“A thousand years will pass and the guilt of Germany will not be erased” (Hans Frank quotes 1). This quote by Hans Frank, a high-ranking official in Nazi Germany, accurately captured the world-view of Germany at the conclusion of the Second World War. Frank was later convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Nuremberg trials and executed; however, his meaningful statement will live on. Germany tore the world apart during the Second World War, but their aggression can be traced back to the early 1870’s. German actions, from the Franco-Prussian War to the formation of the Nazi Party, plunged Europe and the rest of the world into the chaos of WWII. The man that united Germany and bestowed this destruction to Europe was none other than Adolf Hitler, one of the most diabolical men to walk this planet. Germany’s blatant disregard for world peace and quest for world dominance holds them responsible for the devastating actions that took place during the Second World War. Beginning with the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Germany led the world down a dark road to global turmoil. Bismarck initiated the Franco-Prussian War in order to form a unified Germany. He began this conflict by releasing a statement to the press known as the Ems Dispatch. This dispatch caused tension between France and Prussia which ultimately resulted in the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War. In this short war, Prussia was supported by the southern German states against the un-allied French forces. At the end of the conflict, Bismarck demanded a war indemnity from France: 5 billion francs. The newly established German Empire quickly rose to become the “strongest state on the continent of Europe” (Colton 533). Basically, the Franco-P... ... middle of paper ... ...l>. "Invasion of Poland, Fall 1939." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 02 May 2011. . Rees, Laurence. "BBC - History - World Wars: Hitler's Invasion of Russia in World War Two." BBC - Homepage. Web. 02 May 2011. . "The Treaty of Versailles." History Learning Site. Web. 02 May 2011. . "World War 2 Fatalities." Second World War. Web. 02 May 2011. . "World War II in Europe Timeline." The History Place. Web. 02 May 2011. . "World War Two - Main Causes." History on the Net Main Page. Web. 02 May 2011. .
"World War II". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. .
In 1914, Europe was diving into two separate powers. One was Triple Entente composed of France, Russia and Britain. Other one was Triple Alliance, consists of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. (Pope 2) Each of the countries was connected with different treaties. The caused of European countries’ unstable political situation and threat of war was present. By arranging alliances with other governments, most countries found ways to protect themselves from assault. While Germany was becoming the center of the struggle, Europe made a spider web of tangled alliance that led most countries into two opposing powers. (Hamilton 16) In the late nineteenth century, the most surprising event in Europe was the birth of united state of Germany. Under the leadership of the Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, system of alliances was established to achieve peace in Europe. By 1890, Bismarck succeeded in having every major power into his alliance system...
The causes of World War II can be attributed to the following ideas or events: the mentality of power is strength by Heinrich von Treitschke, the Treaty of Versailles, the global depression following the end of World War I, and Nazi Imperialism.
"World War Two - Causes." History on the Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.
Adolf Hitler’s military tactics, poor leadership skills, and actions caused him to lose World War II. Hitler’s objective was to gain world power. He was willing to risk everything for Germany to become the most powerful country. According to Richard Overy, a British historian, “If the German people are not prepared to engage in its own survival, so be it: then it must disappear!” (538). Hitler was also willing to sacrifice Germany to attain world control and victory during World War II. The idea of losing WWII never came across Hitler’s mind because he was confident that Germany would become victorious during the war.
Living in the crumbled remains of Germany, or the Weimar Republic, in the 1920’s was a dismal existence. Hyperinflation was rampant and the national debt skyrocketed as a result of the punishing features of the Treaty of Versailles. During the depression, however, a mysterious Austrian emerged from the depths of the German penal system and gave the desperate German people a glimpse of hope in very dark times. He called for a return to “Fatherland” principles where greater Germany was seen as the center of their universe with zealous pride. Under Hitler’s leadership, Nazi Germany rapidly grew and expanded, continually approaching the goal of world domination and the “Thousand-Year Reich” that Hitler promised the German people. Only a few years later, Nazi Wehrmacht soldiers could be seen marching the streets from Paris to Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia). The German Empire, however, like all other expansive empires, had its limits and integral components such as resources, manpower, and industrial capacity began to fall in short supply further crippling the Nazi war machine. Basically, by 1944, “Nazi Germany’s fundamental problem was that she has conquered more territory than she could defend” (Ambrose, 27). Hitler conquered a vast area and vowed to defend every single inch of his empire with every last drop of blood at his disposal. As Frederick the Great warned, “He who defends everything, defends nothing” (Ambrose, 33). It is interesting to study any empire’s rise and fall because similarities are always present, even with some nations today promising to fight the evil, when it reality, it might be becoming what it vows to fight.
Blaming Germany for the First World War Intro: § Explain topic. Agree partially. Germany mostly responsible however other countries contributed. Para1: § Talk about the balance of power. The alliances.
The causes of World War 2 were : the failure of both Versailles Treaty, League of
The Second World War was caused by Germany’s desire to revoke the Treaty of Versailles of 1919 and Hitler’s relentless quest for empire. This was considered a valid response to why the war began in 1939, until 1961 when A. J. P Taylor...
Who To Blame for the World War II World War II began on the 3rd September when Britain and France declared war on Germany after they had invaded Poland. Ever since the end of WWI Europe had been divided into different camps. The ideas of peace during the 1920s and 30s had been designed to eliminate the gaps between the camps. Unfortunately, this never worked and so Europe was still divided into two main camps when war was declared. Britain and France in Western Europe were the leaders of one camp.
Willmott, Hedley P., and Michael Barrett. "World War II (Causes)." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 18 May 2014.
The invasion of Poland by Germany in September 1939 is regarded as the trigger that unleashed the Second World War. After an analysis and study of the causes of the conflict, from my point of view I consider that the depiction of hostilities that would trigger this great war were developed long before and were only a matter of time before this war began. I consider it this way, because Germany as the defeated nation of the World War I, in which the victorious nations, imposed conditions within which Germany ceded part of its territory and its colonies, reduce its army and pay annual compensation to the victorious nations.
In this essay I will be looking at the main causes of World War 2 and
The Franco-Prussian War (also called the Franco-German War) was a military conflict between France and Germany that occurred from 1870 to 1871. The idea of a unified German nation was very popular at the time. The other major nations of Europe feared that a unified Germany would be a threat on the global stage. Germany had recently been victorious under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1864 against Denmark and 1866 against Austria. These victories helped “establish Prussia as the dominant power among the German states” (“Franco-Prussian War”). Bismarck negotiated an alliance with the southern German states and prepared the Prussian army for war against France because Bismarck saw “French opposition as a major obstacle to German unification” (“Franco-Prussian War”).
It’s 4:30am on September 1st, 1939 and the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein awaits the order to open fire on the Polish garrison of the Westerplatte Fort, Danzig in what was to become the first military engagement of World War II. Meanwhile, sixty two German divisions supported by 1,300 fighter planes prepared for the invasion of Poland. Fifteen minutes later, the invasion would take place and spark the beginning of World War II. Two days later at 9am Great Britain would send an ultimatum to Germany, demanding that they pull from Poland or go to war with Great Britain. Four hours later the Ultimatum would expire and Great Britain would officially be at war with Germany on September 3rd, 1939.