Why did the Germans want to invade and conquer Europe during WWII?

Answer 1

Well GOH M, this is a very good question. It can't be summed up with a quick answer. So here goes: The "Germans" didn't ALL want to conquer Europe, but some of them did and the man who was running things there (Adolph Hitler) had the power (too much) to make that happen. He and his band of "brothers" were caught up in a fantasy that Aryans ( A race that doesn't even exist ) were destined to rule the world.
This motley crew came to power due to many German people having just suffered a great loss of life in WWI that also destroyed the economy. Hitler and company sold them hope. When most people are starving they don't care what the answer is, they just want to eat. The German mark was all but worthless. It took a wheel-barrel full of marks to buy a loaf of bread. Mad men in power didn't seem to be such a bad idea to most at that time. The thinkers and sane leaders were unable to put food on the table, so Hitler was able to get power and worked to change laws so that he could get absolute control of the German govt. by declaring everything a national emergency. (Much as George W Bush has done here in the U.S. today) The German people were looking for someone to blame for the bad situation they were in and Hitler gave them someone. His personal hatred for the Jewish people gave him the scape-goat he needed to sell his bid for office to the voters.

When he got control of things he knew he couldn't hold on to power without building a strong German economy, so he stole what he needed from anyone who he didn't like or who didn't think his way. At the same time he used that wealth to gear his economy on a military build-up. The plan was to take one country after another and seize what they needed to supply their own people. Hitler had made a lot of promises to the people and had to deliver on them.

With nearly the whole economy geared toward war. There had to be big pay-offs or Hitler would have found himself out of a job. He only had control based on his war powers. So his partners in crime always found new reasons for invading another country. (Sound like anything going on in the world today?) As long as he could produce a better life for the German people, he had most of their blessings. It didn't matter to them that other people were being killed to give them that "better life". They could turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what murder was taking place so long as there was food on the table.

Running such a military based economy is costly. Both in man-power and material. So after it gets so large it begins to become a trap. The more you conquer the more your resources get stretched, so....... the more you have to conquer to maintain the same level of economic boom. It then becomes what is referred to as: "Catch 22". You're doomed if you do, and doomed if you don't.

Throughout history it's been the same story many times over. The Persians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Mongols, the Spanish, the French, the Germans, the British........ now the U.S. It's all about "empire's". Finding a quick cure for a bad economy. War is always a good answer for that problem. But in the end it always comes back to those who go down that road. It always has the same results. The rise and the fall. Once an "empire" becomes too big to control you get revolutions, up-risings, discontent and ultimately you loose control. Did you notice the names of the conqueror's listed above? Where are they today?

I believe the catch phrase that Hitler used was "New World Order". Have you heard that slogan spoken by anyone lately? Quote: "What is insanity? Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results." That is what makes history such an important subject for people to study and learn. A tool to use to try and avoid the mistakes of the past. All the worlds leaders should be historians. It would sure make things run a lot smoother. Until the world learns to base their economy on building for the betterment of ALL mankind, we are condemned to endure the destruction and death wrought on us by narrow minded leaders with a "quick fix" to our problems. Until we stop hearing the words of these types of speakers and learn to recognize those would be "saviors" for the small minded people they are, we are subject to the same futile results.

Hitler exploiting the German people to achieve power is just one in a long list of such men. Men of this type often find themselves backed by men of wealth and greed. These are truly our enemies. The majority have no tolerance for any thought or belief that they cannot benefit from financially. They don't care about morals or ethics....... just results. Results with a big pay off for their own selfish needs. You'll never see these types on the front lines of the battles. They could not find a "percentage" in that.

