world war 2 causes and effects essay

Causes and Effects of World War II

This essay will provide an analysis of the causes and effects of World War II. It will explore the political, economic, and social factors that led to the war, including the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of totalitarian regimes, and global tensions. The piece will also examine the profound global impacts of the war, including geopolitical changes, the Holocaust, and the establishment of the United Nations. PapersOwl offers a variety of free essay examples on the topic of Adolf Hitler.

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World War II, in terms of casualties and actual material destruction, was the most devastating war in human history. It cost a lot of countries a lot of money, a lot of soldiers, and much more. Economies crashed, governments crumbled, and some would even say that for the countries in the Axis Coalition, that they were in worse shape after World War II then they were during the Great Depression World War II left destruction in many countries, but not America! Our economy flourished, there was prosperity everywhere, we were the richest country, and we were, and still are, the baddest country out there.

World War II mainly started because Fascist and Communist ideas were starting to spread like a wildfire, and eventually pushed through into many governments. Hitler started up the Nazi Party, and they started putting themselves into Germany’s government. The Great Depression left many governments extremely unstable, especially Germany, where voters were almost forced to turn to Nazi and Communist ideas, and then Hitler established his dictatorship in Germany.

In the early morning of September 1, 1939, the German forces marched into Poland, two days later Britain and France caught Hitler by surprise by declaring war on Germany. Although Britain and France had no plans for helping the Poles, it was still an even match. Then in 1940, Germany invaded a lot more countries, for example they invaded Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands. On June 10th of the same year, Italy declared war on France and Great Britain. France signed a truce with Germany, and on July 10th the Battle of Britain began. In 1941, they invaded more countries, one of which was the Soviet Union, who eventually aided the British forces. In March 1941 the U.S. Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, which aided the British, and in September President FDR authorized ships on duty to attack any Axis warships. During the whole war so far America’s relations with Japan had continued to get worse, and on December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based airplanes struck Pearl Harbor.

June 6, 1944, also known as D-day, Allied armies invaded the beaches of Normandy. The German resistance was tough, and unfortunately Allied forces were slaughtered left and right. The counterattack to throw Allied forces of the beach never actually happened because the forces just kept coming, and fighting for what was right. Our air superiority made it difficult for Axis Commander Rommel to move their reserves, but Hitler refused to release his divisions there, and instead, sent for reinforcements. By the end of June, Eisenhower had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles on the shores of Normandy.

Although Japan’s position was hopeless by early 1945, an early end to the war was not in sight. (Funk and Wagnalls)While the final assault on Japan was waiting on reinforcements, U.S. forces continued their march, and landed on Iwo Jima, after they had finally captured it, there had been 6,800 U.S. casualties. The capture of this island played a very important role in the air war. Its two airfields provided landing sites for damaged B-29s and enabled fighters to give the bombers cover during their raids on Japanese cities. (Funk and Wagnalls) On April 1, they landed on Okinawa, fighting continued until June 21st.

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The Causes of WWII

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The origins of the Second World War (1939-45) may be traced back to the harsh peace settlement of the First World War (1914-18) and the economic crisis of the 1930s, while more immediate causes were the aggressive invasions of their neighbours by Germany, Italy , and Japan . A weak and divided Europe , an isolationist USA, and an opportunistic USSR were all intent on peace, but the policy of appeasement only delivered what everyone most feared: another long and terrible world war.

The main causes of WWII were:

• The harsh Treaty of Versailles
• The economic crisis of the 1930s
• The rise of fascism
• Germany's rearmament
• The cult of Adolf Hitler
• The policy of appeasement by Western powers
• Treaties of mutual interest between Axis Powers
• Lack of treaties between the Allies
• The territorial expansion of Germany, Italy, and Japan
• The Nazi-Soviet Pact
• The invasion of Poland in September 1939
• The Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour

Treaty of Versailles

Germany was defeated in the First World War, and the victors established harsh terms to ensure that some of the costs of the war were recuperated and to prevent Germany from becoming a future threat. With European economies and populations greatly damaged by the war, the victors were in no mood to be lenient since Germany had almost won and its industry was still intact. Germany remained a dangerous state. However, Britain and France did not want a totally punitive settlement, as this might lead to lasting resentment and make Germany unable to become a valuable market for exports.

The peace terms were set out in the Treaty of Versailles, signed by all parties except the USSR on 28 June 1919. The Rhineland must be demilitarised to act as a buffer zone between Germany and France. All colonies and the Saar, a coal-rich area of western Germany, were removed from German authority. Poland was given the industrial area of Upper Silesia and a corridor to the sea, which included Danzig (Gdánsk) and cut off East Prussia from the rest of Germany. France regained the regions of Alsace and Lorraine. Germany had to pay war reparations to France and Belgium. Germany had limits on its armed forces and could not build tanks, aircraft, submarines, or battleships. Finally, Germany was to accept complete responsibility, that is the guilt, for starting the war. Many Germans viewed the peace terms as highly dishonourable.

The settlement established nine new countries in Eastern Europe, a recipe for instability since all of them disputed their borders, and many contained large minority groups who claimed to be part of another country. Germany, Italy, and Russia, once powerful again after the heavy costs of WWI, looked upon these fledgling states with imperialist envy.

In the 1920s, Germany signed two important treaties. The Locarno Treaty of 1925 guaranteed Germany's western borders but allowed some scope for change in the east. The 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed by 56 countries. All the major powers promised not to conduct foreign policy using military means. In 1929, Germany's reparations as stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles were reduced from £6.6 million to £2 million. In 1932, the reparations were cancelled altogether. This was all very promising, but through the 1930s, the complex web of European diplomacy began to quickly unravel in a climate of economic decline.

Economic Crisis

The Great Depression, sparked off by the Wall Street stock-market crash of 1929, resulted in a crisis in many economies through the 1930s. There was a collapse in world trade , prices, and employment. In Germany in 1923, there was hyperinflation, which made savings worthless, a blow many of the German middle class never forgot. The regular loans from the United States (the Dawes Plan), upon which the German economy depended, stopped. There was a hostile attitude amongst many states as international trade collapsed. The USA, the world's most important money lender, pursued an isolationist strategy. Britain and France looked only to their empires. Protectionism and trade tariffs became the norm.

Germany became determined to reach self-sufficiency and not rely on world trade partners, a policy that required the acquisition of natural resources through military occupation. Germany saw the route out of the financial mess as one of massive rearmament which would create jobs in factories and the armed forces. The policy involved not only stockpiling weapons but also creating an economy geared towards total war, where the armaments industry was given priority in terms of resources, energy, factories, and skilled workers.

Hitler & the Nazi Party

Nationalist fascist parties were doing well across Europe. From 1922, Italy was ruled by Benito Mussolini (l. 1883-1945), leader of the fascist party there. By 1939, Spain had a fascist ruler in General Franco (l. 1892-1975). In Germany, Adolf Hitler (l. 1889-1945) was the leader of the fascist National Socialist Party (Nazi Party), the largest party after the July and November elections of 1932. There were even fascist parties in democracies like Britain. Charismatic leaders were turning popular nationalist feelings into a much more sinister way of thinking: fascism. Fascist parties, although not exactly the same in different countries, did have some key goals in common. Fascist leaders wanted absolute power and to achieve this new order they emphasised "conformism, hostility to outsiders, routine violence, contempt for the weak, and extreme hatred of dissident opinions" (Dear, 274). Fascist parties initially gained popularity as opponents to communism, seen as a threat by many ever since the Russian Revolution of 1917. Indeed, in Western countries, a deep suspicion of communism prevented a powerful political and military alliance from being formed with the USSR, which might ultimately have avoided war.

Hitler promised the humiliation of Versailles would be revenged and that Germany would be made great again. Many Germans believed they had been betrayed by the high command of the army in WWI and were tired of the endless round of ineffective coalition governments since the war. Hitler, with no connections to the established elite, offered a new beginning, and most of all, he promised jobs and bread in a period when unemployment and poverty were at extremely high levels. The Nazi party promised a dynamic economy which would power German expansion, seen as a glorious endeavour, with the virtues of war championed. Nazism called for Lebensraum (living space) for the German people – new lands where they could prosper. Nazism identified its principal internal enemies as Jews, Slavs , Communists and trade unionists, all people who were holding Germany back from realising its full potential the Nazis claimed. Nazism called for an international struggle where Germans could achieve their destiny and prove themselves the master race. Such ideas, none of which were radically new, meant war was inevitable. The argument that totalitarian regimes require wars and liberal democracies require peace to prosper may be simplistic but has some validity. Hitler promised the new Third Reich would last for 1,000 years and, using propaganda, show, and brutal repression of alternative ideas, many believed him as he expertly tapped into long-held views in Germany and Austria. As F. McDonough states, "Hitler was the drummer of an old tune accompanied by modern instruments" (93).

In January 1933, the German President Paul von Hindenburg (l. 1847-1934), having run out of all other options, invited Hitler to become Chancellor. After systematically crushing any opposition, Hitler began to put his domestic policies into practice and establish a totalitarian regime, everything he had written in his book Mein Kampf ( My Struggle ) back in 1924. When Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler effectively merged the positions of President and Chancellor and declared himself Germany's leader or Führer. Hitler had become the state, and all that was now needed for him to achieve his impossible dream was a rearmed Germany.

