What were the general causes of World War 2?

Answer 1

LONG TERM CAUSES
1) The Treaty of Versailles - huge discontent, £6 600million pounds reparation as a result of having to accept the War Guilt Clause, loss of economy (loss of colonies) which lead to hyperinflation, harsh conditions

2) All those lead to the rise of Hitler who rode in to power through the discontent and high unemployment

3) The fear of another world war (therefore appeasement was used)

4) The failure of the League of Nations (appeasement) - ie Manchuria and Abyssinian Crisis, the fact that America (a leading power) didn't join, Germany wasn't allowed to join until 1936 nor Russia

5) The Nazi-Soviet Pact


SHORT TERM CAUSES
1) Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

2) Anschluss (the reuniting of Germany and Austria which was forbidden by the treaty)

3) Invading Czechoslovakia (this was the height of appeasment) and this was the start of Germany gaining "Lebensraum" at the expense of non-German people (and therefore not covered by "self-determination")

4) Final spark is the invasion of Poland

CONCLUSION
Many of these extend from the failures of the Treaty of Versailles.

Answer 2

The reasons go back to world war I, to the humiliation and the unfair heavy financial compensation that Germany had to pay just for losing in a war that was purely imperialistic for all parties. Ofcourse it also has to do with the rise of nationalsozialismus in Germany, but it was also these historical circumstances after world war I that made it possible for the nazis and a personality like Hitler to come up. For the rest (italy, japan, bulgaria etc), it was an oppurtunity to win territory, influence and privileges, an imperialistic ambition, like wars usually are.

Answer 3

I belive WW1 does not end in 1918 .If look the results of WW1 we can see an other WW is coming (WW 2) .I think WW1 paused untill the WW2 begins.
All these wars done for the use world reserchs a bir more.

Answer 4

The objective of world domination by Japan, Germany and Italy.

Answer 5

Europe
The treaty ending WWI was too damaging to Germany's economy and pride. This made someone like Hitlers rise to power inevitable.

Asia
Japans fanatical military rulers wanted to gain more natural resources and dominate Asia. We forced their hand against us by cutting off their oil supply and telling them to withdraw from Manchuria.

Answer 6

Desire for the same is the cause of all wars.

Answer 7

Adolph Hitler. He wanted to rule the world.

Answer 8

The rise of dictatorships in Russia, Italy, Germany, Japan, , Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria.
All of these countries launched aggressive expansion at their neighbors, which was a secondary cause. For example, Russia invaded Poland, Finland, the Baltic countries, and took territory from Rumania. Italy crushed Ethiopia and Albania, and tried to crush Greece. Germany's conquests are too well known to waste the space here. Japan tried to conquer China and then all of Asia. Poland took land from Lithuania and Czechoslovakia. Hungary took land from Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Rumania. Bulgaria took land from Rumania and Yugoslavia.
A third cause was the rise of nationalism. Every country that launched aggressive war against its neighbor did out of selfish nationalism.
A fourth cause was the British interpretation of the function of the League of Nations. The British believed that the League should stop war, not aggression. Thereforeth, the Japanese conquest of Manchuria was quick enough for the League to accept the conquest, because the lack of resistance. This attitude encouraged Japan to launch a full fledge invasion of China in 1937. By that time, the League was not only faced with a militarist Japan, but a Germany that was re-arming rapidly. The British refused to act without the French and the French refused to act. Now the League was faced with multiple aggressions. Germany dismembered Czechoslovakia with the aid of Poland and Hungary. Poland was divided between Germany and Russia. Russia invaded Finland, while Germany attacked Denmark and Norway. Germany invaded the low countries, while Russia invaded the Baltic countries. To which aggression do you respond? Aggression becomes like a terminal cancer that has a tumor working in your lungs, another in your kidneys, a third in your liver, and a fourth in your stomach. Which tumor do you deal with? Remember, the British thought only in terms of the maintenance of peace, not the curtailment of aggression, until it was too late to curtail.
A fifth cause was the peace settlements of World War I. For example, Woodrow Wilson's insistence that a newly created Poland must have a seacoast, would result in East Prussia's separation from the rest of Germany, which incidentally, was the iniatial cause of the war between Germany and Poland. Poland was re-created from lands that both Germany and Russia thougth that rightfully belonged to them. Poland's existence was in jeopardy from the moment that she came back into existence. Hungary lost two-thirds of her territory. Every single country went to war with the justification that they were doing to redress their just grievances. Like with the Rodney Kind incident, "no justice, no peace." With the possible exception of Italy, these countries took back land that were taken from them in 1919. For example, Russia retook Bessarabia from Rumania.
A sixth reason that could be grouped under the fifth cause is the creation of artificial states. Czechoslovakia is a case in point. Slovakia felt that it was a Czech dominated union from which she was only too eager to get a divorce. Germany promised Slovakian independence and the restoration of Ruthenia to Hungary. Germany dismembered this artificial state, but she did not do it alone. She had her allies in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. Yugoslavia is another case in point. One of the Yugoslavian states, Macedonia not only wanted to be independent, but Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia all claimed it to be part of their states. Added to the fact that Yugoslavia was Serbian dominated and held land that was taken from both Hungary and Bulgaria and you could see the powder keg increasing in heat. Crotria, Bosnia, and Slovenia were very unhappy members of this mess. Germany promised Crotrian independence plus restoration of stolen lands to both Hungary and Bulgaria. So Germany took advantage of situations that were favorable to German interests and together with the other states that cried for justice, launced the war to restore the justice that she believed was taken from her.

Answer 9

dream for world domination

Answer 10

Nationalism, greed, anti-semitism, hatred, chasm between the have's and have-nots and big egoes....