The Great War

The Reasons for World War II
(Summary Draft)

Treaty of Versailles:
The Treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement signed after World War One had ended in 1918 and in the shadow of the Russian Revolution and other events in Russia. The treaty was signed at the vast Versailles Palace near Paris - hence its title - between Germany and the Allies. The three most important politicians there were David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and Woodrow Wilson. The Versailles Palace was considered the most appropriate venue simply because of its size - many hundreds of people were involved in the process and the final signing ceremony in the Hall of Mirrors could accommodate hundreds of dignitaries. Many wanted Germany, smashed
Germany had lost land due to the treaty. The also held responsible for the war and paid admittance to starting it. They also had a financial loss as they had to pay for the damage caused from the war, these also included fines payed to the various affected countries. Om top of this, their army was also affected with certain restrictions set.
Hitler’s reaction:
Hitler's aim was to reverse the terms of the treaty. And when you study his domestic and foreign policy you can clearly realize that he changed all the terms restricting German sovereignty. He left the League of Nations, he entered the demilitarised Rhineland, started to re-arm the country (introduction of compulsory military service) and he invaded the Sudetenland and annexed Austria (Anschluss Österreichs). All these measures violated the Treaty of Versailles.
Countries such as Great Britain or France did not do anything to stop the dictator, because they could not imagine that this man was inclined to wage war in Europe and whose aim was to establish an empire. Had anyone read his book "Mein Kampf", they would have got an idea how dangerous he was. Chamberlain was seriously mistaken about trusting Hitler.
Why WW2 Started:
Hitler’s main objective in the Germany was to convince the...