Germany's Rearmament

Hitler was determined to rebuild the nation's armed forces. Rearmament rocketed despite the restrictions of Versailles, which Hitler formally repudiated in March 1935. The army was already four times bigger than permitted. Eventually, Western powers were obliged to take a damage-limitation approach. In June 1935, the Anglo-German Naval Agreement was signed, which capped the German navy's strength to 35% of the Royal Navy and allowed Hitler to build giant new ships like the battleship Bismarck .

In another instance of the cult of Adolf Hitler, all armed forces personnel had to swear allegiance to Hitler personally. Thanks to rearmament, Germany had achieved near-full employment by 1938. Hitler had fulfilled his promises to the German people. Germany's new war machine came at a cost. Rearming necessitated huge imports of raw materials, and these could not be bought for much longer as Germany's balance of payments went into tilt from 1939. Occupying territories where these resources could be found seemed a simple solution to the problem. Crucially, Germany had an arms advantage over its enemies, but this situation would not last long. For Hitler, the time to strike was now.

Appeasement

Allowing Germany to rearm was part of the policy of appeasement: giving reasonable concessions to avoid the total disaster of war. Appeasement, which was pursued by Britain, France, and the United States, did not mean peace at any price, but the problem with the policy was that it did give, step by step, aggressive powers the impression that their continued aggression might not necessarily lead to a wider war. To review these steps, we must look at global politics in the early 1930s.

The League of Nations (forerunner of today's United Nations) was established after WWI to ensure international disputes were settled and world peace was maintained. Although US President Woodrow Wilson (in office 1913-21) was instrumental in forming the League, crucially, the United States never joined it, seriously weakening the organisation. Germany joined in 1926 but left in 1933; Japan left the same year. The League proved to be utterly incapable of achieving its aims, as was shown most starkly by its failure to prevent Japan's invasion of Manchuria in September 1931 and Italy's invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in October 1935. Hitler no doubt watched these events and the League's total lack of a military response with particular interest as, with his own armed forces rejuvenated, he prepared to expand Germany's borders.

From 1933 to 1935, Hitler had pursued an ambiguous foreign policy, sometimes promising he had peaceful intentions. He caused confusion with such diplomatic conjuring tricks as a peace treaty with Poland in January 1934 and a statement later the same year that he had no intention of merging Austria into the Reich. Then, from 1935, his plans became ever clearer, even if some historians maintain the Führer actually had no plans at all but was merely seizing opportunities as his enemies presented them. Some historians claim Hitler was not entirely free to act as he would wish, due to constraints within the rather chaotic and factional Nazi party. In March 1935, the Saar was reunified with Germany following a plebiscite. The same year, conscription was announced. In March 1936, Germany occupied the Rhineland. In October, Germany and Italy became formal allies with the Rome -Berlin Axis. In November 1936, Italy and Germany (and later Japan) signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, a treaty of mutual cooperation in empire -building and a united front against communism. In March 1938, Hitler achieved the Anschluss, the formal unification of Germany and Austria. Encouraged by the League of Nations' lack of a strong response, Hitler then occupied the Sudetenland, the industrial area of Czechoslovakia which shared a border with Germany, the excuse being a German minority there was being repressed. Again, the Western powers made no military reaction despite France and the USSR having signed a treaty of assistance with the Czechs. The Munich Agreement of September 1938 was signed between Germany, France, Italy, and Britain, which accepted Germany's new, expanded borders. The USSR was not invited, a lost and last opportunity to present a united front against fascism – perhaps here was the real price of pursuing a policy of appeasement to the exclusion of any other possible strategies. The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (served 1937-40), fluttering before journalists a piece of paper Hitler had signed, confidently declared that he had achieved "peace with honour" (Dear, 597) and that we now had "peace in our time" (McDonough, 121). Chamberlain was nominated for that year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Appeasement was an attractive policy to Western leaders since the horrors of the last war were still fresh in everyone's minds. France, in particular, was politically weak in this period, experiencing 16 coalition governments through the 1930s. Britain feared losing its empire if weakened by another great war. Public opinion was overwhelmingly against war and rearmament in Britain, France, and the United States. Further, it was by no means certain that Hitler would continue to expand Germany's borders; certainly, he had promised he had no additional ambitions beyond restoring Germany to its previous territories before WWI. Finally, appeasement, even if not actually believed to be a policy with any chance of success, did gain crucial time for Western powers to follow Germany's lead and rearm. In Britain and France, there were, too, strong lobbies which considered rearmament a waste of resources in economically turbulent times and pointed out that Germany was Britain's fifth largest customer for its exports. Hindsight has shown that appeasement was folly since Hitler was intent on occupying as much of Europe as he possibly could, and his track record of breaking treaties proved negotiation was pointless. Keeping the Czech heavy industry out of German hands was probably a better point to go to war over than the subsequent invasion of Poland, but Britain, France, and the USSR were simply not then equipped for war. Not until 1939 did these countries seriously begin to establish economies geared to war.

Invasion of Poland

In 1939, there was further significant activity by Germany and Italy in their quest to occupy more and more of Europe. In March 1939, Germany absorbed the rest of Czechoslovakia and Memel (part of Lithuania) into the Third Reich. Increasingly appalled by the Nazis' attacks on German Jews, Western powers now began to question if negotiating with such a regime could ever be justified on moral grounds. Appeasement was finally dead.

On 31 March, Britain and France promised to guarantee Poland's borders, and in April, this was extended to Romania. Turkey and Greece also began talks of mutual protection with Britain and France. It had finally dawned on leaders in Britain and France that the fascists were intent on territorial expansion at any cost. There was already a localised war going on, the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, which directly involved German and Italian military hardware on the one side and Soviet aid on the other. In April, Italy occupied Albania. At the end of the same month, Hitler repudiated the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. In May 1939, Italy and Germany signed a military alliance, the ‘Pact of Steel'.

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In August 1939, Germany agreed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Nazi-Soviet Pact), named after the foreign ministers of each state. The Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (l. 1878-1953) was increasingly aware that Britain and France seemed perfectly willing to appease Hitler as long as he moved eastwards in his direction. The possibility of 'collective security' (Britain, France, and the USSR working together) was not realised because of a lack of trust between the parties. The Nazi-Soviet Pact, in contrast, allowed Stalin to grab eastern Poland and keep the USSR out of a war for a while, gaining precious time for rearmament. Perhaps, too, the possibility for Germany to wage war only in the West against Britain and France – Stalin's 'blank cheque' for Hitler – would sufficiently weaken all three so that they could no longer threaten the USSR.

Europe was a tinder box awaiting a single spark that would explode it into war. The spark came soon enough with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939. The next day Chamberlain warned Hitler war would follow if Germany did not withdraw. Hitler ignored the ultimatum. On 3 September, Britain and France, in order to protect free and independent nations, declared war on Germany. Italy, waiting in the wings to see what might happen to its advantage, remained neutral for the time being. The world, too, awaited with bated breath to see what would happen next. The unexpected answer was nothing at all.

The 'phoney war', when the Allies and Axis powers did not directly confront each other, lasted until April 1940 when Germany invaded Norway. In May, Germany invaded the Low Countries and France. Germany proved unstoppable, and by the end of June, France had fallen. In October, Italy invaded Greece. In 1941, Germany occupied Yugoslavia. Britain was left alone to fight for its survival until Hitler invaded the USSR in June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa).

The war became a global conflict when Japan attacked the US naval fleet at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. Japan had already invaded Eastern China over concern at the rise in Chinese nationalism and then occupied most of South East Asia in search of imperial glory and natural resources, especially oil, whose import was restricted by a US embargo. Japan perhaps hoped events in Europe would prevent any direct reaction against them, but the United States did finally join the conflict. Peace would not be achieved until the world had suffered four more long and bitter years of war.

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Bibliography

• Dear, I. C. B. & Foot, M. R. D. The Oxford Companion to World War II. Oxford University Press, 1995.
• Dülffer. Nazi Germany, 1933-1945 - Faith & Annihilation by Dülffer, Jost [Paperback ]. Blomsbury USA, Paperback(2009), 2009.
• Holmes, Richard. The World at War. Ebury Press, 2007.
• Liddell Hart, B. History of the Second World War. Caxton, 1989
• McDonough, Frank. The Origins of the First and Second World Wars . Cambridge University Press, 1997.
• Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich. Simon & Schuster, 1997.
• Taylor, A.J.P. The Origins of The Second World War. Simon & Schuster, 1996.

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Cartwright, M. (2024, March 26). The Causes of WWII . World History Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2409/the-causes-of-wwii/

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Cartwright, Mark. " The Causes of WWII ." World History Encyclopedia . Last modified March 26, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2409/the-causes-of-wwii/.

Cartwright, Mark. " The Causes of WWII ." World History Encyclopedia . World History Encyclopedia, 26 Mar 2024. Web. 12 Sep 2024.

