Why World War 2 Happened? The Real Reason-Part 1

 

World War II, often abbreviated as WWII, was a cataclysmic global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It is arguably the most significant and devastating war in human history, reshaping the geopolitical landscape and influencing the course of the 20th century.  Numerous large cities were left in ruins after World War II, including London, Tokyo, Hamburg, Berlin, and many others.

What happened after world war 1?

World War I ended in 1919. After WWI, the famous peace treaty known as the Treaty of Versailles was signed. This treaty contained an important clause, Article 231, which stated that all losses caused by WWI were attributed to Germany, and Germany was held responsible for these losses. This clause is also known as the  'war guilt clause'.

France and Britain wanted Germany to bear heavy reparations for losing the war, as they sought to recover their losses from Germany.

what happened after Treaty of  Versailles?

After the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was required to pay 33 billion dollars to other countries. This amount was so substantial that Germany completed the full payment in 2010, 91 years later. Germany made its first payment in 1921.

What were the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles?

As a result of the first payment in 1921, there was significant inflation in Germany, causing prices to skyrocket. Back then, Germany's currency was also known as the German mark, and due to the first payment and the subsequent inflation, the German mark rapidly devalued.

In 1922, in Berlin, a loaf of bread cost 160 marks, but by the next year, it cost 200 billion marks. The economy was in severe decline, and the unemployment rate increased rapidly.

 In such a tragic situation, the story of Adolf Hitler's rise to power begins.

Who is Adolf Hitler?

Adolf Hitler, the young German political leader who manipulated masses of people with his speeches. 

In 1923, Hitler's Nazi Party attempted to overthrow the German government by staging a coup, but the plan failed. However, this event increased Hitler's popularity. His ultimate goal was not only to take control of the entire world to satisfy his pride but also to acquire valuable resources and advance his country. He aimed to provide 'Lebensraum' for the Aryan race, granting them living space.

How did Adolf Hitler manipulate his people?

At that time, with Germany having been humiliated by other countries and held responsible for World War I, people were distressed, making it easier for Hitler to manipulate them .During his speeches, Hitler claimed that Jews and socialists living in his country were the real culprits and to blame for all the losses of World War I. Hitler believed that he and the Aryan race were racially superior and held strong anti-Semitic and racist beliefs. Over the next 10 years, propaganda was used abundantly by Hitler to manipulate people, and many came to believe his message.

What were situation in Germany? 

In 1929, Germany, like many other countries, experienced the Great Depression. The situation kept getting worse for several reasons:

Global Economic Crisis:

 The Great Depression was triggered by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in the United States, which had a ripple effect across the world. Germany, heavily interconnected with the global economy, was severely impacted.

Economic Vulnerabilities:

 Germany was already dealing with economic vulnerabilities, including the burden of war reparations as stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles. The country's economy was fragile, and the Depression exacerbated existing issues.

Bank Failures: 

The collapse of German banks and financial institutions deepened the economic crisis, causing a loss of savings and widespread financial distress.

Mass Unemployment: 

The Depression led to mass unemployment as industries and businesses suffered, and people struggled to find work.

Political Instability:

 Economic hardship and unemployment fueled political instability, which provided fertile ground for extremist parties like the Nazi Party to gain support.

Trade Decline: 

A decline in international trade and exports further damaged Germany's economy, as other countries implemented protectionist measures during the global economic downturn.

In 1933, over 6 million people were unemployed in Germany, and many were indeed facing starvation and extreme economic hardship.

When did Hitler declare himself as dictatorship?

As the situation in Germany worsened, Hitler declared himself as the dictator of Germany after taking full control in 1933. He harbored ambitions of not only dominating Germany but also expanding his control to create a Nazi empire and exert influence over the world.

after taking full control of Germany,  he talked about his dream and wish to establish a German Reich, a state that he envisioned as racially pure with residents who belonged to the Aryan race. In Hitler's vision, Jews and Slavs were not considered suitable to live within this state.

What is Judeo Bolshevism conspiracy theory?

Hitler, fueled by a desire to manipulate people and filled with hatred, propagated the Judeo-Bolshevism conspiracy theory. According to this theory, the Russian Revolution of 1917 was falsely blamed on Jews, falsely asserting that it led to the formation of the Soviet Union.

Hitler and Germany's rise in military power:

In 1935, the world realized that Germany was rapidly increasing its military power and had established a full air force. This was in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which Hitler had already disregarded in his efforts to build up military forces.

In June 1935, Britain signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, formally recognizing Hitler's authority to expand the German Navy. This allowed Germany to have an independent navy, and in response, France constructed a 450 km long fortification on its eastern border known as the Maginot Line.

In 1938, Hitler believed that his military forces were sufficiently prepared, and he shifted his attention to neighboring countries like Austria. Austria was a highly desired and strategically important country for Hitler.

How did Hitler take control of Austria?

In 1938, Hitler met with the Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg. Chancellor Schuschnigg was forced to sign an agreement that allowed Hitler to place pro-Nazi individuals in the Austrian government. This move effectively infiltrated the Austrian government with Hitler's appointees, including figures like Dr. Hans Fischböck, who was set to become the new Finance Minister of Austria and was aligned with the Nazi Party.

Within a month, the situation in Austria had spiraled out of control. Chancellor Schuschnigg realized that to stop this infiltration and decide Austria's fate, the people needed to be consulted. He decided to hold a national vote to determine whether Austria should remain independent or unite with Nazi Germany.

When Hitler learned of the planned national vote, he responded by mobilizing his army and marching into Austria. The German military entered Vienna, but Chancellor Schuschnigg, not wanting bloodshed, chose to resign from his position. Hitler used his propaganda machinery to disseminate false information.

