World War II began in 1914 and lasted until 1918. It was a war for power and is known as the Great War. But what caused such a war? It so happens that the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, was actually the force that drove World War II. The Treaty of Versailles produced German anger and humiliation, sowing the seeds for World War II. It did this through imposing territorial loss, military restrictions, economic reparations, and war guilt (Hook exercise).
The consequences for Germany began with territorial loss. According to Document A, Germany completely lost four major areas of land, Lorraine, Alsace, Polish Corridor, and Danzig. The people living in these countries no longer were a part of Germany. Danzig and Polish Corridor surrounded East Prussia, therefore leaving east Prussia in the middle of unclaimed territories. Not only did Germany lose territories,
…show more content…
They, like most would, felt guilt. The passage in Document D states how the blame was put on Germany and also how they took it. germany felt the accusations against them were unfair and cruel. Nevertheless they felt the effects of guilt and embarrassment. They did not feel like they were at the top anymore. They longed for a sense of worth in their country again. When Hitler came into power he brought forth a sense of pride and power. Germany was ready to take back what was theirs.
What ended one war, began another. The Treaty of Versailles was the main cause of World War II due to the restrictions it put on Germany. It limited their land, cut back their military, forced them to pay for damages, and brought a sense of guilt and embarrassment over all of the German population. In turn the Germans became angry and the result of that anger was what we call today, World War II, or The Great War. This war that lasted four long years with many casualties may have prevented if not for the Versailles