Buildup to World War II
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Many historians blame the terms of the Treaty of Versailles for causing World War II. The terms created by the Allied and Associated Powers were designed to prevent a future war, especially with the creation of the League of Nations. However, the reparations that Germany was forced to pay to the Allied Powers bankrupted the newly installed Weimar Republic in Germany (Hutchinson Encyclopedia). As a result, the Weimar Republic was viewed as weak by the German people, giving Hitler and the Nazi party the opportunity to seize power in the German government (Hutchinson Encyclopedia)
Adolf Hitler served in the 16th Bavarian infantry regiment of Germany during World War I. Hitler was strongly devoted to the German race and he was greatly upset when Germany surrendered to the Allied Powers, even blaming groups such as the Jews and Communists for Germany's defeat (Compton's by Britannica). With the beginning of the Great Depression, the German people suffered high rates of unemployment and poverty, and setting up the perfect situation for the Nazi party to gain the people's vote and begin a revival of Germany on the world stage (Compton's by Britannica).
Between 1933 - 1939, Hitler and the Nazi party began to disobey the Treaty of Versailles (Hutchinson Encyclopedia). Hitler's actions that disobeyed the treaty include:
There are other opinions regarding the popular belief that the Treaty of Versailles caused the rise of Hitler. Priscilla Roberts writes in "The Lights that Failed: European International History, 1919 -1933" that the Great Depression and the ineffectiveness of the Allied Powers allowed Hitler to annex forbidden powers and rebuild the German army. She also states that the peace terms created for Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey were harsher than the terms imposed on Germany; contradicting the arguments that the terms imposed on in Germany in the Treaty of Versailles caused the rise of Hitler and the start of World War II.
Adolf Hitler served in the 16th Bavarian infantry regiment of Germany during World War I. Hitler was strongly devoted to the German race and he was greatly upset when Germany surrendered to the Allied Powers, even blaming groups such as the Jews and Communists for Germany's defeat (Compton's by Britannica). With the beginning of the Great Depression, the German people suffered high rates of unemployment and poverty, and setting up the perfect situation for the Nazi party to gain the people's vote and begin a revival of Germany on the world stage (Compton's by Britannica).
Between 1933 - 1939, Hitler and the Nazi party began to disobey the Treaty of Versailles (Hutchinson Encyclopedia). Hitler's actions that disobeyed the treaty include:
- The expansion of the German armed forces. The army was increased over the 100,000 men limit, an air force was re-established, and the navy was increased in size.
- In 1933, the Nazis stopped of payments for the financial reparations imposed on Germany. Hitler blamed Germany's economy on the inability to pay, and vowed spend money on solving the unemployment problem in Germany (Hutchinson Encyclopedia).
- The invasion and annexation of Austria in 1938.
- The annexation of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakian territory.
- The remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936.
There are other opinions regarding the popular belief that the Treaty of Versailles caused the rise of Hitler. Priscilla Roberts writes in "The Lights that Failed: European International History, 1919 -1933" that the Great Depression and the ineffectiveness of the Allied Powers allowed Hitler to annex forbidden powers and rebuild the German army. She also states that the peace terms created for Bulgaria, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey were harsher than the terms imposed on Germany; contradicting the arguments that the terms imposed on in Germany in the Treaty of Versailles caused the rise of Hitler and the start of World War II.