Causes of the Second World War

In relation to how long they preceed outbreak of war, the causes of Second World
War can be divided into long-term and short-term ones. The most important longterm cause is probably the First World War itself, and the Treaty of Versailles
which followed it. Instead of peace and stability, the treaty brought animosities
which were stirring up the European political scene for next twenty years, and
instigated processes inevitably leading to a next conflict.
The country most dissatisfied with the verdict of Versailles was Germany. Heavy
reparations, the war-guilt clause, territorial losses, demilitarization of Rhineland
and limitation of the Reichswehr to 100 000 men: all those provisions angered
the Germans who blamed their government for agreeing to such humiliating
terms. Soon revanchism, meaning the desire to reclaim the lost lands, became a
popular trend, and nationalist movements showed up. The one which gained
most popularity was National Socialist German Workers Party, or NSDAP, with
Adolf Hitler as its leader. The Great Depression, following the crash on American
stock market on October 29, 1929, only worsened the situation in Germany;
unemployment raised to 25% and so the support for Nazis was boosted. This not
only allowed NSDAP to enter Reichstag with 19% of the popular vote, but also
ensured mass support for increasing military production which created jobs. But
in fact it was just a postponement, and Germany soon reached the point when it
could go to war or go bankrupt.
Similar situation occurred in Italy. The Italians, despite having suffered heavy
casualties during the war, failed to achieve their major war goals. Although in the
Treaty of London Italy was promised vast territories, including lands on its border
with Austria-Hungary, parts of Albania and the Ottoman Empire, the Allies
decided to reduce the reward signifiantly. This brought dismay and hostility
towards the Allied Powers, which gave rise to Benito Mussolini and his ideology of
Fascism.
There were a couple significant events in Europe in the years 1936-1939 which
can be defined as the short-term causes of war. First of all, Italy broke the
agreements of the League of Nations and invaded Abyssinia. The League
condemned Italy as an agressor and imposed sanctions, but the only effect of
those measures was Italy leaving it. Germany, on its side, violated the Treaty of
Versailles and in 1936 re-militarized the Rhineland. Yet Britain and France did
nothing, following the policy of appeasement. Convinced that he will go
unpunished, in 1938 Hitler incorporated Austria to Germany, which was also
forbidden by the treaty; and even then the other states were still willing to
appease him. The most prominent example of appeasement was the Munich
Conference, during which Germany was promised parts of Czechoslovakia called
Sudetenland. But even this did not satisfy Hitler, and in 1939 Germany invaded
Czechoslovakia. All this process showed how little international agreements in
Europe meant, and how fragile the peace had been. If there was time to stop
Hitler, it should have been done immediately after it started violating the
Versailles Treaty. Yet Britain and France, after the great bloodshed of World War I,

tried to avoid another war as long as possible. On the contrary, such an attitude
led to even greater conflict.
The Spanish Civil War also played a role, as a kind of prelude to the World War.
Although it was a civil war, in fact it was the first chance for the militant European
countries to clash without formally declaring war on each other. And so Italy and
Germany supported General Franco with the Nationalists, while Soviet Union lent
support to the Republicans. All the countries involved treated it as a testing
ground for their troops; it was also the first realization of a conflict between the
communists and nationalists growing in Europe during the whole inter-war period.
In fact the distant threat of communism was one of the key factors ensuring the
popular support for the Nazis and Fascists.
In Asia the guilty party was undoubtedly Japan. Trying to equal the Western
countries, the Japanese started developing their state and military shortly after
the Perry Expedition in 1853, and in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904-5 they
managed to defeat Russia. Japan became the most advanced and militant
country in Asia, with a view to create a colonial empire similar to those of
European countries. It was especially important considering that the Japanese
population was growing rapidly at that time. So in 1931 Japan conquered
Machuria, and in 1937 it attacked China. This war, called the Second SinoJapanese War, caused tensions in relations with United States, which punished
Japan by placing an embargo on raw materials. In this situation Japan signed the
Tripartite Pact with Italy and Germany, joining the war on their side. The conflict
has spread into the Pacific Ocean.
As we can see, the main causes of World War II were, on one hand, unsolved
problems from the World War I, and on the other the rise of aggressive ideologies
such as revanchism, militarism, expansionism. The situation was exacerbated by
the negligence of League of Nations. There was no international cooperation,
which would stop Hitler and Mussolini when it was still possible.
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