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The outbreak of war

• Forces and resources of the European combatants, 1939
• Technology of war, 1918–39
• The campaign in Poland, 1939
• The Baltic states and the Russo-Finnish War, 1939–40
• The invasion of Norway
• The invasion of the Low Countries and France
• The evacuation from Dunkirk
• Italy’s entry into the war and the French Armistice
• The Battle of Britain
• Central Europe and the Balkans, 1940–41
• Egypt and Cyrenaica, 1940–summer 1941
• East Africa
• Iraq and Syria, 1940–41
• The beginning of lend-lease
• The Atlantic and the Mediterranean, 1940–41
• German strategy, 1939–42
• Invasion of the Soviet Union, 1941
• The war in China, 1937–41
• Japanese policy, 1939–41
• Pearl Harbor and the Japanese expansion, to July 1942
• The fall of Singapore
• The Chinese front and Burma, 1941–42
• Allied strategy and controversies, 1940–42
• Libya and Egypt, autumn 1941–summer 1942
• The Germans’ summer offensive in southern Russia, 1942
• The Solomons, Papua, Madagascar, the Aleutians, and Burma, July 1942–May 1943
• Burma, autumn 1942–summer 1943
• Montgomery’s Battle of el-Alamein and Rommel’s retreat, 1942–43
• Stalingrad and the German retreat, summer 1942–February 1943
• The invasion of northwest Africa, November–December 1942
• Tunisia, November 1942–May 1943
• The Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the North Sea, 1942–45
• Air warfare, 1942–43
• German-occupied Europe
• Casablanca and Trident, January–May 1943
• The Eastern Front, February–September 1943
• The Southwest and South Pacific, June–October 1943
• Sicily and the fall of Mussolini, July–August 1943
• The Quadrant Conference (Quebec I)
• The Allies’ invasion of Italy and the Italian volte-face, 1943
• The western Allies and Stalin: Cairo and Tehrān, 1943
• German strategy, from 1943
• The Eastern Front, October 1943–April 1944
• The encirclement of Rabaul
• Western New Guinea
• The central Pacific
• The Burmese frontier and China, November 1943–summer 1944
• The Italian front, 1944
• The Allied invasions of western Europe, June–November 1944
• The Eastern Front, June–December 1944
• Air warfare, 1944
• Allied policy and strategy: Octagon (Quebec II) and Moscow, 1944
• The Philippines and Borneo, from September 1944
• Burma and China, October 1944–May 1945
• The German offensive in the west, winter 1944–45
• The Soviet advance to the Oder, January–February 1945
• The German collapse, spring 1945
• Iwo Jima and the bombing of Tokyo
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• The Japanese surrender
• Killed, wounded, prisoners, or missing
• The Far East

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• Table Of Contents

World War II began in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany on September 3. The war between the U.S.S.R. and Germany began on June 22, 1941, with Operation Barbarossa , the German invasion of the Soviet Union . The war in the Pacific began on December 7/8, 1941, when Japan attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor and other American, Dutch, and British military installations throughout Asia.

What countries fought in World War II?

The main combatants were the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China).

Who were the leaders during World War II?

The Allied powers were led by Winston Churchill (United Kingdom); Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union); Charles de Gaulle (France); and Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman (United States). The Axis powers were led by Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Hideki Tojo (Japan).

The war in the Pacific turned against Japan during the Battle of Midway (June 3–6, 1942), an American victory that destroyed the Japanese first-line carrier force and, together with the Battle of Guadalcanal , ended Japan’s ability to prosecute an offensive war.

The tide of the war in Europe shifted with the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad (February 1943). More than one million Soviet troops and tens of thousands of civilians died in the defense of the city, but the destruction of two entire German armies marked the beginning of the end of the Third Reich .

The Allied landings at Normandy on June 6, 1944, opened a second front in Europe, and Germany’s abortive offensive at the Ardennes in the winter of 1944–45 marked the Third Reich ’s final push in the west. The Red Army advanced from the east and effectively claimed all the territory under its control for the Soviet sphere. The Allied armies converged on Berlin. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, and the war in Europe ended on May 8.

The American “island hopping” campaign had destroyed key Japanese installations throughout the Pacific while allowing bypassed islands to wither on the vine. Hundreds of thousands were killed in firebombings of Japanese cities, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 knocked Japan out of the war.

Estimates of the total number of people killed during World War II have ranged from 35,000,000 to 60,000,000—a significant span, because statistics about the war’s casualties are inexact. The Soviet Union and China are believed to have suffered the most total casualties, while an estimated 5,800,000 Poles died, which represents about 20 percent of Poland’s prewar population. About 4,200,000 Germans died, and about 1,972,000 Japanese died. In all, the scale of human losses during World War II was vast. A table that details estimated deaths by country is available here .

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World War II , conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45. The principal belligerents were the Axis powers — Germany , Italy , and Japan —and the Allies— France , Great Britain , the United States , the Soviet Union , and, to a lesser extent, China . The war was in many respects a continuation, after an uneasy 20-year hiatus , of the disputes left unsettled by World War I . The 40,000,000–50,000,000 deaths incurred in World War II make it the bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest war, in history.

Along with World War I, World War II was one of the great watersheds of 20th-century geopolitical history. It resulted in the extension of the Soviet Union’s power to nations of eastern Europe , enabled a communist movement to eventually achieve power in China, and marked the decisive shift of power in the world away from the states of western Europe and toward the United States and the Soviet Union.

(Read Sir John Keegan’s Britannica entry on the Normandy Invasion.)

Axis initiative and Allied reaction

By the early part of 1939 the German dictator Adolf Hitler had become determined to invade and occupy Poland . Poland, for its part, had guarantees of French and British military support should it be attacked by Germany. Hitler intended to invade Poland anyway, but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion of its western neighbour. Secret negotiations led on August 23–24 to the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in Moscow . In a secret protocol of this pact, the Germans and the Soviets agreed that Poland should be divided between them, with the western third of the country going to Germany and the eastern two-thirds being taken over by the U.S.S.R.

Having achieved this cynical agreement, the other provisions of which stupefied Europe even without divulgence of the secret protocol, Hitler thought that Germany could attack Poland with no danger of Soviet or British intervention and gave orders for the invasion to start on August 26. News of the signing, on August 25, of a formal treaty of mutual assistance between Great Britain and Poland (to supersede a previous though temporary agreement) caused him to postpone the start of hostilities for a few days. He was still determined, however, to ignore the diplomatic efforts of the western powers to restrain him. Finally, at 12:40 pm on August 31, 1939, Hitler ordered hostilities against Poland to start at 4:45 the next morning. The invasion began as ordered. In response, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, at 11:00 am and at 5:00 pm , respectively. World War II had begun.

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Cause and Effect: The Outbreak of World War II

What were the causes of the Second World War?

Pinpointing the causes of a vast, global event like the Second World War is a challenging task for the historian. Events—especially enormous, multifaceted events—have multiple causes and multiple inputs.

To help analyze the effects of those different inputs, historians often classify an event’s causes into different categories. A proximate cause is an incident that appears to directly trigger an event, as the election of Abraham Lincoln in November 1860 and the shelling of Fort Sumter led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Such dramatic incidents are often the ones we think of as “causing” an event, since the connection between the trigger and the outcome appears both direct and obvious.

In their attempts to explore cause and effect, however, historians often probe more deeply beyond the “triggers” to locate trends, developments, and circumstances that contributed equally, if not more, to events. In the case of the Civil War, for example, historians often point to the growing sectional polarization that divided the nation in the 1840s and 1850s, the national debate over the future of slavery, and the divergent economic paths that distinguished North and South during the antebellum period. Those factors created the backdrop against which Lincoln’s election and the shelling of Fort Sumter led to full-blown armed conflict in the spring of 1861; those conditions contributed to a state of affairs in which a triggering event could exert such enormous influence and touch off a four-year war.

In the case of the Second World War, historians generally point to a series of conditions that helped contribute to its outbreak. The unbalanced Treaty of Versailles (which forced a crippling peace on Germany to end the First World War) and the global depression that enveloped the world during the 1930s (which led to particularly desperate conditions in many European nations as well as the United States) usually emerge as two of the most crucial. Those conditions formed the background against which Adolf Hitler could ascend to the position of German Chancellor in the 1930s.

Virtually all historians of the Second World War agree that Hitler’s rise to power was the proximate cause of the cataclysmic war that gripped the globe between 1939 and 1945. Without Hitler, a megalomaniacal leader bent on establishing a 1,000-year German empire through military conquest, it becomes extremely difficult to imagine the outbreak of such a lengthy and devastating war.

At the same time, Hitler’s rise to power did not occur in a vacuum. Much of his appeal to the German citizenry had to do with his promises to restore German honor, believed by many Germans to have been mortgaged via the Treaty of Versailles. The peace agreement forced Germany to accept full responsibility for the Great War, and levied a massive system of reparation payments to help restore areas in Belgium and France devastated during the fighting. The Treaty of Versailles also required Germany to disarm its military, restricting it to a skeleton force intended only to operate on the defensive. Many Germans viewed the lopsided terms of the treaty as unnecessarily punitive and profoundly shameful.

Hitler offered the German people an alternative explanation for their humiliating defeat in the Great War. German armies had not been defeated in the field, he held; rather, they had been betrayed by an assortment of corrupt politicians, Bolsheviks, and Jewish interests who sabotaged the war effort for their own gain. To a German people saddled with a weak and ineffective democratic government, a hyperinflated currency, and an enfeebled military, this “stab in the back” mythology proved an enormously seductive explanation that essentially absolved them of the blame for the war and their loss in it. Hitler’s account of the German defeat not only offered a clear set of villains but a distinct path back to national honor by pursuing its former military glory.

During the 1930s, Hitler’s Germany embarked on a program of rearmament, in direct violation of the terms of the Versailles Treaty. German industry produced military vehicles and weapons; German men joined “flying clubs” that served as a thin pretense for training military pilots. Rearmament and militarization provided appealing avenues for Germans seeking some means to reassert their national pride.

