The immediate causes of the Second world war are generally charged to the invasion of the Poland by the Germany and to the attacks of the Japan to the China, the the United States and the colonies British and Dutchwomen. In both cases, the attacks resulted from decisions emanating of authoritative governments to the capacity in Germany and Japan. This article aims giving the mechanisms which led to the various declarations of war, but also at seeking in a broader historical context the more remote causes which could lead to the situation of the immediate pre-war period.

Events preceding the war in Europe

The historians wondered obviously about the major causes of the Second world war in Europe and usually quote the bad treaties of 1919: divergences between winners, the crisis of 1929, its social consequences and the exit of the crisis by policies of armament, the role of the ideologies.

New Europe resulting from the Treated of Versailles (1919)

After the First World War poses the problem of the compensation which Germany should pay to the winners. This will be regulated in 1919 by the Traité of Versailles, considered as a diktat by the Germans. The United Kingdom divides the German colonies, in the form of mandates of SDN, with France (but also with Belgium, Japan, the United States). But France, on the ground of which a great part of the engagements proceeded, obtains moreover the financial claim strong of repairs, as well as the recovery of the two provinces (the Alsace and the the Moselle) annexed by Bismarck after the war of 1870. As for the the United States, become large creditors of the allied powers and applying their rights strictly, taking into account their heavy losses, they require the payment of the debts of purchases of fuel and weaponry which had by their allies.

The treaties of Versailles, of Saint-Germain, of Trianon and of Neuilly cause rancours and frustrations and desires of reconquest among people German, Austrian, Hungarian and Bulgarian. The borders of the USSR had also been moved with the profit of Poland. During the Twenties and Thirties, if France supports the small countries created by the treaties of 1919, England suspects France of wanting to substitute thanks to these small states, its imperialism with that of the germanism. To ensure its safety, France wanted to weaken Germany whereas on the contrary, the Anglo-Saxons it wanted sufficiently strong to play a big role on the worldwide market. Germany will be able to benefit from these divergences.

The Russia as for it became, at the conclusion of the revolution Bolshevik and the Contre-révolution, the Soviet Union, while new States (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Baltic States) are created in Central Europe, in the name of the principle of nationalities, in particular because of the dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian empire.

The crisis of 1929

The crisis of 1929 leads the various states to adopt protectionist measures and to place in position of competition the ones compared to the others. Whereas the aggressiveness of the democracies is on the economic plan, the fascistic dictatorships naturally will think their defense and their expansion in military terms. But everywhere, the policies of armament are installation effectively to leave economic stagnation.

" In the first years of its mode, Hitler continues the policy of its predecessors: The amendment of the Treaty of Versailles, which is the general claim of a whole people, even of the adversaries of national-socialisme… As from 1936, the spirits start to diverge: On a side, followers of the imperialism " wilhelmien ", like the AA, Schacht, and even Goering. Other, Hitler and its partisans fanatic who want to conquer “vital space”, to even dominate the whole world, perhaps in partnership with other powers, according to racist criteria… "

To put the question of the causes of the Second world war in Europe, it is thus to also put the question of the irresistible rise of Hitler, of the rallying of the Germans to his person, and the blindness of the democracies vis-a-vis the danger hitlérien.

Italian fascists with the capacity (1922-1939)

Since 1922, Italy east with the hands of the fascistic left, directed by Benito Mussolini, which expresses claims on various territories, in Africa or Europe.

Italy invades the Albania on April 7th, 1939.

Economic difficulties and come to power of Hitler

In Germany, the economic difficulties (which gallops inflation of the Years 1920) and policies (weakness of the Weimar Republic) allow NSDAP (left national-Socialist of the German workers or Nazi) and its chief Adolf Hitler to seize legally the power in 1933. Very quickly, Hitler restores in Germany the Military service generalized, prohibited by the treaty of Versailles, remilitarizes the Rhineland (1936) and implements a aggressive Politique foreign. This policy is intended to gather within same a State the German-speaking populations of Central Europe.

The war of Spain (1936-1939)

As of 1936, the future European belligerents of the Second world war start to clash more or less directly within the framework of the Guerre of Spain. In the republican camp, the international Brigades (made up of volunteers mainly communist especially come from Central Europe and France, republicans German and Italian and Anglo-Saxon democrats fight under Spanish command. In the pro-Franco camp intervene several Italian divisions of “black Chemises” ordered by Italian generals and a German legion of aviation “Condor” (made up aviators of the Luftwaffe under German command, which comes, by bearing, to involve itself with their missions of bombardment on the Spanish populations) like a few hundreds of Irish volunteers.

Ambitions of Hitler, the territorial expansion of the Nazi Germany (1938-1939)

Hitler carries out its projects of regrouping of the Germanic populations by annexing the Austria in March 1938: it is the Anschluss. Then, he asserts the annexation of territories in the west of the Czechoslovakia populated mainly Germans, the Sudètes.

