10 Causes and Consequences of World War II

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Abraham McLaughlin

Between the causes and consequences of World War II we find the violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the subsequent invasion of Poland by fascist Germany, as well as its subsequent overthrow and the creation of the United Nations. 

World War II was a warlike conflict on a global scale that took place between 1939 and 1945, fought between the Allied countries and the Axis countries..

The Allies were made up of the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and the Soviet Union..

Among the Axis countries, the Empire of Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany stand out. It is one of the most global wars in history, since 30 countries took action and more than 100 million people participated..

During the war, all the great powers of the planet used their military, economic, industrial, scientific and human resources in a strategic effort, thus changing the course of history in all these areas..

Among its attacks and consequences are the Holocaust and the explosion of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki..

An estimated total of 50-85 million deaths were accumulated, making World War II the most bloodthirsty conflict in history.

Causes of World War II

World War II was an extremely complicated event, unleashed as a consequence of multiple events beginning with the end of World War I in 1918. These include:

1- Treaty of Versailles

At the end of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles proposed by the US was signed, where Germany had to assume responsibility for the war.

Colonies were abolished, the use of the air force and also had to pay an economic remuneration to the victorious countries.

This stripped Germany of its territory and destabilized its economy strongly, making its citizens not trust their rulers and their ability to lead the consequences..

2- Fascism and the National Socialist Party

In the early 1920s, Benito Mussolini's fascist party rose to power in Italy. This nation moved under the idea of ​​nationalism, a form of government that imposed rigidity on the economy, industrial control and the control of its citizens..

Hitler saluting officers

The empire of Japan was also strongly driven by nationalism and its promises of wealth and development..

This movement reached northern Germany, where it was retaken by the workers' union and the National Socialist Party or Nazi Party was created, in which Adolf Hitler ascended to power..

3- Failures in the Peace Treaty

The peace treaties seek to establish a just resolution, but the penalties imposed on Germany by the US were seen as very severe; Nations like Britain and France saw it right for Hitler to protest.

The new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Neville Chamberlain, proposed new terms with Germany in the Treaty of Munich.

In this, he promised to give in to Hitler's demands to prevent a new war, but his actions were not enough..

4- Failed Intervention of the League of Nations

In 1919 the League of Nations was created. The plan was for all nations to unite and should a problem arise, they would settle their differences with diplomacy and not with the use of military force..

But with the crisis of the 1930s, many countries stopped trusting it. Nations such as Japan and the USSR strengthened their military forces, since they did not trust diplomacy, since the League did not have the support of all countries, it did not have an army at its disposal and it did not act immediately..

5- Militarization of Germany and the invasion of Poland

From 1935, Hitler began to violate the Treaty of Versailles with the militarization of Germany and the annexation of territories such as Austria.

This was easy because the economic crisis further encouraged its citizens, who saw the unfair treaty from the beginning.

Right after signing the Munich Agreement with Neville Chamberlain, Hitler decides to invade Poland, thus violating all peace treaties and starting the armed conflict.

Consequences

The consequences of this massive event affected all the countries of the world, from the political, economic, social and even geographical scope..

6- Creation of the United Nations

After the fall of the failed League of Nations, the allied countries formed the United Nations in October 1945, at the end of the war. The UN would be stronger and more far-reaching than its predecessor.

First Session of the UN

In 1948, the organization adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then it has been a body dedicated to maintaining the collective peace and security of nations..

7- End of colonialism and imperialism

With the fall of the Japanese Empire, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany, these nations became democracies. Due to the global consequences of the war, extensive empires ceased to exist and nation-states spread..

8- Economic crisis

As a consequence of an exorbitant expenditure on military power and resources, the leading countries of the war were hit by a severe economic crisis. Germany, France and England declared bankruptcy.

This in turn caused France and England to renounce their colonies (such as India or Algeria), thus creating multiple new independent nations that today are part of the so-called third world thanks to their history of economic and territorial dispossession..

9- Geo-political changes in Europe

All the Axis countries lost extensions of their territory to pay compensation to the Allies.

This caused a re-ordering of the world map. The USSR, for example, took Eastern European countries and implemented communism in these territories..

Germany also underwent changes and was separated into two nations: East Germany and West Germany; the first under a socialist government and the second, a democratic nation.

10- Emergence of the bloc's powers: USA vs USSR

At the end of the war, the US and the USSR benefited since they did not suffer financial damage or damage to infrastructure, also managing to increase their industrial power and thus becoming world powers..

This would start a new stage called the Cold War, where these two nations competed for decades in the political, economic, social, scientific and even sports fields. This rivalry would last almost 50 years.

References

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