Was the world destined to have WWII? Could anything have prevented WWII from hapening?

Question

This is for a 4th Qtr. History Project

Answer 1

When looking back at history, one can always find fault in someone, or something. However, when living that life at the time, it is hard to see the issue. Goes along with the idea that if you are too close to the tree, you cannot see the forest.

You also have to remember that if you do not study history, you are doomed to repeat it. World War II could have been avoided by several areas of thought. First, when Hitler gained power, and started to stop the freedoms that were enjoyed by Germans at the time, no single group stood up for any other groups. It was first the Jews, but propoganda had already given the mind set that the Jewish bankers, and store owners were the cause of Germany's economic breakdown. They could not see that Hitler had a hidden agenda, and they were helping him to set into motion his ideas he had set out in his book 'Mein Kampf'. If they had looked at the whole picture, they would have seen that the whole world was in the same economic shape.

Then came the Gypsies, and certain religious groups, and then Freemasons, and then Catholics. But, no one stood up for the others. By the time it was noticable it was too late.

Eric Fromm wrote in his book on the psychological aspects of Germans and Freedom that the Germans were willing to give up their freedom. Psychologically, some people do not want to have to make too many decisions.

Once the Third Reich started, and the people had accepted the Jews being hauled off they were in a social psychological delima. If you accept one thing, say the Jews, to be hauled off to concentration camps, and do not speak out, then the next group that is hauled off you cannot justify speaking out against, because otherwise there would have been a cognitive dissonance within the individuals mind. This was better taken care of by remaining mute on the issue.

So yes, there was a lot that could have been done. However, no one chose to do anything about it.

Answer 2

All but one of the answers you have received so far focus totally on Europe, and have left Japan out of the picture.

My own personal opinion is that there is nothing that could have been done to stop WWII from coming about.

The nationalism that was occuring in Germany had its roots in WWI. The imperialism of Japan had long and deep roots in Japan's conflict with China (going back to the turn of the 20th centry and earlier).

Great Britian tried appeasement in Europe and that didn't work. The U. S. was in an isolationist frame of mind even before WWI - and THAT didn't work.

One needs to remember that neither Japan or Germany ever declared war on the U. S. in WWII. We also need to remember that Japan, Germany and Italy had already joined in a pact that virtually pitted them against the rest of the world (Triparty Pact of 1940). Japan saw the American embargoes as a stumbling block long before 1940, and Hitler had been working since the end of WWI to overthrow the German government. Il Duce - was a weak and willing partner of Hitler.

Answer 3

No and Yes, respectively.
How far back do you want to go?
A harsher OR a more lenient Versailles treaty might have helped. If harsher, Germany could not have been a military threat, if more lenient, Germany might have been less resentful.
Better financial and political support for the Weimar Republic might have at least delayed the polarization between left and right in Germany. A firm League of Nations response to Italian fascism and Japanese imperialism in China might have made a difference, and a subsequent delay in the development of fascism would have affected at least the Spanish civil war. With no example of Mussolini's success in North Africa and Abyssinia, would Hitler have been tempted to be so adventurous?
(If you can get hold of David Low's cartoons of the period you would have some wonderful illustrative material on these topics.)
I'm not saying any of these were likely, but they don't appear impossible.

Answer 4

Yes, but hindsight is 20/20, so keep that in mind.

Had the League of Nations been more effectively in curbing Japanese aggression in 1931-1932, then Japan would not have been able to violate China's sovereignty so freely.

Had the British and French been determined enough to act when the Locarno Pact was violated like they were required to, or act when their ally Poland was being invaded like they were required to, then Nazi Germany could have been toppled before the European War got out of control.

Answer 5

It was pretty much destined to happen. It's basically a continuation of WWI. Look at the treaties Germany had to sign which lead to a horrible depression. So research the end of WWI and the causes of WWII.

Answer 6

Wow, it really is a demanding question(no sarcasm both), i will see the position you assert, because the production of conflict machines for the time of WWII develop into brilliant, yet i might want to ought to say todays us of a. we've state-of-the-artwork technologies that could want to blow any us of a (from previous eras exceptionally) away. imagine about it, we've the most stepped ahead fighter ever, the F-22, alongside with the F-35, F-15, F-18, A-10 (my personal fave), and thats very few. we've the Abrams tank, that can get up to shells from tanks perfect now that are a lot extra helpful than the Shermans back then, alongside with the skill to shoot and bypass, a wide benefit in tank conflict, and performance a form unequalled. infantrymen are armed with guns that could want to tear armor and infantrymen from then aside....even Anti-Air placements for them B-17s and P-51s. now to not indicate our naval applications. All in all, cutting-edge us of a might want to win.

Answer 7

After the first World War,Germany not only had to scrap it's navy,but also had to repay the Allies so much money making it difficult to keep up financially. I was talking with one of my history professors and he tells me that if the Allies had agreed to make Germany pay just half of what it owed,then the Great Depression wouldn't have occured and Hitler wouldn't have come to power and had an excuse to blame Germany's economic woes on the Jews .

Answer 8

Here is a little mostly unknown tidbit:

In WW1 a British soldier came across a wounded German Corporal. The Coporal had been shot in the leg. The British soldier could have easily taken revenge on this German for being the enemy. Instead the compassionate Brit had let the German corporal live and went along his way.

The name of the German corporal that could have easily been shot? Adolf Hitler.

Answer 9

legacybiographers did you just seriously say that WWII could have been prevented if countries had not decided to go to war? Do you know anything about WWII? So I guess we were just supposed to let Hitler and the Nazis take over the entire world and kill every one who was black, hispanic, asian, blonde, handicapped, gay, or from a country other than Germany? Or maybe you think that Hitler would have just stopped all by himself. He would just get bored with the whole idea of a perfect race? Certainly you don't think that we could have just asked him nicely to stop. I can't figure out whether you have a sick twisted view of reality or you are just ignorant of the facts...feel free to email me.

Answer 10

A decent Treaty of Versailles might have prevented Germany from going to war, but it would not have stopped Japan from raping Nanking. That war was definitely unstoppable.

You might also have a look at the Hopi Prophecies. It seems that the world DID have a choice of destinies at one time, but we chose the harder path.