The annexation of Sudètes is ratified with Munich in September 1938, at the time of a conference where the French Edouard Daladier and the British Neville Chamberlain trust the promises of Hitler, according to which obtaining Sudètes would satisfy the “last claim” of the III {{E}} Reich, and prohibit in Czechoslovakia to defend themselves. That does not prevent Hitler from annexing, in March 1939, half of the Czechoslovakia, the Bohemia and the Moravie, with the complicity of the Slovak nationalists of M^gr Tiso, who create an independent Slovak state, of Hungary and Poland which recover each territory.

Hitler also seizes Memel in Lithuania.

However, the corridor of Dantzig (today Gdańsk), old Prussian city detached from Germany after 1918, constitutes an important component of instability. Indeed, Berlin asserts this corridor which separates Eastern Prussia from the remainder of Germany. As for Poland, it rejects the German claims on the corridor of Dantzig which is its only access to the sea.

September 1st, 1939, without declaration of formal war, the German armed invades the Poland under the pretext which the Polish troops made of the provocations along the germano-Polish border: it is the beginning of the Second world war.

The invasion of Poland by the German armies on September 1st, 1939 is the event which started the war in Europe formally. The France and the United Kingdom declare the war, whereas these powers had not wanted to make at the time of the preceding stages of the expansion of Germany hitlérienne, in particular the annexation of Austria, the annexation of Sudètes and the invasion of Bohemia-Moravie. Since November 1st, 1936, there was an official alliance between the Nazi Germany and known fascistic Italy under the name of Axe Rome-Berlin. The Guerre of Spain had been used as parade ground for these two powers which supported the phalangists, whereas the Republicans profited from the support of the USSR and to a lesser extent and an indirect way of France and Great Britain.

Situation of Europe in 1939

In 1939, although still ravaged by the First World War, the Europe largely dominates the world and its colony S extends on all the Africa and the major part of the Asia. Three totalitarian modes continue on the continent: the Germany hitlérienne, the Union of the Soviet socialist republics Stalinist and the fascistic Italy.

Events preceding the war in Asia

1894-1895: Sino-Japanese war

The Japan, modernized starting from the era Meiji, develops since the end of the 19th century its economic power and soldier, thus agreeing a central and little by little hegemonic place in the Far East.

As of 1894, Japan faces the China about a controversy on the Korea. This Sino-Japanese war, where many commentators predict the victory of imperial China vis-a-vis small Japan, sees the Japanese army crushing the Chinese forces, in particular thanks to its technological superiority. From this victory, Japan obtains the transfer of Formosa (Taiwan), of the islands Pescadores and the peninsula of the Liaodong.

1904-1905: War Russo-Japanese woman

But the imperial Russia, seeing there a means of increasing its influence in the Far East, pay the war debts of China at Japan and, supported by Germany and France, humiliates Tōkyō by imposing the restitution of the peninsula of Liaodong on China. Russia and Japan are consequently implied in a fight of influence in the North-East of China, then dominated by the western powers. Russia obtains the concession of the construction of the “Transmandchourien” and increases its military presence in the sector, with in particular the creation of a naval base with Port-Arthur, in the south of the peninsula of Liaodong. The aggressive policy of the Russians carrying out them to be interested in a development of their influence in Mandchourie and Korea, Japan worries some and initially tries to negotiate a division of the areas of influence in Mandchourie. But Russia does not take into account these proposals and the conciliation does not succeed.

This is why in 1904 the Japanese destroy without declaration of war a Russian fleet in the roads of Port-Arthur, then another Russian fleet in 1905, with the Bataille of Tsoushima, it is the Guerre Russo-Japanese woman. Japan, prepared well and close to its bases thus obtains the domination of the China Sea. Contrary, Russia, mined by internal tensions, directed to the east by an inefficient command and not managing to ensure an effective military connection with the west by its Trans-Siberian single track, essuie also of heavy terrestrial defeats. The Guerre Russo-Japanese woman is balanced in 1905 by an armistice which humiliates Russia, leaving in Japan Liaodong, half of the island of Sakhaline and preeminence on Korea. Japan becomes the first Asian country to have overcome a western power, which confers to him, near the people of the Far East, a prestige which will remain until in 1945.

The Japanese expansionist policy of 1931 to 1941

detailed Article: Expansionism of Japan Showa

In 1914, Japan declares the war in Germany and recovers at the end of the war the German possessions of the Pacifique.

In 1931, under the pretext of transborder incidents, Japan invades the north of the China which becomes in 1932 the Manzhouguo, independent State under Japanese protectorate. The following year, Japan leaves SDN, then, in 1937, benefitting from the weakness of China shaken by the Civil war between communist troops and those of Kuomintang, it occupies a north-eastern part of this country in a Sino-Japanese war which will become extensive more and more.

An attempt at occupation of the Mongolia (Battle of Halhin Gol) by the army shôwa is braked in 1939 by the Soviet Union which inflicts a demolished cuisante to him. The two nations agree then on a treaty of non-aggression.

Hirohito then adopts in 1941 the plan of its staff which envisages an occupation of the south-east and the establishment of a “Sphère of Co-prosperity of large Eastern Asia”. To allow the achievement of its military expansionism on Eastern Asia and the control of the resources of the Southeast Asia, Japan must however destroy the principal threat which remains in the Pacific: the American naval force based with Hawaii.

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