“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
― Winston Churchill
World War II was one of the most violent conflicts Earth has seen. It killed millions and destroyed entire nations. But, Why did WWII start? It is our job to analyse the causes of this horrible events to prevent history fro happening again.
Overview To answer that question, we must first learn when it actually started. There is a constant debate on this. Many believe that it started with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, as it sent China and Japan into war. Germany’s invasion of Poland is also considered one of the events that started the war.
The diplomatic relationships at the time did not help. The world was in turmoil. Russia blamed Poland for starting global conflicts. The US was trying to eradicate communism. Germany was in depression,and surrounded by weak and divided countries. The Spanish Revolution weakened the country and further threw the world into turmoil.
This research paper will show the events that threw the world into one of the bloodiest conflicts ever.
Germany – The Rise of Hitler
“Hitler’s emergence had been made possible because the majority had, at the very best, behaved with indifference”.
― Angela Merkel
Hitler was a painter until he was 25, when he joined the Bavarian ranks after the outbreak of WWI. He was injured on two times, and was decorated for bravery two times as well.
When the war ended, he was asignes as a spy at Germany’s Worker’s Party. There he was inspired by Anton Drexler’s anti-communist, anti-Jewish doctrine and developed his own anti-Semitism doctrine based on it.
In september 1919 he said that
“The ultimate goal must definitely be the removal of the Jews altogether”
― Adolf Hitler
Gradually, he went up the ranks in the party, eventually changing its name and logo.
He won broad public support and donations, as well as gaining fame as a brilliant orator.
“He found a willing audience for his views that the Jews were to blame for Germany’s political instability and economic woes,”
― The Telegraph
Years later he became Germany’s chancelor, and when the president passed down, he appointed himself as the leader of all of Germany’s paramilitary organizations — The Führer.
He denounced the Treaty of Versailles, attacking it montrously. He particularly focused on the unfair terms of the settlement. Even then, the treaty did not stop Germany from achieving its potential, and by the 1930’s it was surrounded by weak countries.
Events of 1939 Through the 1930’s, several events threatend to send the world back to war.
The Spanish Civil War, The Annexation of Austria, The Occupation of Sudeteland and the invasion of Czechoslovakia all threw Europe into turmoil.
The immediate cause of WWII was the German invasion of Poland. Britain and France’s slow response to the invasion of Poland caused it to fall to Germany’s lightning war.
Events of Manchuria and Abyssinia Manchuria In September 1931, the Japanese claimed that China had sabotaged the Manchurian railway in Korea, which was, by all means, controlled by the Japanese.
In response to its own claim, Japan attacked Manchuria, and by February 1932, it had brutally conquered Manchuria.
By March 1932, Japan captured Shanghai, China, and in that same month, China appealed to the League of Nations.
In April 1932, a League delegation arrived at Manchuria, and in October of that same year, it declared that Japan should walk out. In February 1933, a special League Committe decided that Japan should leave Manchuria, but, since the League could not agree on which sanctions it should attack, and both Britance and France decided against sending an army, by 1937, the Japanese had invaded China.
Abyssinia In December 1934, a dispute was started concerning the border between Abyssinia and Itallian Somaliland.
In 1935, the Emperor of Abyssinia requested that the League of Nations arbitrated the conflict. The League accepted, and in July 1935, banned the sale of weaponry to either side. In September of that same year, it appointed a committe to arbitrate the conflict. The comitte sugested that Italy should have some land in Abyssinia.
Itally invaded Abyssinia anyway, using poison gas and attacking Red Cross hospitals.
Britain and France refused to intervine in the conflict. It turns out, they actually did, as in December 1935 it was revealed that they had a pact to give Abyssinia to Italy.
The league did nothing, and by May 1936, Abyssinia was under the power of Italy.
Poland
It was a grey day, with gentle rain.
― Times Magazine
On September 1, Germany bombed the fishing village of Puck, in Poland. Then, a Germa training ship fired, what is believed to be the first shell, at the Polish ammunition deposit at Westerplatte.
During the first five days of War, Nazi planes dropped over a ton of explosives on Poland, aimed at air bases, fortifications, bridges, railroad lines and stations. Those strikes killed mora than 1500 civilians.
France and Britain gave Germany and Ultimatum: Leave Poland, or have war. Germany decided to have war. Even though France and Britain sent aid to Poland, the country fell to German hands.
Conclusion
World War Two was a horrible conflict. It killed millions of people, and destroyed families, lives, countries, everything. It is our duty to make sure that History does not happen again. The events that put the world into turmoil were caused by human mistakes: segregation, discrimination, lack of productivity, greed and many more. Many events put the World into turmoil, we must make sure that does not happen again, or we shall have war, and one that destroys even more.