Download docx IMPACT OF FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WAR

DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF 1ST AND 2ND WORLD WAR IN EUROPE
Causes of World War 1
The European powers in the 1800s were competing for colonies and thus supremacy .The larger
your empire, the more important your country was. A large empire was important not only for
trade but also national prestige. Britain and France both had large empires and they continued to
grow in the 19th century. In 1870s Italy and Germany became united countries for the first time.
They too wanted a share of the pie; an overseas empire.
The result was that up to 1900 competition grew more intense. There was scramble for territory
especially in Africa with its rich mineral resources. This competition for colonies caused several
disputes.E.g. In 1906 and 1911 Germany and France argued about who should own
Morroco.However none of these arguments led to war. But they sure did lead to resentment and
cause bad relations between some European countries.
The Arms Race
When the German Emperor Wilhelm known as Kaiser in Britain said, “Our future lies upon the
ocean.” Everyone knew what he meant to do next and began to increase the size of their armed
forces. Each country began to build a bigger and better military than their adversary. Between
1870 and 1914 military spending by the main European powers increased by 300%.
After 1871 all the major nations except Britain brought in conscription, which meant that all men
over 18 years were forced to serve a minimum in one of their countries armed services. Britain
had one of the best and equipped armies in Europe though it wasn’t very big. In 1900 the only
way to travel the world was by ship. Whichever country ruled the waves ruled the world. Great
Britain had the largest navy in 1900.It head to be to protect the British Empire.However; Britain
was beginning to realize that it did not have enough resources to protect its vast Empire. In
particular Britain was worried about the size of the German navy.
The British government was determined that their navy should remain the biggest. Soon an arms
race to build new battle ships began between Britain and Germany. In 1906, Britain launched
HMS Dreadnought a new battleship that was stronger and faster than any other ship built before.
Soon Germany also began to build Dreadnoughts as well..As shown below.
TYPE OF SHIP
BRITAIN
GERMANY
Dreadnoughts
29
17
Pre-Dreadnoughts
40
20
Battle-cruisers
34
9
Cruisers
74
41
Destroyers
167
130
Torpedo boats
49
0
Submarines
75
21
Alliance System
Between 1900-1914 the great powers of Europe became suspicious of each other and began to
increase the size of their armed service. Eventually this turned into an arms race. Both France
and Britain were afraid of Kaiser’s ambition to build a larger German Empire. The only way that
Germany could achieve this was attacking and taking other countries colonies.Eventually,each of
the great powers realized that if there was going to be a war they would need friends and allies to
help them defeat their enemies.
They formed two gangs:
Triple Entente: Britain, France and Russia
Triple Alliance: Germany, Austro-Hungary and Italy
This shows that World War 1 was stockpiling; the spark was the assassination of Franz
Ferdinand heir to the Austro Hungarian throne in Sarajevo on 28th/June/1914.Ferdinand’s death
at the hands the ‘Black Hand’, a Serbian nationalist secret society set in train a mindlessly
mechanical series of events that resulted in the world’s firt global war.
Effects of First World War
World war one had far reaching implications even after its official end. It changed Europe’s
politics, economies and public opinion. Many countries adopted more liberal forms of
government and a hostile Germany was forced to pay a large deal of money in war reparations,
which ultimately led to the start of 2nd world war. Europe fell into debt and inflation plagued the
continent.Additinaly, the optimism of previous decades was abandoned and a bleak, pessimistic
outlook on life was adopted after people had experienced the brutality of warfare.
Government changes
As a result of world war one, socialistic ideas experienced a boom as they spread ideas not only
in Germany and the Austrian Empire but also made advances in Britain (1923) and gain
influence after world war 1 was the republic. Before the war Europe had 19 monarchies and 3
republics, yet only a few years later had 13 mornachies,14 republics and 2 agencies.Evidently,a
revolution was in the air and people began to more ardently express their desire for a better way
of life.
Effects of a Harsh Peace.
A political effect of World War 1 centers on the treatment of Germany in the treaty of Versailles
of 1919.Germans was forced to sign a humiliating treaty accepting responsibility for causing the
war. They were also to give out large costs of money as compensation for war costs. In addition,
the size of Germany was reduced as that of Italy and France was increased. This triggered
hostility in Germany against the rest of Europe and the German soldiers were seeking revenge
which resulted in World War 2.
Economic Change
Technology experienced a great boost after the war. Production of automobiles, airplanes, radios
and even certain chemicals skyrocketed. Production of mass machinery to perform human labor.
Implementation of the 8 hour work day stimulated the economy. However much of Europe
suffered devastating losses of physical property and landscapes as well as finances. By 1914,
Europe had won the world’s respect as a reliable money lender, yet for years later was greatly in
debt to her allies for generous financial aid. Owing them as much as 10 billion dollars.
