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11 Mar 2025
GS Paper 1
History
Day 2: The roots of the Second World War were deeply entrenched in the blunders committed by the nations during the inter-war period. Elucidate. (Answer in 125 words)
Approach
- Start by giving facts about the Second World War.
- List the developments that led to the war.
- Conclude by mentioning the world order that was created after the war
Introduction
The Second World War was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45. The principal belligerents were the Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—and the Allies—France, Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union. The second world war was the result of miscalculations and opportunism of western power.
Body
The major causes of World War II were:
- Treaty of Versailles 1919: It outlined the conditions of peace between Germany and the victorious Allies, led by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.
- Under this treaty, Germany had to accept guilt for the war and to pay heavy reparations. Germany lost about 10 percent of its territory and was prohibited from having a large military.
- The humiliation faced by Germany under this treaty, paved the way for the spread of Ultra-Nationalism in Germany.
- Failure of the League of Nations: It was an international organization set up in 1919 to keep world peace. It was intended that all countries would be members and that if there were disputes between countries, it could be settled by negotiation rather than by force.
- It was a good idea but ultimately proved a failure because not all countries joined the league including the United States.
- Also, the League had no army to prevent military aggression such as Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in China.
- Great Depression of 1929: The worldwide economic depression of the 1930s shaped the future course of history in Europe and Asia. Economic instability led to political instability in many parts of the world.
- Political chaos, in turn, gave rise to dictatorial regimes such as Adolf Hitler’s in Germany and the military dictatorship in Japan.
- Rise of Fascism: In the 1920s, the wave of nationalistic, militaristic totalitarianism emerged. Benito Mussolini established the first Fascist, European dictatorship during the interwar period in Italy in 1922.
- Rise of Nazism: Adolf Hitler, the leader of the German National Socialist (Nazi) party, preached a racist brand of fascism. Hitler promised to overturn the Versailles Treaty, restore German wealth & glory and secure additional Lebensraum (living space) for the German people.
- Policy of Appeasement: Hitler openly denounced the Treaty of Versailles and began secretly building up Germany’s army and weapons. Although Britain and France knew of Hitler’s actions, they thought a stronger Germany would stop the spread of Communism from Russia.
- An example of appeasement was the Munich Agreement of 1938. In the Agreement, Britain and France allowed Germany to annex areas in Czechoslovakia where German-speakers lived. Germany agreed not to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia or any other country.
- However, in March 1939, Germany broke its promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Even then, neither Britain nor France was prepared to take military action.
Conclusion
These factors culminated in the form of the Second World War. The end of second world war led to the emergence of bipolar world order where two poles were created in the form of USA and USSR. The birth of the United Nations and a new international economic order in the form of World Bank and International Monetary Fund and decolonization in Africa and Asia can be attributed to the developments that happened during the world war.