Hitler’s racial theories provided more context, both for his explanation of defeat in the First World War and for his plans for a 1,000-year German empire. In Hitler’s account, Communists and Jews—whom Hitler depicted as stateless parasites who exploited European nations for their own gain—had conspired to stab Germany in the back in 1918. Creating the 1,000-year Reich required the creation of a racially pure cohort of blond-haired, blue-eyed “Aryans” and the simultaneous liquidation of ethnic undesirables. Hitler’s vision of a racially pure German nation expanding across Europe, combined with his aggressive rearmament programs, proved a powerful enticement for the German people in the 1930s. Politicians in Britain, France, and the United States, encumbered with their own economic troubles during the global depression, were reluctant to act to check Hitler’s expansionism without irrefutable evidence of his ultimate intentions.

Only later would the world learn that those intentions revolved around the methodical military conquest of Europe from the center outward, a process one historian of the Second World War has likened to eating an artichoke leaf by leaf from the inside out. That conquest began with the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and the attack on France and the Low Countries six months later. Hitler’s quest for more “living-space” for his empire led to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. By March of 1942, Hitler’s fanatical desire to conquer Europe—along with Japan’s concurrent push across East Asia and the Pacific—had plunged the world into a war that would last nearly six years and cost the lives of more than 50 million soldiers and civilians: by far the largest catastrophe in human history.

For more information

Weinberg, Gerhard. A World at Arms . New York: Cambridge, 2005.

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Second World War (1939-1945): Causes and Consequences

Last updated on August 23, 2024 by Alex Andrews George

We have seen the causes and consequences of the  First World War in the last post. The First World War itself sowed the seeds for the Second World War, primarily because of the humiliating Treaty of Versailles. We shall see the causes and consequences of the Second World War (WWII) in this post.

The Second World War fundamentally reshaped the global order, setting the stage for the Cold War and dramatically altering the political, social, and economic landscapes of the 20th century.

Table of Contents

The Two Groups: Allies vs Axis Powers

Causes of Second World War(1939-1945)

(1) humiliation by the treaty of versailles.

The harsh terms imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, including significant territorial losses, reparations, and military restrictions, led to widespread resentment in Germany. This environment of humiliation and economic hardship paved the way for the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, who promised to restore Germany’s former glory.

• War indemnity.
• The provision for disarming Germany.
• Saar coal mine to France for 15 years.
• Polish corridor was given to Poland .
• City of Danzing was made free.

(2) Growth of Fascism and Nazism

The interwar period saw the rise of fascist and totalitarian regimes in countries like Italy, Germany, and Japan. Leaders such as Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and the militaristic government of Japan pursued aggressive expansionist policies, seeking to overturn the post-World War I international order and establish dominance.

• Mussolini (Italy) and Hitler (Germany) strongly glorified war and violence.
• While the West was fighting communism, Germany and Italy started massive militarization.

(3) Rise of Japan

The League of Nations, established to maintain peace, was ineffective in preventing aggression by fascist powers. Its inability to enforce collective security, particularly in response to Japanese aggression in Manchuria (1931), the Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935), and German reoccupation of the Rhineland (1936), emboldened these powers.

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• Imperialism.
• Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis (1936).

(4) Neglect of minority interests

European powers, particularly Britain and France, pursued a policy of appeasement in the 1930s, allowing Hitler to annex Austria (Anschluss, 1938) and the Sudetenland (Munich Agreement, 1938) without significant opposition. This emboldened Hitler to continue his expansionist agenda, ultimately leading to the invasion of Poland.

• New countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria were formed after the First World War. While drawing boundaries the interests of minority groups in each of these countries were neglected.

(5) Military Alliance

• Allies  – Britain, France, USA, USSR and China vs  Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and Japan
• Leaders – Churchill (Britain), Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)

(6) Germany’s attack on Czechoslovakia

• Despite the Munich Pact between Germany and Britain (1938), Germany re-attacked and sized Czechoslovakia.

(7) Immediate Cause: Germany’s invasion of Poland (1st September 1939)

• Germany annexed the Polish Corridor and Danzig city. The sudden attack on Poland is known as Blitzkrieg (lightning war).
• Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Also read: Imperialism and its History

The course of the War

• World War II officially began on September 1, 1939.
• Germany conquered – Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and France.
• Battle of Britain – Germany vs Britain (air battle; German Air Force =Luftwaffe).
• Battle of Stalingrad – Germany vs USSR. (Operation of Barbarossa (1941 = Attack on Yugoslavia and Greece; Russia countered the attack on Moscow with Scorched Earth Policy).
• Atlantic Charter (August 1941) – Between Churchill (UK) and Roosevelt (USA).
• Pearl Harbor Attack (7th December 1941) – Japan on USA.
• Italy vs UK in Africa (1942) – Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, British Somaliland, Eritrea.
• France was conquered by Germany in 1940, but British and American troops liberated France in 1944.
• Atom bomb – Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Consequences of Second World War

• Human and Economic Cost: World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in an estimated 70-85 million deaths, including civilians and military personnel. The war caused widespread destruction, particularly in Europe and Asia, leading to massive economic and infrastructure devastation.
• Redrawing of National Borders: The war led to significant changes in national borders , especially in Europe. Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allies (the U.S., the UK, France, and the Soviet Union), eventually leading to the creation of West Germany and East Germany.
• Rise of the United States and the Soviet Union as Superpowers: The United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two dominant superpowers in the post-war world, leading to the Cold War. Their ideological conflict between capitalism and communism shaped global politics for the next several decades.
• Decolonization: The war weakened the colonial powers, particularly Britain and France, leading to a wave of decolonization in Asia, Africa , and the Middle East. Countries like India, Indonesia, and numerous African nations gained independence in the years following the war.
• Creation of the United Nations: In response to the failure of the League of Nations and the devastation of World War II, the United Nations was established in 1945 to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. The UN played a central role in shaping the post-war international order.
• Cold War and Division of Europe: The ideological and political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the division of Europe, with Eastern Europe falling under Soviet influence and Western Europe aligning with the United States. This division was symbolized by the Iron Curtain and culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall (1961-1989).
• Holocaust and Genocide Awareness: The Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany, highlighted the horrors of genocide. This led to increased global awareness of human rights and the establishment of conventions against genocide and crimes against humanity.
• Nuclear Arms Race: The use of atomic bombs by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 introduced nuclear weapons to the world, leading to an arms race during the Cold War. The threat of nuclear warfare became a central issue in international relations.

Related posts

• Treaty of Versailles
• First World War (1914-1918): Causes and Consequences

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World War II had many consequences. The USSR lost over 24 million people, both military and civilians, and over 21 million people were left homeless and in poor conditions (Fussell 745). Great Britain and France had both collapsed as empires, and European boundaries had been literally redrawn. The United States of America claimed to lead the reconstruction efforts and started to conduct policy, directed to establishing itself as a new superpower. Thus, modern geopolitical balance of power in the world can also be considered as one of the direct consequences of World War II. Among many others, several consequences of this war are felt even today, such as the increase in baby boomers in the U.S., which has a continued effect on the economy; cold wars and war sensitivity, including the nuclear arms race today; and the establishment of the U.S. as a leading power in the world.

Between the years 1946 and 1964, a sudden and large increase in birthrate was detected in the U.S. The reason for such a dramatic growth in population is still a disputed subject among experts. At first, the U.S. welcomed this phenomenon by passing GI bills to improve education, skills and income. Now, the generation of baby boomers is already retiring, or fast approaching retirement age. Currently, the cost of Social Security is rising faster than the taxed income of the working population (Lavery 56). Due to this fact, nowadays, it has become questionable whether the American economy will be able to afford the future cost of Social Security, as the baby boomer generation continues to retire.

Another consequence of World War II is the continuing Cold War. One might say that it had ended several decades ago, but actually, it still goes on, though now it is not so intense (Lavery 76). Nation states spend billions of dollars to increase military power. Nuclear weapons today have become the weapons of choice. Diplomacy, combined with a demonstration of military power, is often used to pressure leaders who conduct policies which are different from those which the world’s superpowers consider desirable. Wars continue to influence domestic policies and define the full meaning of conflicts.

World War II hit the U.S. economy—the expenditure on military action approximated over 95 million dollars. After it ended, the United States established itself as a superpower and assumed the leading role in post-war reconstruction (Lavery 86). Today, the United States continues to play the role of global benefactor, whether or not their help is required, interfering in domestic policies of a number of states and nations. This results in many government leaders resenting U.S. policy and its superpower status.

After World War II, international conflicts have been perceived differently. A century ago, a war was mostly a local event, concerning only its direct participants (Fussell 87). Now, a war is a process which involves multiple sides, and has consequences which are often difficult to predict. Nuclear arms seem to be the weapon of choice, and nations often feel empowered by displaying their arms for the entire world to see. To promote peace and understanding among nations, a special organization, the United Nations, was established.

The world continues to feel the consequential tremors of World War II through financial and economic woes. Among the most obvious consequences of this war, one can point out an effect of the baby boomers generation on the economy of the U.S., cold wars, nuclear weapon races, and the establishment of the U.S. as a leading power in the world.

Fussell, Jeremy. The War Bible . New York: Penguin Publishers, 2009. Print.

Lavery, Vanessa. One Long Kill . Seattle: Rain City Press, 2011. Print.

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World War II, Its Causes and Long-Term Effects

Introduction.

The Second World War was an upheaval that involved almost every region across the world from 1939 to 1945. Having claimed the lives of over 40 million people, this conflict must have been catalyzed by numerous unresolved issues that affected different parts of Europe for many years. The biggest question is how such a war got out of hand and eventually changed the world forever. The modern-day world is largely dictated by the aftermath of this great upheaval. This causal analysis digs deeper to understand the real forces that led to the war and how it continues to affect the world today.