Disillusionment
Psychologically, WW1 had effects similar to those of a revolution. A growing sense of distrust
of political leaders and government officials pervaded the minds of people who had witnessed
the war. Many citizens were angered that peacemakers had not expressed their ideals strongly
enough. People began to wonder why the war was fought at all. The loss of loved ones in the war
was especially disturbing, for in most of Europe one in four men had lost his life in
battle.Altogether; the war killed 10-13 million people, with nearly 1/3 of them being civilians.
Conclusion
World War 2 didn’t end with the signing of the Versailles treaty, for its political, economic and
psychological effects influenced the lives long after the last shot was fired. Two main political
changes rocked the world after the war: a greater number of countries began to adopt more
liberal forms of government, and an angered Germany tried to cope with the punitions doled on
her by the victors. Despite the advantages brought forth by developing technologies the war had
a damaging effect on the economies of European countries. People’s hopes and spirits also
floundered as they grew distrustful of the government and tried to cope with the enormous death
toll of the war. The turbulent period after WW1 called for major readjustments of politics,
economic policies and views of the world.
Causes of World War 2
There are many causes of world war 2 some go back to the end of world war 1.The word war 1
and the peace that followed in 1919 changed the face of Europe and its borders of countries
completely. New nations emerged. The countries that lost the war, especially Germany Austria
had to give up a lot of land. They also had to pay money to other countries for damages that
happened during the war.
Economic Problems
After the First World War many countries were in debt. The losers had problems paying
reparations and the winners borrowed a lot from the U.S.A which they couldn’t pay back.
Inflation in many countries left people without savings. In 1930s the great depression starting in
USA spread to Europe and stopped the continents recovery. Millions of people were out of work
and poverty rose.
Political Movements
The problems after the war made the governments in many countries weaker and weaker. Two
movements became more and more powerful: Communism, known as the left, called for a
revolution of the working class.Fascism, known as the right wanted a strong national
government.
The Axis and Allied Powers
Two groups of nations fought against each other in the 2nd world war. During the 1930s
Germany, Italy and Japan led a group of nations called the Axis. The leaders of these countries
were dictators. They wanted their own countries to grow and others to become weaker. In the
years before the beginning of World War 2 all three axis powers had strengthened and
modernized their military.
In the1930s Nazi Party rose to power in Germany. In 1933 the party leader Adolf Hitler was
appointed chancellor. He promised to take revenge on the countries that had defeated Germany
in First World War and make Germany the most powerful country in the world. He also claimed
that only Germans were the true race and wanted to get rid of the Jews, communists and other
weaker people.
In Italy Benito Mussolini became the leader of the Fascist party which gained many supporters.
He promised to bring law and order to the country and help solve its economic problems. The
Axis Powers invaded other countries and expanded their territory. At the beginning of 1930s
Japan invaded Manchuria because it had a lot of raw materials. In 1938 it attacked China and
later expanded to South East Asia. In 1935 Italy took over Ethiopia. Germany started its
conquest of foreign territories by invading Austria. Italy and Germany also sent soldiers to help
another dictator, Francisco Franco, in the Spanish Civil War.
The Allies were made up of 50 countries. They were led by Great Britain, the Soviet Union,
France, China and the United States and opposed to the Axis.
The beginning of the war
On September 30, 1938 Great Britain, France and Germany signed the Munich Agreement. It
gave Germany the right to take over the Sudeteland,apart of Czech. The allies hoped it would
satisfy Hitler and keep them out of war. The agreement, however, was broken and Hitler not only
invaded Sudetenland but took over all of Czechoslovakia.
It was clear that Poland was next, on Germany’s East border. Great Britain and France promised
to help Poland if it were attacked. In August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non
aggression pact, in which they promised not to attack each other. Germany did this so that it
wouldn’t have to fight on two fronts.
On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland and World War 2 begun.
Effects of World War 2
After the end of the war, a conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, to set up peace treaties.
The countries that fought with Hitler lost territory and had to pay reparations to the allies.
Germany and its capital Berlin were divided in four parts. The zones were to be controlled by
Great Britain, United States, France and the Soviet Union. The three western allies disagreed on
many things and as time went on Germany was divided into two separate countries: East
Germany, which had a communist government and West Germany which was a democratic state.
Berlin was also divided into Eastern and Western Berlin. Austria was also occupied by the four
Allies from 1945 to 1955.
One by one the Russians started to take over countries in Eastern Europe and instill communist
governments there. The division of Europe was the beginning of the cold war; Iron Curtain
marked the border between those two regions.
After the war many Nazi leaders were arrested and punished for their role in the war. Those who
were found guilty of brutal crimes were sentenced to death. Many problems arose after the war.
One of them focused on the city of Berlin which was deep inside the Russian zone. In June 1948,
the Soviet Union tried to drive out the Western powers out of Berlin by blocking all routes to the
city. For a whole year the allies flew in food, fuel and other things the population needed to
survive.Finally,the Russians gave up and the blockade ended. In 1961 the Russians built a wall
around Berlin to stop their citizens from escaping to the West.
