Why World War 2 Happened? | The Real Reason | Part 1
Greetings, my esteemed companions!
World War II stands out as the most cataclysmic conflict in the annals of humanity.
Numerous sprawling metropolises lay in ruins in the war's wake.
In today's milieu, virtually all geopolitical occurrences and international affiliations find their roots in this very conflict.
In this presentation, let us embark on an in-depth exploration of WWII, from its inception to culmination. What precisely transpired? Why? And what were its far-reaching repercussions?
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the chronicle of World War II.
Pinning down a single event that triggered this conflagration is no easy task. Ultimately, it was a concatenation of events that conspired together, kindling the flames of war.
The Treaty of Versailles, regarded as one of history's most reviled agreements, played a pivotal role in igniting World War II in 1939.
"The whole world is united in opposition to Hitler and Hitlerism."
Let us commence this narrative in the year 1919, the very year when World War I drew to a close and the famous Treaty of Versailles was inked. Within this treaty lay a momentous clause, Article 231, which ascribed to Germany sole responsibility for all the losses incurred during World War I. This clause, aptly termed the War Guilt Clause, insinuated that Germany bore the full blame, irrespective of the involvement of other nations in the conflict. France and Britain harbored a fervent desire for Germany to shoulder the heavy burden of their war-related losses, leading to the imposition of a staggering $33 billion fine on Germany to be paid to other nations, equivalent to approximately $270 billion in contemporary currency. Astonishingly, it was not until 2010, nearly a century later, that Germany made the final installment of this fine, a protracted process indeed.
One might ponder the source of these funds. Unquestionably, the burden fell squarely on the shoulders of Germany's citizens. Germany's initial payment in 1921 precipitated hyperinflation, with the German Mark losing its value at an alarming rate. In 1922, a loaf of bread in Berlin cost a staggering 160 Marks. By the subsequent year, 1923, the same loaf was priced at an astronomical 200 billion Marks. This economic catastrophe led to rampant unemployment and dire social consequences.
In the midst of these dire circumstances, enter Adolf Hitler, a charismatic political leader skilled in the art of swaying the masses through his oratory prowess. ' Though their endeavor proved unsuccessful, it catapulted Hitler's popularity among the disillusioned masses. Propaganda flourished, insinuating that the shame and international humiliation faced by Germany were the result of 'anti-national' elements within the nation, particularly targeting Jews and Socialists. Over the ensuing decade, propaganda saturated every facet of society, with media outlets receiving remuneration, and hate speeches becoming ubiquitous.
The year 1929 heralded the Great Depression, exacerbating an already dire unemployment crisis, with 6 million Germans jobless by 1933, and many left homeless and destitute. Consequently, in 1933, Hitler declared himself Dictator of Germany and set about realizing his vision of a German Empire, the German Reich, characterized by racial purity, exclusively inhabited by people of the Aryan race, with no room for Jews or Slavs. To stoke the fires of hatred, the Judeo-Bolshevism conspiracy theory was concocted, blaming the Jews for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent formation of the Soviet Union.
In 1935, the world discovered that Germany possessed an air force, seemingly unremarkable at first glance. However, the Treaty of Versailles explicitly prohibited Germany from maintaining any form of military power, marking a blatant violation by Hitler. Nonetheless, by this point, a considerable portion of British public opinion perceived the Treaty of Versailles as unfairly punitive towards Germany, thus justifying its actions. In June 1935, Britain inked the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, officially recognizing Hitler's authority to establish a navy. Alarmed by Germany's increasing militarization, France erected a formidable 450-kilometer-long fortification on its eastern border, aptly named the Maginot Line.
In 1938, when Hitler deemed his military sufficiently prepared, he turned his sights toward Austria. Austria held a special place in Hitler's ambitions, as he sought to unite all German-speaking nations into a single entity. His ultimate goal transcended mere conquest, as he coveted the resources of these nations to advance his own. To bestow what he deemed "Lebensraum" upon his racially superior Aryan populace, he propagated the Judeo-Bolshevism conspiracy theory, asserting that Jewish influence had sparked the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union.
In February 1938, Hitler coerced Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg into signing an agreement, permitting Hitler to appoint pro-Nazi officials to the Austrian government. The agreement paved the way for the release of incarcerated Nazis and the infiltration of Hitler's loyalists into the Austrian government. Within a month, Austria teetered on the precipice, prompting the Austrian Chancellor to call for a national referendum to determine Austria's fate. Hitler, forewarned of the referendum, swiftly dispatched his army into Austria, met with minimal resistance. The Austrian government, faced with orchestrated unrest and the specter of communist involvement, sought German military intervention to quell the unrest. Consequently, Austria lost its sovereignty, becoming an integral part of the German territory.
Having secured Austria, Hitler turned his attention to Czechoslovakia, specifically the Sudetenland region, which shared a border with Germany and was home to a sizable German population. Hitler's pretext for annexation was the presence of ethnic Germans, an excuse that would later extend to territorial claims. The Munich Agreement of September 1938 paved the way for the transfer of Sudetenland to Germany, contingent on Hitler's assurance of no further territorial ambitions. Hitler's acquisition of Czechoslovakia, however, came swiftly in 1939, splitting the nation in two. One part was absorbed into the German domain, while the other was transformed into a Nazi client state under the banner of the Slovak Republic.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, an advocate for appeasement, was eager to avoid war at all costs. He believed that acceding to Hitler's territorial demands would appease him and prevent further hostilities. Hence, in September 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed, ostensibly to resolve the Czechoslovakian issue and maintain peace. Chamberlain famously proclaimed, "The settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved, is, in my view, only the prelude. There are larger settlements in which all Europe may find peace." Under this agreement, Sudetenland was handed over to Germany with the stipulation that there would be no further hostilities.
Hitler, however, flagrantly disregarded the Munich Agreement, launching an invasion of the remaining Czechoslovak territories in March 1939. France and Britain, increasingly alarmed, declared war on Germany, marking the official commencement of World War II. This momentous decision by Britain to confront Hitler rather than appease him signaled a significant turning point.
To be continued...