The following day, the Austrian parliament was dissolved, and Austria ceased to be an independent country. The invasion was successful without bloodshed, primarily because a significant portion of the population was in favor of Hitler and the Anschluss, or the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany.

How did Hitler invade Czechoslovakia and Poland? 

After taking over Austria, Hitler wanted to control Czechoslovakia. There was a region called the Sudetenland near Czechoslovakia, where three million Germans lived. Hitler used this as an excuse to say that the Sudetenland should be part of Germany.

To avoid war, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain thought that if they gave Hitler what he wanted, there would be peace and Hitler will calm down. So, in September 1938, they made the Munich Agreement. It said that the Sudetenland would be given to Germany in exchange for Hitler promising not to start a war. Hitler got the Sudetenland without a fight.

But later, in March 1939, Hitler broke his promise and invaded all of Czechoslovakia. The country was split into two parts. One part became part of Germany, and the other part was controlled by the Nazis.

After letting Hitler take over Czechoslovakia, British Prime Minister Chamberlain faced a lot of people being angry at him. Winston Churchill is famously known for quoting this:

To take control of Poland, Hitler made a deal with the Soviet Union in 1939, where both countries agreed not to attack each other. They both wanted a piece of Poland. On September 1, 1939, nearly one million German troops started moving into Poland. They planned to attack from the north and south at the same time. Other countries were shocked by this. The UK and France didn't want Hitler to keep taking over more countries. They warned Hitler that if he invaded Poland, they would declare war on Germany. Hitler ignored the warning, and war began.

After this, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada declared war on Hitler. But world war 2 doesn't start from this period. This time is known as the "Phony War" because there wasn't much real fighting yet. But none of these countries could help Poland when Germany invaded. Poland had an old-fashioned army with horses and guns, while Germany had more advanced military equipment. Poland couldn't resist, and in just one week, by September 8, 1939, Germany occupied Poland.

Invasion of Poland

How did Hitler take control half of the world?

Hitler invaded many countries using a quick and powerful tactic called blitzkrieg. This strategy allowed him to take control of these countries rapidly, and they couldn't defend themselves in time. To keep up with the blitzkrieg strategy, German soldiers were given a drug called Pervitin, which is similar to crystal meth. This drug helped soldiers stay awake, not feel hungry or thirsty, tolerate pain, and feel more confident. It played a significant role in their success during the war. Thanks to this drug, German soldiers could keep fighting day and night without sleeping and complete their tasks in just 2 or 3 days.

However, this drug had harmful side effects on the soldiers' health.

what happened after invasion of Poland?

Not only did Hitler invade Poland, but the Soviet Union also invaded from the other side. After the invasion, the country was divided into two parts, with one part going to Germany and the other to the Soviet Union. From the Soviet perspective, there was another country called Finland, which was part of the Russian Empire before 1917. Stalin didn't trust Hitler, or else they might have invaded Finland. The city in Finland, named Leningrad, where Stalin lived, was just 50 kilometers from the Finnish border. Because Stalin was worried about Hitler invading Finland, the Soviet Union offered him a choice: to hand over Finnish territory to the Soviet Union for protection. However, Finland refused to do so.

Due to Finland's refusal, the Soviet Union launched an attack on Finland in 1939. The war lasted for two months, and in 1940, the battle came to an end. The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed, which required Finland to hand over 11% of its land to the Soviet Union. However, Hitler's focus was not on Finland but on Denmark and Norway. In 1940, he used the blitzkrieg strategy to invade Norway and Denmark. The Norwegian government fled to London, leaving their country. After this situation, the British government acknowledged their failure.

In 1940, the British Prime Minister resigned because he wanted to protect neighboring countries from Nazi invasion. so he resigned his position from prime minster and on the same day, Winston Churchill became the new Prime Minister.

On the 10th of May, Hitler launched attacks on France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Other countries realized that Hitler's invasion was continuing.

On the border between Belgium and Luxembourg, Allied forces were stationed to defend against Hitler's invasion. Hitler used a strategy called blitzkrieg, which involved rapid and intense attacks. He also deployed more than 1,000 fighter-bomber airplanes and around 3 million soldiers on the ground as part of Germany's offensive.

This conflict is known as the Battle of France.

The German troops were divided into three groups: A, B, and C. Group B was assigned to attack the Netherlands and then Belgium to fight against the Allied forces. Group C was meant to attack the Maginot Line, but it was mainly a distraction so that Group A could secretly execute the master plan by entering France through the Ardennes Forest.

On the 15th of May 1940, Group A captured the town of Sedan and started moving northwards. The British Army, which was fighting with Group B in Belgium, was surprised by this sudden movement. The British soldiers found themselves surrounded by the German army from three sides. They had no other option but to escape from the Germans, and they decided to do so by retreating to the coastal town of Dunkirk.

Almost 40,000 Allied troops were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, as shown in the movie "Dunkirk" directed by Christopher Nolan. If the Nazi army had attacked these stranded forces, it would have been a significant loss for the British.

To rescue these trapped soldiers, Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, devised a plan. On the 26th of May 1940, Operation Dynamo was launched, which is considered one of the largest military evacuations in history. In June 1940, around 350,000 soldiers were successfully evacuated from Dunkirk.

                                                                           

On the 22nd of June 1940, France surrendered to Hitler, bringing an end to further bloodshed in the conflict.

By this point, Italy was under the rule of Mussolini, and he formed an alliance with Hitler to wage war against France. The alliance between Italy and Germany was not known as the "Pact of Steel." Instead, it was the Rome-Berlin Axis.

Both of these countries, Italy and Germany, declared war against France and the United Kingdom on the 10th of June. By July 1940, Hitler had taken control of neighboring countries such as Poland, Austria, France, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

The map before and after Hitler's conquests:

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