Causas De Ww2

Causes of the Second World War

Between 1919 and 1939 a series of events occurred which contributed to the increase of international tension and eventually the cause of World War II. The causes of the Second World War can be divided into two big causes: the failure of collective security and Hitler’s policies.
The failure of collective security: (long- term causes)
The failure ofcollective security is due to events that happened during the interwar years (1919 to 1939). The first event that is considered as one of the main events that caused the Second World War is the Versailles Treaty.
After the First World War, the Versailles Treaty was created. Its aim was to punish the countries that caused the First World War. In the points of the treaty Germany was severely punished withpoints that stated that they have to pay enormous amounts of money as reparations for the war. Also German territory was divided into the European countries, living Germany with a small portion of land.
The Versailles Treaty is considered as one of main long-term causes of the Second World War because it increased international tension with Germany. Eventually thanks to the Treaty ofVersailles, Germany ended in a serious economic crisis.
The German economic crisis, which is known as Hyper- inflation started basically in 1922 when the value of sterling went from 20 German marks to 760 marks. The German Hyper- inflation started with the high amount of reparations they were forced to pay and increased when the French Troops invaded the Ruhr; an important industrial area in Germany, in1923. This event is known as the Ruhr Crisis and its effects on Germany increased more the tension between France and Germany.
France invaded the Ruhr to take raw materials as part of the war reparations that they were owed by Germany. Germany’s reaction was a passive resistance, meaning that the Germans went on strike. In the end Germany started printing more money as the economy collapsed.
InAugust 1923 Stresemann became Germany’s new chancellor. With Stresemann the “golden age of reparations started” due to the arrangements done. Between 1925 and 1929 the international tension was decreased, Stresemann cooperated with other countries in order to achieve international peace. A series of treaties and plans such as Locarno (1925), the Young Plan (1929) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact(1928) were signed to restore international peace. The Locarno Spirit last until the Great Depression in 1929 started.
The Great Depression is another event that is considered as main long-term cause of the war. The great depression was a harsh economic depression that occurred in the entire world. It is considered as one of the main long-term causes because as a consequence of it, Hitler arouse topower in 1933. The great depression left Germany is a serious economic crisis. Germany had 12 million unemployed people by 1932. As a result of the Great depression many countries adapted more radical political regimes. In Germany’s case, the Nazis came to power with fascist ideas to reform the country that eventually ended up as the outbreak of the war.
Before the Great Depression, a treaty wassigned between Germany and USSR, the treaty was signed in Rapallo in 1922. By this treaty the Russians and the Germans started diplomatic relations and commit for future cooperation. This treaty was seen suspiciously because there would be military cooperation between the two countries, which meant that Germany would be able to rearm.
Other long-term cause is the failure of disarmament. TheWashington Conference in 1921, the London Naval Conference in 1930, the Geneva Disarmament Conference in 1932 and The London Naval Treaty in 1936 are events that occur in order to limit the amount of armament per country. By 1932, Germany left the League of Nations; after the Disarmament Conference where France refused to disarm. By 1936 Japan refused to limit the amount of naval tonnage that it had...