Of all the wars that have been fought, WW2 was the deadliest and most consequential war in history.
Reasons for WWII
The causes of WW2 can be traced back to the end of WW1. The Germans were deeply resentful about the Treaty of Versailles as they thought that it was too severe. Germany could not pay the £6600 million for the damage caused by WW1 as the Germans were extremely poor in the 1920s. Jobs were scarce and the prices of food and necessities were exorbitant. Dissatisfied Germans voted to power Adolf Hitler, who promised to rip up the treaty.
Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. He built up Germany’s military strength. In 1934, he increased the army size and built warships and created the German Airforce. In 1936, Hitler commanded troops to invade Rhineland and made two important alliances. He conquered Austria and Czechoslovakia. On 1 September 1939, Germans invaded Poland.
Furthermore, the failure of appeasement and league of nations propelled WW2 into action.
Outcomes and Consequences for WWII
Firstly, there were countless casualties. 40 million people died. Of that number, 20 million were Russians. 21 million were left homeless in Europe. Secondly, the United States plunged further into debt, chalking up over 95 million. Thirdly, Russia was in a dilemma about the futures of Germany and Austria. Russia’s occupation of eastern Europe, which allowed the spread of Communism, set the stage for the Cold War later on. Nuclear weapons were significant in the development of the Cold War. Superpowers appeared – the United States had the atomic bomb while Russia had the Red Army to fill the power vacuum in eastern Europe. Fourthly, social changes were made – 10 million Germans had to leave Czech, Hungary and Romania to prevent land reclaims in the future.
To sum up, the notable consequences of WW2 are the end of the European Age; the rise of the United States to superpower status; the expansion of Russia and its rise to superpower status; the start of the Cold War and the nuclear age; the rise of nationalism and independence movements in Asia and Africa; a renewed effort to secure lasting peace through international organisations.
Lessons Learnt from WWII
War kills. Many innocent civilians and soldiers were sacrificed. For instance, during the course of WW2, over 12 million people were killed in the holocaust, 1 million British soldiers died, 1 million German Soldiers died, 1 million America soldiers died, 10 million Russian soldiers died and that’s not counting the number of civilians who died. The loss of life during the Second World War was immense.
Seeing the negative outcomes of war teaches us that war does not solve problems and that we should learn from history and not make the same blunders. Power should be used wisely and for the good of mankind.
War is a great fuel for invention. Germany developed warfare technologies like bombs and jet engine planes due to the pressing need created by the war effort. Americans developed computer technology to crack enemies’ codes.
Other than navy competence, air supremacy is vital for a national defence.
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