Thesis Statement

Having been triggered by the unresolved injustices in Europe after the Great War (also known as the First World War), the Second World War resulted in a decisive power shift away from the leading European states (such as Germany, France, and Britain) to the Soviet Union and the United States.

Analysis of the Second World War

The main cause of the Second World War is an issue that has attracted the attention of many scholars, historians, and archeologists across the world. This is the case because there are numerous factors and forces that are believed to have led to this global turmoil. The invasion of Poland by Germany is identified as the main trigger of this war (“World War Two,” 2018). This move forced France and Germany to declare war on Adolf Hitler’s regime. However, the causes of this conflict in Europe are complicated since different unresolved concerns have been mentioned by historians.

The first cause revolves around the Treaty of Versailles (“World War Two,” 2018). Following the end of the Great War, France, the United States, Italy, and Britain developed a plan detailing how Germany was to pay for its role in initiating this turmoil. Although Germany decided to sign the formulated document, it remained discontented with the terms. Germany was forced to accept the blame for triggering the First World War.

It was also supposed to pay around 6,600 million pounds for every damage caused (“World War II,” 2009). The action was also prohibited from having tanks, submarines, and an air force. Some of its territories and lands were taken away. This issue forced many Germans to support a new leader who could address the situation and reclaim the country’s glory (Brickell, 2014). This nation was also finding it hard to pay the required amount of money due to the increasing poverty levels.

The second outstanding cause of this war was Adolf Hitler. From 1934, Hitler began to increase the size of the country’s army. This was against the Treaty of Versailles. He also made several alliances and pacts, such as the Anti-Comintern Pact and the Rome-Berlin Axis Pact. By 1938, Germany was taking back some of its territories that had been taken away. A decisive vote also saw Austria becoming part of Germany.

In 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed, whereby Hitler was allowed to retain the Sudetenland region (“World War Two,” 2018). However, he was requested not to occupy Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, the German army invaded the country. At this time, France and Britain were unprepared for any military action (David, 2015). In September the same year, Hitler invaded Poland. This would result in a declaration of war.

The third potential cause of this conflict was the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations established in 1919. This organization was formed to maintain global peace after the end of the First World War. From 1920 to 1934, the League imposed trade sanctions and restrictions on nations such as Italy and Japan (“World War II,” 2009). With many nations not involved in the organization, it was impossible to manage various global affairs. This institution’s power was also limited. Since it lacked an army, it was unable to act and stop any act of aggression in Europe and beyond. These factors worked synergistically to trigger World War II.

The absence of appeasement is the fourth force that catalyzed this war. Britain and France believed that Germany’s needs had been ignored in the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler’s demands to have some of the nation’s territories given back were ignored. The Munich Agreement managed to address some of the issues raised by Hitler (“World War Two,” 2018). A similar approach could have been used to promote global peace instead of animosity. The failure to involve different nations and stakeholders to deal with the issues facing Europe would eventually result in this war.

Long-Term Effects

One of the outstanding long-term issues that are referenced by many scholars is the Cold War and its aftermath. The end of World War II resulted in a shift of power. With the European countries dominating the world from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, a new order had emerged characterized by the waves of capitalism and communism. After the war, the United States and the Soviet Union would put the world on a different path (Hampson, 2015).

This upheaval lasted over 40 years and reshaped global relations forever. Revolutionary approaches to militarism, aviation, international relations, and scientific inquire emerged throughout this unrest. At the same time, the economy of the United States would grow rapidly since the war had not been fought on its soil. Today, the world is still divided over the ideals of capitalism and communism.

The second undeniable effect is the peace and harmony that has been experienced in the world over the years. Following the end of the war, the United Nations (UN) was established after revising the bottlenecks associated with the League of Nations. The emerging winners of this conflict would enjoy veto power in the UN. The lessons gained from this war encouraged many people to condemn any form of upheaval that could claim lives (“World War II,” 2009).

Although the UN has been criticized for being following toothless unrests such as the Cold War, the Gulf War, and the emergence of radical or terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, many experts still believe that the organization has been vital in tackling conflicts and wars in different parts of the world.

The third effect is that the world has become militarized than ever before. The Second World War is believed to have led to numerous research activities in the military field. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima, and Nagasaki in Japan saw a new age of nuclear weapons. As a result, the world would never be the same again (Hampson, 2015). Over the years, global society has been grappling with serious threats from dangerous weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). This occurrence or challenge is attributable to the Second World War.

The fourth long-term impact of this war is that it exposed many populations and communities to conditions such as depression, diabetes, heart diseases, and poverty. Such predicaments continue to affect the world to this day (Kesternich, Siflinger, Smith, & Winter, 2014). During this period, those who were involved contracted terminal illnesses due to the absence of coordinated medical care delivery efforts. The outcome was that diseases that had been managed earlier developed to become epidemics. With increasing levels of poverty and lack of education, it was impossible for the world to transform the situation. Kesternich et al. (2014) indicate that lower and middle classes were affected the most. Today, the modern world is affected by these health and social problems. Professionals and experts in the medical field have asserted that such conditions would not affect many people today if the war had not taken place.

The above descriptive analysis has revealed that World War II was triggered by the unresolved disputes and injustices in Europe before and after the Great War and the League of Nation’s failure to implement the idea of appeasement. With many countries across the globe involved in this turmoil, it was impossible to prevent the deaths that occurred between 1939 and 1945. The Second World War resulted in a decisive power shift away from European powers (Germany, France, and Britain).

The Soviet Union and the United States would then find themselves in a new supremacy battle revolving around the notions of communism and capitalism. Although the UN has managed to maintain relative global peace, many diseases, civil unrests, regional wars, terrorism, and nuclear weapons continue to threaten the world today. In conclusion, the Second World War is relevant today because it acts as a reminder of the dangers of large-scale global conflicts and how they can affect the lives of many people for centuries.

Brickell, C. (2014). Networks of affect, male homoeroticism and the Second World War: A soldier’s archive. Social & Cultural Geography, 16 (2), 183-202. Web.

David, M. (2015). How World War II shaped modern America . Web.

Hampson, R. (2015). 70 years later: How World War II changed America . Web.

Kesternich, I., Siflinger, B., Smith, J. P., & Winter, J. K. (2014). The effects of World War II on economic and health outcomes across Europe. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 96 (1), 103-118. Web.

World War II . (2009). Web.

World War Two – Causes . (2018). Web.

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The causes of World War Two

Part of History World War Two and the Holocaust

Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He had aggressive and ambitious foreign policy aims.

Britain initially pursued a policy of appeasement, seeking to give Hitler some of what he wanted in order to preserve peace.

When Hitler broke the agreement made at the Munich Conference, it became clear appeasement had failed, and war broke out following the invasion of Poland in September 1939.

Hitler’s foreign policy aims

Hitler had three main aims in his foreign policy:

To unite all German-speaking people.

To achieve ‘Lebensraum’ close Lebensraum The German word for 'living space', used to describe Hitler's aim of expanding Germany by taking land from the east. , which was more living space for the German people. This was based on the Nazis’ close Nazi An abbreviation for the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) and its members. The term was originally thought up by political opponents of the party. The Nazi Party's main ideas were based on racism, including antisemitism, and hostility towards democracy and other political systems, such as communism and socialism. racist policies, which were rooted in the idea that ‘Aryan’ close 'Aryan race' An idea developed in the 1800s, believed by Hitler and the Nazis, that people from northern and western Europe were racially 'superior' to other groups. There is no scientific basis for this idea. people were ‘superior’ to Eastern Europeans.

To destroy the Treaty of Versailles , the peace document that was signed in 1919 following World War One. It placed much of the blame for the events of the war on Germany.

These aims, and carrying them out, was one of the major contributing factors to the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939.

The Rhineland and the Anschluss

Hitler had already broken some terms of the Treaty of Versailles by 1938. He sent soldiers into the Rhineland area of Germany in 1936, which was supposed to be a demilitarised close demilitarised The removal of all military forces from an area. area. Britain did nothing, saying that Hitler was ‘marching into his own backyard’. This showed that Britain saw the Rhineland as German land anyway, so they were not too concerned.

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World War 2 Consequences Cause and Effect Essay

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Causes of World War 2

The reason why the u.s. was involved in the war, why the allies in europe and the pacific won, consequences of the war.

The World War 2 began in 1939. This is when France and Britain declared war on Germany. This occurred when Germany invaded Poland and therefore, this is what triggered the outbreak of war. However, the causes of the war are more complex.

The major causes of this Great War were the unresolved issues that resulted from the World War 1. Another reason was due to the effects of the Great Depression. This occurred in the 1930s. Another reason is the interwar period in Europe. Several events accumulated and led to the outbreak of the war.

One of the events that contributed to the series of events includes the invasion that occurred in Poland in 1939. Soviet Russia and Germany were responsible for this invasion. Another event that had a great effect was the invasion into Republic of China. The Empire of Japan was responsible for this and this occurred in 1937.

Several European powers such as the United Kingdom, Russia and France expanded their territories using force and aggression. This is a process that was referred to as expansionism or imperialism. Germany and Italy were not as successful as the other nations when it came to gaining territory under colonial rule.

