The Effects of World War I on World War II

Many historians see the World War II as the second part of the uncompleted story of World War I even though both the wars are different in their own aspect. It can also be say that they are two sections of the same war.

Let us first discuss how World War I had affected the occurrence of the Second World War. The people in Europe were speculating on what the peace settlement should involve when World War I halted in November 1918. In Britain, leaders were thinking about how to increase British colonial power. In France, many wanted to permanently punish the Germans, partly in revenge for Germany's aggression in World War I, but also, perhaps subliminally, for the Franco-Prussian war in 1871.

In Germany, citizens were worried about how radical changes after the war could affect their day to day lives. At last, in the United States, President Wilson was already concocting a system capable of permanently preserving European peace. All these biases, worries, plans, and ideas came together in Paris in 1919, with the Treaty of Versailles, establishing the post-war peace in Europe. The treaty, signed on the 28th of June 1919, was mainly orchestrated by David Lloyd George, representing Britain and Georges Clemenceau, representing France. Woodrow Wilson was the official representative of the United States, even though he was often ill or had other problems and unable to attend. When Wilson was in absentia, Secretary of State Robert Lansing represented the U.S. Italy also sent their Foreign Minister Sonnino to the negotiations.

The Treaty of Versailles focused on two main issues: Firstly, Germany's post war territory and also the amount of reparations Germany had to pay. In the East, Germany was literally split into two parts. The Allies decided that the nation of Poland should be given access to the sea, so they formed the "Polish Corridor." Poland gained a lot of territory from Germany, including a port on the Baltic, Danzig (Gdansk in Polish.) This isolated the region of Germany known as Eastern Prussia, which includes the city of Königsberg. In the Western part of Germany, more changes were made. France gained the much sought after region of Alsace-Lorraine. The northern part of Schleswig was given to Denmark, an area that had been contested since the time of Bismarck. Belgium also gained the provinces of Eupen and Malmedy. The Rhineland was to be occupied heavily by allied forces, giving them control of such major cities as Cologne, Bonn and, Frankfurt, and putting troops at the gates of Dortmund and Stuttgart. Most importantly, the Saarland was placed under international rule, and control of its valuable Ruhr coal fields were given to France.

In regard to its colonial and imperial power, Germany was also punished. All German assets in other colonies were immediately given back in whole to the current government of those colonies. Germany's military strength was to be greatly reduced in size. The Treaty mandated that Germany's standing army could be no larger than 100,000 men. In addition, their Navy was reduced, and according to Article 198, "The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces." This treaty had in fact rendered Germany's army useless and without an air force, the Allies hoped that Germany would be permanently unable to wage war. The Treaty of Versailles also charged Germany with the task of paying heavy reparations. It was what which struck the Germans economically that caused it to bear grudge increasing hostility towards Britain and France. Leading economist of the time John Maynard Keynes said of this, "The policy of reducing Germany to servitude for a generation, of degrading the lives of millions of human beings, and of depriving a whole nation of happiness should be abhorrent and detestable . . . . Nations are not authorized, by religion or by natural morals, to visit on the children of their enemies the misdoings of parents or rulers."

Planes preparing to take off for war

Despite not given to opportunity to rebut verbally, Germany had made several counter proposals dealing with the territorial adjustments and the reparations. Germany was willing to give up Alsace-Lorraine, the province of Posen, and Northern Schleswig. They also agreed to pay in full the reparations but wanted to have their economy preserved by retaining their merchant fleet and keeping their colonies. The Allies immediately censored these proposals, showing no sign of sympathy and not giving Germans the benefit of mercy. German aggression was greatly aroused by the ridiculous and often mistaken territorial adjustments made by Britain and France. Germany had a significantly greater population than Poland in almost every territory taken away from them, and the allies probably knew this. What greater way of creating animosity is there than taking masses of people from their country? The Allies were perhaps unwise in this case, maybe not taking into account the fact that by doing this, they were brewing hatred all throughout Germany by taking territories that were almost certainly belonging to Germans away from Germany. This incident showed that Clemenceau was out for other purposes but not seeking true peace. For France, the settlement was in reaction to not only 1914, but also more importantly 1871.

The peace treaty completed by Britain and France was full of loopholes which will instead of generating peace, but however increase German aggression, and would drive Germany to desperate measures. The economic impacts and the territorial changes worked in tandem to do this. Germany had no capacity to pay the reparations, without having their territories and colonies. If Germany refused to pay the reparations, even more territory would be occupied. This gave Germany reason to rearm and aggressively retake their territories such as the Saar Basin and the Rhineland. In addition, the political situation in Germany easily allowed the rise of radical ideas. With the inflation, the Weimar Republic, which was governing Germany in the early 20s, collapsed and socialist revolts and strikes in cities like Kiel caused total political upheaval. In addition, the hatred of Britain and France for taking Germans away from their nation in places like Danzig and Alsace-Lorraine created even more instability. All these factors, ignored by those who created the treaty, easily allowed Adolf Hitler to come to power. In this way, World War II can be seen as Hitler's and Germany's quest to avenge the wrongs done by the Socialists and the Jews in World War I. Hitler himself said that, if elected, he would close the book on World War I by ending the struggle against France, England, and Russia. If he is elected, he would end the "legacy of war and defeat." In order to carry on the struggle that he joined in World War I, Hitler launched World War II.

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