I hope that this has helped you to have a better understanding of why Germans invaded and tried to conquer Europe. It wasn't just Europe that was to be conquered, it was the world. Many have tried the same thing throughout history. Many have tried and all have failed....(end)

Answer 2

This is one of the biggest "what if" questions of the 20th century. Yes, the weather had a huge impact on Hitler's Russian offensive. It played a large role in stopping the very mobile German army that operated using Blitzkrieg tactics - their tanks simply were not able to make the same quick attacks that they had made in Poland and France. So to answer your question - yes - I believe that without the cold the Germans would have had a much better shot at conquering Russia. This is the problem, though - even if Germany had managed to capture Moscow, Leningrad, and Stalingrad, there was still MUCH more of the country to capture. German at this time did simply not have the numbers to occupy the entire country. The other problem was American involvement in the war - it can be argued that even if Russia was beaten or at least stunned, the Western front opened by the Americans would have drawn a huge number of German Wehrmacht forces out of Russia to defend France and Germany - this alone would most likely have allowed the Russians to press the Germans back into Europe. Like I said - this is "what if" - but the simple reality of it is that Hitler did not have the manpower to hold back England, America, and Russia simultaneously.

Answer 3

In the early 1900 there was a theory going around about genetic selection. All the important scientist supported it. Theodore Roosevelt supported it. The theory was if you were born lower class, it was in your genes and nothing could be done about it. Hitler, a madman do doubt, began spouting off about the superiority of Germany. Because the theory was so widely accepted, Hitler immediately gained favor and rose to power. He used this to "unite" all germany, (Austria, Check,). France and Britain were more interested in peace at any cost. They gave it all away. Britain PM went and got a paper from Hitler that agreed no more agression. PEACE IN OUR TIME he shouted. Hitler laughed and invaded Poland. The countries went to war. Hitler used the superiority thery to begin the final solution (the HOLOCOST). The moral of the story is don't trust leaders of countries that state they will wipe countries off the map. (IRAN!)

Answer 4

cause the german leader was a nut job...j.k.(but seriously he was)....
here are some answers....
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Hitler gained power in a Germany facing crisis after World War I. Using propaganda and charismatic oratory, he was able to appeal to the economic need of the lower and middle classes, while sounding resonant chords of nationalism, anti-Semitism and anti-communism. With the establishment of a restructured economy, a rearmed military, and a totalitarian fascist dictatorship, Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy with the intention of expanding German Lebensraum ("living space"), which triggered World War II when Germany invaded Poland. At the height of its power, Nazi Germany occupied most of Europe, but it and the Axis Powers were eventually defeated by the Allies. By then, Hitler's racial policies had culminated in a genocide of approximately eleven million people, including about six million Jews, in what is now known as the Holocaust.
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The Nazi Party came to power in Germany by democratic means, although after acquiring power they eliminated most vestiges of Germany's democratic system. The reasons for their popularity included their renouncement of the Treaty of Versailles (particularly Article 231, known as the "Guilt Clause"), which had placed many restrictions on Germany since the end of the World War I, staunch anti-communism, the Dolchstosslegende and promises of stability and economic reconstruction. They also appealed to a sense of Germanic identity, superiority and entitlement, which would play an important role in starting the war, as they demanded the integration of lands they considered to be rightfully belonging to Germany. Hitler was also portrayed by himself, his party, and his book Mein Kampf as an almost otherworldly savior for the German people

Answer 5

They did not want to conquer europe! First, they want to recover the lost lands due to ww1. They got their wish then Hitler decieded to extend to poland. He annexed Austria his homeland and most the people wanted it. Since economic boom of germany since nazi's came to power in Germany.

Answer 6

Libensraum for the German folk....or "living space" coupled with Hitler's megolomania, you have all the ingredients for nationalistic expansion. For me, whenever i hear Wagner, i get the urge to invade Poland...but that's just me.

Answer 7

To grab the enormous tracts of agricultural land, oil fields, and mines - it was a mass mugging for raw materials. And also to eliminate or enslave the non-Aryan races living in those areas, in order to establish a race-based empire.

Answer 8

well he hitler wanted living space in the east as outlined in mein kampf and to restore germany to its former glory (as it was before ww1) and unite all german speaking people. however he realised that in doing this he would have to fight france Britain but realy he would have been happy with peace with Britain and france

Answer 9

Well, they had this army just sitting there doing nothing and it seemed like a good idea at the time...