When Germany lost land to the other nations, it led to their relocation. This cause the Germans to get bitter and this interfered with their relations with their neighbors. This contributed to the feeling of revanchism. Under Nazism, Germany started a program that would lead to the restoration of the country’s rightful boundaries.

These were the boundaries that were in place before World War 1. This lead Rhineland to reoccupied. When Hitler saw the success of this action, he believed that he could further invade Russia and Poland without causing any major war.

Another leading cause is the failure of appeasement. The actions by Germany were thought to be reasonable since they thought that Germany had the right to re-arm herself in order to be ready to defend itself.

Therefore, the Munich Agreement was signed. This was between Germany, Italy, Britain and France. Czech was not invited and this made them feel betrayed.

However, Hitler went ahead to break the terms and conditions of the Munich Agreement. He invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. It was evident that the policy of appeasement had failed. Another thing that led to the World War 2 was the failure of the League of Nations.

The United States had remained neutral in the war but they were provoked into it. This was when the Japanese bombed the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. This made the Japanese official enemies of the United States.

The Japanese later bombed the U.S. fleet in the Philippines. This then agitated U.S., which decided to declare war on the Japanese. A few days later, Hitler decided to declare war against the United States. This led the U.S. to respond with fire. This then led to the full involvement of the United States in World War 2.

FDR also wanted the United States to be involved in the war. He made public statements about Germany’s attacks. The Germans had made three separate attacks on U.S. vessels that had carried civilians. The U.S. pressured the Japanese with embargoes and caused their economic fall.

It was after that when Hitler did what has been referred to as the ‘greatest military blunder in history’. This was when he declared war against the United States. He also wanted the Japanese to attack Russia on the eastern side. However, this did not happen.

Since the Japanese were not involved, Germany had to fight on both sides and this is the main reason why Germany did not succeed. Hitler tried to help the Japanese because he was not aware how badly off they were. He believed that Japan had an army that had not seen defeat for more than a century.

Since the Japanese were misguided, they made a mistake of attacking Pearl Harbor. This gave the Americans an incentive.

The reason why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor dates back to the time when the U.S. banned any form of trade with the Japanese. This was because the Japanese had been aggressive towards the Chinese. As the U.S. embarked fully in the war, it ended up spending 42 billion dollars towards the war.

The allies included the U.K., U.S., France, Soviet Union, Republic of China and Poland. The emperor of Japan had underestimated the abilities of the U.S. to make war in the Pacific. However, the Japanese army did not have sufficient resources to go ahead with the war.

The British, on the other hand, pushed the Japanese killing all those who appeared on their path. As a result, almost a half a million of them were killed. The U.S. also continued to capture the islands and drew closer to the Japanese territory. China, Russia and Britain then liberated the portions of China that had been occupied by the Japanese.

The attempts of the Italians and Germans to greedily capture and expand their empires were not successful. This was because they had bad strategy and morale. The Russians came in from the east and killed more than half of all the German soldiers. This led the allies to land in Normandy and they liberated France.

World War 2 had diverse effects throughout the world. The consequences included both positive and negative effects. Firstly, millions of lives were lost as a result of the war. Millions more were left homeless. Another consequence was the division of Germany.

It was divided into four and each was governed by the allied powers. These included the United Kingdom, United Nations, Soviet Union and France. These were the direct effects.

However, there were indirect effects and consequences of the war. One of the direct effects was that the war acted as a catalyst for various local, regional and global phenomena. This included the redrawing of the borders of Europe. U.K.’s welfare state was also born as a result of the war.

Another result of the war was the creation of Israel. Various organizations also rooted as a result of the world war. Such organizations include the World Bank, the United Nations, World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund.

The war also led to the emergence of new technologies. One of such technologies was nuclear fission. This was necessary for the nations to produce nuclear weapons in order to protect themselves from future attacks. Another technology was the invention of the jet engine and electronic computer.

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Causes of World War 2 Essay | Essay on Causes of World War 2 for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Causes of World War 2 Essay:  World War two was one of the biggest global wars of the twentieth century. It started in the year 1939 and continued till the year 1945. It had all the great powers of the world, dividing the war into two military alliances. The Allies were the countries like Britain, France, and the United States, while the Axis powers had Germany, Italy, and Japan.

The Soviet Union began the war on the Axis side but later changed stances and joined the allied forces. There are various socio-political causes of the Second World War. However, the immediate cause of the World war was the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on 1st September 1939.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Causes of World War 2 for Students and Kids in English

We provide students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic Causes of World war II.

Long Essay on Causes of World War 2 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Causes of World War 2 is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Causes of World War II:

The Second World war was an aftermath of the discontentment that arose among certain countries after the conclusion of the First World War. The first World War ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. This treaty left Germany with little political and military influence and burdened the nation with heavy financial reparations. Germany was barred from unifying Austria and had to lose several territories.

Rise of Fascism:

With the Great Depression in 1939, Germany saw the rise of an autocratic Fascist ruler, Hitler, and his Nazi Party, alongside Italy and its fascist Government led by Mussolini. The Nazis attained a totalitarian character in Germany, driven by the idea of “supremacy of race.” Power craving Germany, Italy, and Japan soon took upon themselves to avenge their fallen territory. It hence was the beginning of World War II with the invasion of Poland by German forces.

Failure of the League of Nations:

The League of Nations was the forefather of the present United Nations. It was created as an international peace-keeping organization to prevent further escalations of military supremacy in the world. The League of Nations was the brainchild of American President Woodrow Wilson, yet the United States did not participate. The failure of the League of Nations to control the rising turbulence throughout the world and protect the world from a fascist attack was one of the notable causes of World War II.

Munich Agreement:

The region of Sudetenland was a predominant German region with more than three million ethnic Germans. In the treaty of Versailles, Sudetenland was given to Czechoslovakia despite strong opposition. This angered the Germans.

Germany, under Hitler, pressed for the incorporation of Sudetenland into Germany.

Finally, the Munich Agreement was signed on 30th September 1938 by the British, French, and Italian Prime Ministers to appease Hitler and give him what he wanted. Sudetenland was given to Germany, but this did more harm than good. Germany regained its political and military strength.

Rising Power of Japan:

In 1931, Japan faced a massive economic depression, and the people lost their faith in the Government. Hence, Japan turned itself into an imperial power and started capturing the resources and territory of Japan. This gave her authority over the East Pacific and made her crave for more.

Invasion of Poland:

Poland wanted to be in good relations with both Germany and the Soviet Union. However, Germany wanted Poland to join it as a satellite state. When Poland did not agree with this proposition, Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939 and triggered the Second World War.

Spanish Civil War:

During the time between 1936 and 1939, Germany and Italy supported the fascist General Francisco Franco while the Soviet Union started supporting the democratically elected state government. This became an issue among the world’s great powers since the League of Nations had a major involvement in the crisis.

These were the major causes of the Second World War.

Short Essay on Causes of World War 2 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Causes of World War 2 is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

There are various major causes of the Second World War. However, the most notable was the aftermath of the First World War. To conclude World War I, the treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919.

However, this treaty was extremely biased towards countries like Britain, France, and the United Nations. Germany had to go through a loss of several territories and also was burdened with huge financial reparations.

This massive discontentment of Germany made her come under the fascist rule of Hitler and his Nazi Party. Moreover, Italy came under the fascist rule of Mussolini at the same time. This rise in Fascism was a notable cause of the World War.

Some other causes were the failure of the League of Nations, the Spanish Civil war, the Munich agreement, and mostly Japan’s rise as an imperial power. The immediate cause of World War II was the invasion of Poland by Germany on 1st September in 1939.

10 Lines on Causes of World War 2 Essay in English

1. World War II began in the year 1939. 2. It was triggered by the invasion of Poland by Germany. 3. The war was divided into two military alliances. 4. The two groups were Axis and Allied. 5. The war ended in the year 1945. 6. The war ended with the bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 7. World War II witnessed the first use of Nuclear Bombs. 8. Re-militarization of Rhineland was a major cause. 9. The Germans were driven by the idea of the “Supreme Race.” 10. World War II led to the formation of the United Nations.

FAQ’s on Causes of World War 2 Essay

Question 1. Was World War II against Hitler?

Answer: World War II was initiated by Hitler and later resulted in his defeat.

Question 2. Whose side was Russia on?

Answer: Russia was an Allied force.

Question 3. Who bombed Pearl Harbour?

Answer:  Japan bombed Pearl Harbour.

Question 4. Was Spain a party to the war?

Answer: No, Spain remained neutral as a country, but Franco supported Germany and the Axis powers.

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The Causes and Effects of World War II Essay

World War II was fought between two main opposing forces, the Allies and the Axis forces. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan being the most dominant. On the other hand, some of the countries in the Allied powers were Great Britain, the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Soviet Union, Canada, and Greece. Adolph Hitler became head of Germany’s National Socialists Party in July of 1921. By 1933 the once unknown Hitler was given dictatorial power. As his power grew the new dictator grew more restrictive and power hungry. Books were burned, Jewish-owned businesses were boycotted, the Nazi Party was made the only party, and concentration camps were opened, all in the first year of Hitler’s …show more content…

In 1940 Italy declared war on France and Britain, the first air raids took place, and many countries were invaded and alliances were formed. The first gas chambers were used at Auschwitz, and 33,771 Jews were killed at Kiev in 1941(“World War II in Europe”). On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the next day the United States entered the war; Britain joined the U.S. in declaring war on Japan. By the 11th, Germany declared war on the United States. The Declaration of the United Nations was signed by the 26 Allied nations on the first day of 1942. Also in 1942, mass murder began happening at Auschwitz. In 1943 Germany was defeated at Stalingrad, and Italy surrendered during invasion, although Germany then took control of the battle. Throughout 1944 Germany began retreating and surrendering from many stands and battles. The Allies invaded France on June 6, 1944 and Paris was liberated by August. The last gas chambers at Auschwitz were used in late October. Hitler committed suicide on May 7, 1945 and German forces surrendered to the Allies. An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, and a second was dropped on Nagasaki on the 9th. Japan agreed to surrender on August 14th. In October of 1945, the United Nations was officially created. Due the scale of World War II, each country that fought had a large amount of men who were in battle. This, of course, included the

DBQ Essay: The Cause Of WWII

At the end of WWI many countries blamed Germany for starting the war. These countries used the Treaty of Versailles to punish Germany. These punishments included loss of land and military, infeasible reparations, and complete humiliation; this is how the Treaty of Versailles directly caused WWII.

