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Causes of World War II

Summary:

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 was primarily triggered by Germany's invasion of Poland, leading Britain and France to declare war. However, deeper causes included the rise of fascism and militarism in Germany, Italy, and Japan, dissatisfaction with the post-World War I status quo, and the policy of appeasement by Britain and France. The Treaty of Versailles and economic troubles after World War I fueled German resentment, while Japan sought to expand its empire, leading to global conflict.

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What caused the outbreak of World War II in 1939?

World War II broke out in 1939 because Germany invaded Poland, but there is a long background leading up to the conflict.

Since Hitler's rise to power in 1933, the western allies in Europe, primarily Great Britain and France, had followed a policy of appeasement. Instead of using their militaries when it would have been easy to do so to oppose Hitler's aggressive land grabs in central Europe, they allowed them to take place.

Part of the rationale was that the a strong Germany would provide a protective bulwark against possible Soviet aggression, a country the west greatly feared. If the USSR decided to attack to spread communism, they would run up against a strong, large, and very heavily militarized German state, which would help shield France and England. In addition, the western European nations were still reeling financially and politically after the disaster of World War I. They knew...

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that the public was fed up with warfare and wanted to avoid another major conflagration.

However, when the Soviets and the Germans signed a non-aggression pact on August 23, 1939, shortly before the German invasion of Poland, the western powers became very alarmed. The idea of the USSR and Germany working cooperatively was anathema to them. Further, they had strictly warned Germany after the Munich Pact, which allowed Hitler to acquire Czechoslovakia, that that was it: they would tolerate no more aggression. They had an alliance with Poland to defend the country, so when the Germans went in, the allies declared war. At this point, World War II began.

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There were several factors that caused World War II to begin in 1939. Throughout the 1930s, Germany, Japan, and Italy became very aggressive in their desire to control land. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Little was done about these invasions. Germany began to build up its military in the 1930s, which was in violation of the Versailles Treaty. Germany also violated the Versailles Treaty by moving its military into the Rhineland. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. In each case, little or no action was taken against these countries.

These aggressive actions continued in the late 1930s. In 1938, Germany annexed Austria. Germany announced it wanted the Sudetenland, an area in Czechoslovakia where many Germans lived. The Allies made an agreement with Germany that gave Germany this land in return for a promise to take no more land. In 1939, Germany broke this agreement, called the Munich Pact, and took the rest of Czechoslovakia. The Allies told Germany if Germany invaded any other countries, it would lead to war. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France then declared war on Germany, leading to the start of World War II.

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As outlined in pohnpei's answer, Germany's expansionist aims in Europe were the immediate trigger of the Second World War, when Britain and France stepped in following the German invasion of Poland.

Of course, it should be remembered that German expansionism had its roots in the outcome of the First World War, when Germany was stripped of land and power by the victorious nations, chiefly Britain and France. There was simmering resentment among many in Germany about how the country had been treated, and Hitler was able to exploit these grievances as he talked up the cause of German nationalism. The ignominious fate of Austria -  another Germanic country and formerly the seat of a centuries-old European empire - in the First World War also played into this.

The antagonism between these Germanic powers and Britain and France really went back to the nineteenth century when the ascendant German kingdom of Prussia unexpectedly defeated France in war. France and Britain were long-standing imperial powers in Europe (and had often bitterly fought each other) but in the later nineteenth century Germany began to seriously challenge them both. This rivalry between major European nations and the concomitant arms race was in large measure responsible for World War I, and the after-effects of that war carried over into World War II.

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What factors led to World War II (1939-1945)?

There were many causes of World War II. The most significant cause was the rise of Nazism in Germany. This itself had causes reaching back to the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, which, in combination with the Great Depression, left the German people embittered and paved the way for ultra-nationalist leader like Hitler. Another cause was the aggressive actions of the militarist regime in Japan, whose invasion of China many consider to be the real beginning of World War II. The weakness of the League of Nations, which had been established in the wake of World War I, was another factor, as the League proved incapable of restraining the Japanese or Mussolini's aggression in Ethiopia.

Another factor was the policy of appeasement pursued by Britain and France, which emboldened Hitler. American isolationism was a factor encouraging appeasement, but the United States's strategic presence in the Pacific was a factor that contributed to making the war truly global, as American interests inevitably clashed with Japanese aggression. Another factor was, of course, the event which actually began the war, i.e., the German invasion of Poland. But this event may not have happened if the Soviet Union had not agreed to a non-aggression pact with the Nazi regime. So there are many complex and interlocking causes of the conflict.

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What caused World War II?

The major cause of WWII was that Germany and Japan, in particular, were unhappy with the way things were in the years after WWI.

Germany was very unhappy because it had lost WWI and had had harsh terms imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles.  Germany felt that it should still be a major power and did not like having territory taken away and being refused the right to have a strong military (among other things).  These grievances made Germany want to change things.

Japan had not lost in WWI, but it felt the need for a larger empire.  It invaded China and wanted more.  It felt that the US would try to prevent it from getting the empire that it wanted and needed.  

The desire of Germany and Japan to change the world order (and the desire of countries like England and the US to prevent the changes) led to WWII.

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The main causes were the rise of fascist regimes in Germany and Italy and a imperialist, militarist regime in Japan. Germany and Japan destabilized Europe, and Asia, respectively through military aggression. Germany's actions led to war with Great Britain and France, and ultimately the Soviet Union and the United States. The United States represented a serious threat to Japanese strategic dominance in the Pacific, and when Japan attacked the US Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, it led to war in the Pacific. Hitler's Germany subsequently declared war on the United States, pulling the US into the European war as well. 

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What caused the start of World War II in Europe?

There are two ways to answer this. 

First, WWII started in Europe because Germany invaded Poland.  When Germany did this, France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany.  This started the war.

Second, we can look at the deeper causes that brought the war about.  The main cause was German anger over the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI.  That treaty had been very harsh on Germany.  It caused many Germans to want to throw it off and retake their "rightful" status as a great power.  This helped bring Hitler to power and his aggressive foreign policy culminated in the invasion of Poland.

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The main factor that led to the start of World War II was the general unhappiness with the international status quo on the part of the Germans and the Japanese.  Both of these countries felt that they were not being fairly treated by the international community.

For the Germans, the cause of this unhappiness was the Treaty of Versailles.  The treaty assigned all the blame for WWI to the Germans.  Furthermore, it punished them very harshly for the war.  It forced them to pay reparations, to give up much of their territory, to reduce the size of their military, and to endure other humiliating conditions.  Because of this, the Germans were eager for revenge and eager to change the international system.  This is why they took the actions that started the war in Europe.

For the Japanese, the cause of this unhappiness was a desire for a larger empire.  Japan felt it needed more of an empire to supply it with resources it did not have on its home islands.  It also felt that it should have an empire commensurate with its status (in its eyes) as a great power.  It was angry about the fact that it was not being allowed to have an empire by the European powers.  For these reasons, it took the actions in China, Vietnam, and finally at Pearl Harbor, that started the war in the Pacific.

Thus, the overall factor behind the start of the war was dissatisfaction with the international status quo on the part of Germany and Japan. 

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