whenever they wanted. Wrath was used as a tool to control the people who were blinded by promises of jobs and a better quality of life. Leaders like Hitler were opportunists who seized power by directing their citizens’ rage and hatred towards countries like Poland. The invasion of Poland by him drove Britain and France to declare war on Germany (Harrison, 2011). Therefore, this tragedy is a direct consequence of the Versailles treaty.
There is no doubt that Adolf Hitler’s actions played a significant role in causing the war (Goda 2000). Rising to power in an economically and politically unstable Germany, Hitler was appointed chancellor. Upon achieving power, he smashed the nation’s democratic institutions and transformed it into a war state with intentions to conquer Europe. He believed that war was the only way to gain the necessary living space for that race to expand. The Nazi party and he rearmed the nation and signed strategic treaties with Italy and Japan, in violation of the Versailles Treaty, to further his ambitions of world domination. Tension increased as he tested the European powers, and they began to increase their armies. This brought war closer, which meant that the government leaders were prepared to use force to resolve the problems that he was causing. Due to his actions, it triggered the start of the Great War.
The intense anger of the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty by the Germans and Hitler’s actions remain the major causes that led to the global conflict. The treaty was meant to prevent global war from occurring, but it created drastic issues leading opportunities for Hitler resulting in war. Adolf’s actions increased tension to countries, bringing war closer since they increased their armies to resolve problems caused by him. Causes of the war emerged mainly from the Treaty of Versailles, and if that treaty had been better, there might not have been world war two. Nevertheless, it happened, and we can only learn from the mistakes we see from the past.
Reference
Harrison, E., 2011. Carton de Wiart’s Second Military Mission to Poland and the German Invasion of 1939. European History Quarterly, 41(4), pp.609-633.
Neilson, K. (1999). The Treaty of Versailles. A Reassessment after 75 Years, edited by Manfred F. Boemeke, Gerald D. Feldman, and Elisabeth GlaserThe Treaty of Versailles. A Reassessment after 75 Years, edited by Manfred F. Boemeke, Gerald D. Feldman, and Elisabeth Glaser. New York and Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998. xii, 674, pp. $85.00. Canadian Journal Of History, 34(3), 460-463.
Goda, Norman J. W., 2000. “Black Marks: Hitler’s Bribery Of His Senior Officers During World War II.” The Journal Of Modern History 72 (2): 413-452.
Otake, Masanori, and William J. Schull. 1982. “The Relationship Of Gamma And Neutron Radiation To Posterior Lenticular Opacities Among Atomic Bomb Survivors In Hiroshima And Nagasaki.” Radiation Research 92 (3): 574. doi:10.2307/3575930.