Origins and Impact of World War II
Causes of World War II
One of the causes was the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed tough conditions on the vanquished. This produced resentment and ultra-nationalist reactions. Another cause was the economic crisis of 1929. It discredited democracies, which failed to resolve problems such as increased unemployment, and led to the rise of fascism in Europe. Nazi expansionism was also a factor, favored by the attitude of European democracies (France and Britain) and isolation from the politics of the USSR. Another cause was Japanese imperialism.
The Politics of Force
Dictatorships abandoned international peace organizations and violated treaties. There was neglect of the League of Nations by Germany when Hitler came to power, by Italy for the invasion of Abyssinia, and by Japan for invading China. Germany breached the Treaty of Versailles, remilitarized the left bank of the Rhine, rearmed Germany, and annexed Saarland after a referendum.
Nazi Initiative and Weak Democracies
Hitler and Mussolini supported Franco in the Spanish Civil War, while democracies remained neutral. Dictatorships established partnerships at the heart of Rome and Berlin, and also established an Anti-Comintern Pact against the USSR. France and Britain, as European democracies, adopted a policy of appeasement.
Anschluss and the Start of the War
Germany and Austria joined in 1938 (Anschluss). Germany claimed the region of the Czech Sudetenland; in the Munich Conference, they obtained the assignment of the territory. Hitler brought about the disappearance of Czechoslovakia as a state in 1939: Bohemia and Moravia became a German protectorate, and Slovakia became a German-led state. Italy and Germany signed a military alliance known as the Pact of Steel. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, which started the Second World War.
Japanese Imperialism
Japan sought to acquire territories to obtain raw materials and markets for their exports. Its economic growth was based on the arms industry. Politically, it was an authoritarian state run by an emperor, controlled by reactionary military elements, and bound by the Anti-Comintern Pact against the USSR. Japan aimed to create Greater Asia, an empire that colonized Korea, North China, Manchukuo, and Formosa, controlling the economy of the East Asian continent. It faced obstacles from European colonial powers, the U.S., and the USSR.
Consequences of World War II
Demographic Consequences
There was a significant number of lives lost (60 million). The ethnic map of Europe was reshuffled:
- The Curzon Line became the border between the USSR and Poland; millions of Poles were deported.
- Poland received East Prussia and other German territories.
- Deportation of Germans from Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
- Deportation of Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians, replaced by Russian settlers.
Causes of Mortality in World War II
Sophisticated weaponry, the character of total war (bombing cities), reprisals against the civilian population, the Nazi policy of exterminating Jews, and Soviet deportations.
Economic Impact
Destruction of materials such as housing, roads, etc., affected Europe and Japan. Inflation and indebtedness by warring states. Shortages for the population, which provoked a black market. Growth of countries not affected by the conflict, such as the U.S., which held a large part of the world’s gold reserves and became the leading power in the production of basic goods. The USSR kept its industrial area intact, both politically and militarily, and controlled people’s democracies. The state had to intervene for reconstruction.