Answer:
THE APPROACH
INTRODUCTION: Write a few lines about the devastating World Wars and Germany’s role in them.
THE BODY
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- Examine Germany’s involvement in both World War I and World War II.
- Discuss the role of other countries and factors that contributed to the outbreak of conflicts.
CONCLUSION: Emphasize the fact that multiple factors were responsible for the two World Wars.
INTRODUCTION:
The time period of 1914-45 saw two major global events, World War I and World War II that resulted in significant loss of life and reshaped the political and social landscape of the 20th century. Many powerful nations were involved in this conflict including Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Britain, United States, Soviet Union and China.
THE BODY:
World War I and World War II were the most brutal and destructive wars that the world has faced in its history. Several countries were involved in the wars and its effects were felt worldwide.
Major causes of world war I
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- Militarism: The most significant cause of the war was militarism which pushed nations to be ready for war and led to an arms race. It forced countries to prepare for conflict as they competed to become the most powerful, this led to rivalry and friction between the nations.
- Imperialism: The goal of imperialism was to increase national strength and power, which led to tensions between nations to expand their As they competed to become the most powerful country in Europe, this led to rivalry and conflict among the European nations.
- Nationalism: Nationalism was also a major cause of World War It made people decide their loyalty based on ethnic or cultural background, instead of shared interests or ideals.
- Assassination of Austrian Archduke: Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed by the Black Hand group. This ignited the first World War, which claimed nine million lives. The number of casualties during World War I led to a massive outcry.
Major Causes of World War II
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- Failure of Appeasement: Throughout the 1930s, the French and British politicians started to believe that the Treaty of Versailles was not fair to Germany. They started to accept the demands made by Germany to avoid war, conflict or any other problems but it could not avoid war.
- Failure of the League of Nations: The League of Nations was established as an international body in 1919 with the goal of maintaining world However, it failed to stop acts of armed aggression such as Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in China.
- Economic Depression: In the late 1929, economic depression hit the world which led economies to shrunk, prices fell, trade was reduced, unemployment rose, businesses closed, and banks fell. These situations led to conditions that eventually led to World War II.
- Japan’s Militarism: In 1931, Japan suffered greatly from an economic downturn. As a result, the Japanese people stopped trusting the government and turned to the army to help them with their financial issues. As a result of these situations, World War II began in Asia.
Germany’s Role in the Two World Wars
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- Role in Emergence of Alliances: Germany decided to form alliances in order to protect Germany and avoid a war on two fronts. After several default alliances, the Triple Alliance, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, was formed in In 1907, after Germany challenged the naval supremacy of Great Britain, the Triple Entente was formed, comprising Britain, France, and Russia.
- Impacts of Weltpolitik Foreign Policy: In 1890, William II of Germany adopted Weltpolitik foreign policy to meet the colonial aspirations of Germany and created a strong navy and empire abroad.
- Treaty of Versailles: The Treaty of Versailles was created after World War I and it forced Germany to take full responsibility for the war, pay reparations to the Allied Powers, waive a large part of its territory, and to limit its Germans regarded the treaty as too harsh and unfair, and they were determined to throw off the shackles it had imposed on them.
- Blank Cheque: Germany’s unwavering support for Austria-Hungary after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand escalated the July Crisis. Germany’s decision to give Austria-Hungary a “blank cheque” of unconditional support played a crucial role in the escalation of the conflict, but this should not be viewed as the sole cause of the war.
CONCLUSION:
Germany’s policies and actions undeniably influenced the onset of both World Wars but the role of other actors including Britain, Russia, USA and League of Nations cannot be denied. Thus, Germany despite having dominant role in the World Wars, can only be held responsible to a certain limited extent and cannot be held solely responsible for cause the world wars.
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