Pearl Harbor Dbq Essay

Introduction The Second World War had been fought between the Axis nations (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan and their smaller allies) and the Allied nations, led by Britain (and its Commonwealth nations), the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America (Source D). The war changed many things internationally. This included changes to do with technology and the end of European colonialism (Source D).

B1 World War II and Its Aftermath UA Essay

Inquiry Skills—You will develop questions and plan investigations, evaluate change and continuity over time, develop credible explanations of historical events and developments based on reasoned interpretation of evidence, gather evidence, evaluate and use evidence, develop explanations and make persuasive arguments in support of your conclusions, and communicate your conclusions.

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WWII evolved the entire globe, putting the world's largest economic and military powers against each other: the AXIS powers Germany, Japan and Italy against the ALLIED powers Russia, Britain and the U.S. There were some 27,372,900 civilians and 20,858,800 military personnel killed in the

Effects Of World War II On America Essay

• 4 Works Cited

In September of 1939, a global war had begun when Hitler led the German forces to invade Poland. The American president was reluctant on entering the war because he was building allies in the western hemisphere and was focused on making life better on the home front. Tragedy struck America on the morning of December 7, 1941 when the Japanese conducted a surprise aerial attack against the United States naval base at pearl harbor. The lethal and deadly force of the attack spurred President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to realize it was time to enter the war. As American troops were being sent off to war citizens' lives on the home front changed dramatically. The soldiers were being taken care of before the people and did not experience the

Hitler's Beneficiaries By Gotz Aly Analysis

When historians and common people alike look back at the Second World War, one person stands out among all of the people who had a part, Adolf Hitler. His atrocities and crimes are well documented across the world but one question which has many people puzzled is, why did the people of Germany support Hitler and his Nazi regime? Also how much were the German people to blame for the events that occurred during the National Socialist Party’s regime? Were they just to blame as Hitler himself or did they have no fault in what was going on? According to Gotz Aly and his book, Hitler's Beneficiaries, the answerz to the former question is simpler that one might think. According to Aly, Hitler simply brought his peoples consent.

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There were many factors that affected the outcome of World War Two. Some of these were how many tanks you had, how powerful your tanks were, and how well they were built. The Allies had the most tanks in the war and this was one of the main things that helped them win. The Germans had the most powerful tanks in the war, but the allies out numbered them. The Allies using light and medium tanks in big groups against the Germans powerful tanks was the main thing that helped them win World War Two.

The Roles Played by Different Countries during World War II

The World War II was fought between two major military alliances namely the axis powers and the allies. The Axis power was a group of countries led by Nazi Germany, kingdom of Italy and empire of Japan. The allies led by united kingdom were joined later on Soviet Union and United states of America. The allies were represented by republic of China in pacific. Let us have a closer look at these two millitary alliances.

The Causes of World War II Essay

backed out without much question! It was far too casual for it to be a

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There were two different sides in World War II. One side were the Axis Powers. The Axis powers included Germany, Italy, and Japan. The other side was known as the Allies. The Allies included Britain, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, the Soviet Union, China, and the United States. There was also

Impact Of World War II On The World Essay

“The world the American people had tried to exclude after the First World War could not forever be kept at bay.” (The Great Depression and World War II;Kennedy, David). World War II began in the year 1939 and lasted until 1945. (history.com,Pearl Harbor) Many of the issues that arose during the Second World War was initial baggage from the First World War. The Treaty of Versailles was the reason why the First World War ended between the Allied Powers and Germany. (history.com). During this time, the United States wanted as little involvement with Europe’s controversies. Meanwhile, the United States did not know at the time that Japan was a threat to our country because of unresolved issues prior to Pearl Harbor. (history.com). The common denominator between both of our countries in this era was that we were both in financial crises. (Gilder Legrman, Institure of American History) The United States was suffering from the Great Depression and Japan was in a financial crisis. One of the reasons that the United States was not in favor of Japan was because we did not support their attacks on China. “The United States allied with China when Japan declared war on China in 1937” (Office of The Historian). “The United States responded to the aggression with a battery of economic sanctions and trade embargoes” (Pearl Harbor and the road to war, history.com). Japan was upset

World War 2 Research Paper

Would you like to know what caused World War II? Everyone one asks what the cause of World War II is well to be honest there are many causes. Many of them involve Hitler and government and politics and all that. “The main cause of World War II is Hitler invaded poland Which then caused British and France to declare war on germany.” The first topic is the causes and what caused the war. The second topic is going to talk about Hitler and what he was like and what role he played in all of this. Last topic is going to be what was done about it and when it ended. There are many reasons like many people have said and many websites say the same.

Main Causes Of Ww2 Essay

In world war 2 there were the Axis Powers (Japan, Italy, and Germany) and the Allied Powers (Britain, USSR, USA (came in

The Cause And Effects Of The World War II

The world has changed since that day, September 1, 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, the start of World War 2. There were many fluctuations in economic terms as well as the politics of some powerful countries in the world also started from there. This is a catastrophic world war between the Allied forces and the Axis under fascism. Although this war just lasted in 6 years, from 1939 until 1945, but almost every continents in the world are affected by this war, except Antarctica and South America, and the population of the world decreased significantly.

Causes of World War II Essay

Causes of World War II When Hitler came to power in 1933 he made several of actions that some years later lead to war. These actions were re-armament, leaving the league of nations, re-militarism of the Rhineland, the spanish civil war, the lightning war and the alliances with Italy and Japan. Hitler's aims were clear, he wanted lebensraum (living space) in order to gain self-sufficiency, wanted to abolish the treaty of Versailles and revenge for those who signed it. And some years after he seized power it was clear he wanted to dominate the whole of Europe and the rest of the world.

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World History

Make Your Note

• World War II
• 10 Jul 2020
• 17 min read
• GS Paper - 1
• World War I
• Decolonialisation

Introduction

• World War II, also called Second World War, was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45.
• The principal belligerents were the Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—and the Allies—France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China.
• It was the biggest conflict in history that had lasted almost six years.
• Nearly some 100 million people had been militarised, and 50 million had been killed (around 3% of the world's population).

Causes of War

The major causes of World War II were numerous. They include the impact of the Treaty of Versailles following WWI, the worldwide economic depression, failure of appeasement, the rise of militarism in Germany and Japan, and the failure of the League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles

• Following World War I, the victorious Allied Powers met to decide Germany’s future. Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
• Under this treaty, Germany had to accept guilt for the war and to pay reparations. Germany lost territory and was prohibited from having a large military.
• The humiliation faced by Germany under this treaty, paved the way for the spread of Ultra-Nationalism in Germany.

Failure of the League of Nations

• The League of Nations was an international organization set up in 1919 to keep world peace.
• It was intended that all countries would be members and that if there were disputes between countries, they could be settled by negotiation rather than by force.
• The League of Nations was a good idea, but ultimately a failure, as not all countries joined the league.
• Also, the League had no army to prevent military aggression such as Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in China.

Great Depression of 1929

• The worldwide economic depression of the 1930s took its toll in different ways in Europe and Asia.
• In Europe, political power shifted to totalitarian and imperialist governments in several countries, including Germany, Italy, and Spain.
• In Asia, a resource-starved Japan began to expand aggressively, invading China and maneuvering to control a sphere of influence in the Pacific.

Rise of Fascism

• Victors’ stated aims in World War I had been “to make the world safe for democracy,” and postwar Germany was made to adopt a democratic constitution, as did most of the other states restored or created after the war.
• In the 1920s, however, the wave of nationalistic, militaristic totalitarianism known by its Italian name, fascism.
• It promised to minister to peoples’ wants more effectively than democracy and presented itself as the one sure defense against communism.
• Benito Mussolini established the first Fascist, European dictatorship during the interwar period in Italy in 1922.

Rise of Nazism

• Adolf Hitler, the Leader of the German National Socialist (Nazi) party, preached a racist brand of fascism.
• Hitler promised to overturn the Versailles Treaty, restore German wealth & glory and secure additional Lebensraum (“living space”) for the German people, who he contended deserve more as members of a superior race.
• In 1933 Hitler became the German Chancellor, and in a series of subsequent moves established himself as dictator.
• Moreover, in 1941 the Nazi regime unleashed a war of extermination against Slavs, Jews, and other elements deemed inferior by Hitler’s ideology.

Policy of Appeasement

• Hitler openly denounced the Treaty of Versailles and began secretly building up Germany’s army and weapons.
• Although Britain and France knew of Hitler’s actions, they thought a stronger Germany would stop the spread of Communism from Russia.
• Germany agreed not to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia or any other country. However, in March 1939, Germany broke its promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.
• Even then, neither Britain nor France was prepared to take military action.

Key Turning Points of the World War II

• Three years of mounting international tension - encompassing the Spanish Civil War, the union of Germany and Austria, Hitler's occupation of the Sudetenland and the invasion of Czechoslovakia led to deterioration of ties between Axis Power and Allied Powers.
• However, the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and subsequently two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
• This marked the beginning of World War II.
• The western Europe was very quiet during the first few months of the war.
• This period of war is known as 'phoney war'.
• Preparations for war continued in earnest, but there were few signs of conflict, and civilians of the western european countries (allied powers) evacuated to safe places.

Ribbentrop Pact

• By the early part of 1939 the German dictator Adolf Hitler had become determined to invade and occupy Poland.
• Poland, for its part, had guarantees of French and British military support should it be attacked by Germany. Hitler intended to invade Poland anyway, but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion of its western neighbour.
• Secret negotiations in August 1939, led to the signing of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in Moscow.
• Further, Russia followed Germany into Poland in September and Poland was carved up between the two invaders before the end of the year.

Winter War 1940

• The 'winter war' between Russia and Finland concluded in March, and in the following month Germany invaded Denmark and Norway.
• Denmark surrendered immediately, but the Norwegians fought on - with British and French assistance - surrendering in June 1940.

Fall of France 1940

• After war with scandenavian countries got over, Germany invaded France, Belgium and Holland.
• During this phase, the western Europe encountered the Blitzkrieg - or 'lightning war'.
• Despite greater numbers of air and army personnel in Allied powers, they proved no match for German Forces.
• In France an armistice was signed with Germany, with the puppet French Vichy government.
• Having conquered France, Hitler turned his attention to Britain, and began preparations for an invasion.

Battle of Britain 1940

• Lasting from July to September 1940, it was the first war to be fought solely in the air.
• German took decisions to attack from airfields and factories to the major cities, but somehow the Royal Air Force managed to squeak a narrow victory.
• This ensured the - ultimately indefinite - postponement of the German invasion plans.

War Getting Global

• With continental Europe under Nazi control, and Britain safe - for the time being - the war took on a more global dimension in 1941.
• Following the defeat of Mussolini's armies in Greece and Tobruk, German forces arrived in North Africa and invaded Greece and Yugoslavia in April 1941.

Operation Barbarossa

• After facing defeat in Britain, Hitler broke the Ribbentrop Pact and invaded Russia in 1941.
• The initial advance was swift, with the fall of Sebastopol at the end of October, and Moscow coming under attack at the end of the year.
• The bitter Russian winter, however, like the one that Napoleon had experienced a century and a half earlier, crippled the Germans.
• The Soviets counterattacked in December and the Eastern Front stagnated until the spring.

Pearl Harbour

• The Japanese, tired of American trade embargoes, mounted a surprise attack on the US Navy base of Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, on 7 December 1941.
• This ensured that global conflict commenced, with Germany declaring war on the US, a few days later.
• Also, within a week of Pearl Harbor, Japan had invaded the Philippines, Burma and Hong Kong.

American Entry Into the War

• Through the Battle of Midway 1942, the US entered World War II. In this battle, US sea-based aircraft destroyed four Japanese carriers and a cruiser, marking the turning point in World War II.
• Also, the news of mass murders of Jewish people by the Nazis reached the Allies, and the US pledged to avenge these crimes.

Reversal of German Fortunes

• By the second half of 1942, British forces gained the initiative in North Africa and Russian forces counterattacked at Stalingrad.
• In February 1943, Germany surrendered at Stalingrad to Soviet Union. This was the first major defeat of Hitler's armies.
• Further, German and Italian forces in North Africa surrendered to the Allies.
• As the Russian advance on the Eastern Front gathered pace, recapturing Kharkiv and Kiev from Germany. Moreover, Allied bombers began to attack German cities in enormous daylight air raids.
• Hitler killed himself on the 30 th , two days after Mussolini had been captured and hanged by Italian partisans.
• Germany surrendered unconditionally on 7 May, and the following day was celebrated as VE (Victory in Europe) day. The war in Europe was over.

Nuclear Bombing And The End

• Plans were being prepared for an Allied invasion of Japan, but fears of fierce resistance and massive casualties prompted Harry Truman - the new American president to sanction the use of an atomic bomb against Japan.
• Such bombs had been in development since 1942, and on 6 August 1945 one of them was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
• Three days later another was dropped on Nagasaki.
• No country could have withstand such attacks, and the Japanese surrendered on 14 August.
• With the surrender of Japan, World War II was finally over.

Aftermath of World War II

New Superpowers

• World War II brought about changes in the status of countries and continents. Britain and France lost their positions of preeminence as superpowers and yielded place to the USA and the USSR.

Start of Decolonisation

• After the war, Britain and France were confronted with various domestic and external problems. Both of them could no longer hold onto their respective colonies Thus, the post-war world witnessed the end of colonialism in Africa and Asia.

Birth of UN

• One of the momentous results of the war was the birth of the United Nations Organisation.
• Although the League failed to deliver, mankind did not altogether lose its hopes of making the world a safer and happier place to live in.
• The UN Charter enshrines the hopes and ideals of mankind on the basis of which countries can work together to maintain lasting peace.
• However, the establishment of the UN was agreed, much before the end of World War II under the Atlantic Charter.

Start of Cold War

• After the end of the war, a conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, to set up peace treaties. The countries that fought with Hitler lost territory and had to pay reparations to the Allies. Germany and its capital Berlin were divided into four parts.
• The zones were to be controlled by Great Britain, the United States, France and the Soviet Union.
• The three western Allies and the Soviet Union disagreed on many things and as time went on Germany was divided into two separate countries: East Germany, which had a Communist government and West Germany, which was a democratic state .
• This laid the foundation of the Cold War.

New Economic World Order

• Bretton Woods Conference, formally United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (July 1–22, 1944), during World War II to make financial arrangements for the postwar world after the expected defeat of Germany and Japan.
• It drew up a project for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD-now known as World Bank) to make long-term capital available to states urgently needing such foreign aid, and a project for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance short-term imbalances in international payments in order to stabilize exchange rates.
• Also, the US dollar was established as a reserve currency for the world trade.

India and World II

• World War II had taken an immense toll on the British Empire. Britain had lost a lot of capital and they were looking to their colonies to help them get the status of world power back. However, Mahatma Gandhi at this time organized Indians against the British.
• Also, World War II broke out to contain Hitler's intention of having German colonies beyond its borders, the same colonial occupation that Britain had already been practicing for centuries.
• Thus, after the war, people all over the world started supporting voices against British occupation over its colonies.
• When the Labour Party came to power in 1945 in Britain it inclined towards internationalism and racial equality, among other liberal principles.
• Soon after coming into power, Prime Minister Clement Attlee (Labour Party) began the process of granting India its independence in 1947.

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The Effects of World War Ii on The World

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World War II: Cause And Effect

Show More Cause and Effect- “World War II” Every action in life, brings a consequence or effect. Throughout history, many examples of how different ideas, points of view can escalate into a conflict that may cause the lives of innocents. World War II is an example in where a main point, changed the lives of many and created a bloodshed and massacre not seen before in the history of humanity. World War II marked a time of violence in the history of our humanity. Even today, it is considered one of the most significant events, simply because it changed the development of our society and rearranged the ideas and visions of many socio-political relations. Many think of World War II as a tragedy involving one main cause, in this case known as Hitler’s aggressive …show more content… Hitler’s foreign policy of aggression had many different effects that affected aspects in society one way or another. For example: Germany was totally defeated, and the Nazi regime was brought down. Many of the leaders of the cruel movements and activities were tried for the crimes against humanity, except for Hitler, the head of all the movements involving Germany, who committed suicide in Berlin at the end of the war. Looking into other countries, Japan ended in ruins from all the bombing and was temporarily placed under U.S. military rule. France had to dismantle its colonial empire in the following years, and just like many other countries, needed time to recover from all the deaths. England was one of the countries that suffered with many loses and was devastated by all the ruins that surrounded what once was a golden country. Russia, especially the Western part, was devastated, mainly because all that Hitler wanted was to expand Germany towards the east side, to take some land away from already expanded countries. Although it had at some point a good impact because by trying to maintain Russia away from Hitler, the Russians built themselves a powerful army, which soon converted them into one of the most powerful nations along United States . In the United States, World War II didn’t had a physical impact or destruction, so the U.S. economy dominated the world, the Americans …show more content… For those who saw the war mostly as a local event and as a process in where it only concerned direct participants, have changed their mentality since now a war requires you to choose from multiple sides, and is not a local event anymore, it may concern the whole world. In the 1940’s the United Nations was established, it had the full support and leadership of the United States, the Soviet Union and other countries around the world that wanted nothing else than to do avoid another repetition of World War II. Today, it seems like the ideas have changed, even if many nations are still trying to promote peace avoiding death and blood, others don’t seem to appreciate this, and see nuclear arms as the weapon of choice feeling the power of having such a deathly arm in their hands. In the end, Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy was the main cause of World War II. It is in the past that is true, and for many it is just a horrible memory which will hunt the lives of those who witnessed. The war not only marked a point of weakness in the history of the world, it also taught everybody, that as long as there are different set of minds and people with other points of view, there will always be conflicts, and these conflicts can escalate and turn into a massacre like World War

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