The biggest task was to rebuild Europe, which lay in ruins.In1948 the United States set up the
Marshall plan to help in rebuilding Europe’s economy.18 nations received 13 billion worth of
food, machines and other goods. During World War 2, four of the Allied powers: U.S.A, China,
Britain and Soviet Union. Agreed to create an organization that should work for peace. In April
1945 fifty countries signed a charter and gave birth to the United Nations.
References.
Dorothy Crisp, ‘The Dominance of England’, Holborn Publishing, London 1960, pages 22-26
Mark Foster, The World War, BCA London, 1974, page 286.
Michael Elman, ‘Soviet Repression Statistics, ‘Europe Asia Studies, Vol.54.No 7
Robert, Geofery (2006).Stalin’s Wars: From World War to Cold War, 1939-1953.Yale
University Press.
Cost of defeat, Time Magazine Monday, 8 April 1946.
TRACE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN ECONOMY AND EUROPEAN UNION
ECONOMY OF EUROPE
Europe comprises of 731 million people in 48 countries. Like other continents the wealth of
Europe’s varies although the poorest are well above the poorest states of other continents in
terms of GDP and living standards. The difference in wealth across Europe can be seen roughly
in the former cold war divide with some countries breaching the divide.
Portugal, Slovania and the Czech Republic are some of the examples. Whilst most countries in
Europe have GDP per capita higher than the world’s average and are very highly developed
e.g.Monaco, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland.Some Europe economies are still
catching up with European leading countries. Europe’s largest economy is that of Germany
which ranks fourth globally in GDP and fifth in purchasing power, followed by the U.K,ranking
fifth globally, followed by France, followed by Italy which ranks seventh globally in
GDP,followed by Russia ranking tenth globally in GDP then by Spain ranking thirteenth.
These countries are all ranking in the world’s top 15, therefore European economies account for
half of the ten wealthiest ones. The end of World War 2 brought European countries closer
culminating in the formation of the European Union and in 1999, the introduction of a common
currency: the euro. European Union as a whole is by far, the wealthiest and largest economy in
the world, topping the U.S by 2,000 billion at a time of great economic slowdown. Its 23.7
trillion in assets under management represented more than 1/3 of the world’s wealth.
Pre-1945: Industrial Growth
Before World War 2, Europe’s major financial and industrial states were the U.K, France and
Germany. The industrial revolution which began in Britain had spread rapidly across Europe and
before long the entire continent was at a high level of Industry. World War 2 had caused
destruction of most of Europe’s Industrial centers, and most of the continent’s infrastructure was
laid to waste.
1945-1990: The Cold War Era
After World War 2, Europe was in tatters. Many non-Socialist European governments moved to
link their economies, laying the foundation for what would become the European Union. This
meant a huge increase in shared infrastructure and cross border trade.
While these European states improved their economies by the 1980s the economy of the
COMECON was struggling, mainly due to the massive cost of the cold war. The GDP and living
standards of central and Eastern European states were lower than in other parts of Europe. Even
in free market Greece, situated in south-eastern Europe, struggled due to geographical isolation
from the non-socialist part of Europe. The European community grew from 6 original members
following World War 2 to 12 in this period.
Rise of the European Union
When the ‘Eastern Block’ dissolved in 1991 these states struggled to adapt to free market
systems. There was however, a huge variation in degrees of success, with central European states
e.g. Czech, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovania, and Poland adapting quickly while states that used to
form the USSR e.g. Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and struggled to reform their crumbling
infrastructure. Most of the European countries were quick to develop economic ties with fellow
states where democracy was reintroduced.
Europe’s largest economy: Germany struggled upon unification in 1991 with former communist
East Germany. For many years Germany struggled to build infrastructure in East Germany so as
to match the level of West Germany. European economy was affected by the September 11
attacks in the United States in 2011, Germany, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom was
hit the hardest. In 2002/03 the economy began to recover from the U.S attacks.
Most European economies are in very good shape and the continental economy reflects this
Conflict and unrest in some of the former Yugoslavia states and in the Caucasus states are
hampering economic growth in those states.
2008-Present
Euro zone expansion and European debt crisis
Slovenia became the first formerly communist nation to adopt the E.U currency, the euro in
2007, followed by Malta and Cyprus in 2008, Slovakia in 2009, Estonia in 2011 and Latvia in
2014 s the 18th member state to enter the euro zone confirmed Lithuania to be the latest member
to join the Euro zone by the start of 2015.
Braches of the European Union
The European parliament, it’s the voice of the people. Directly elected legislative arm of the
E.U.It has 766 members. These mps are directly elected by the European Union members in
member state. The parliament is located in France.
The European Council
Setting the strategy. Defines political direction and priorities. Members are the heads of states of
various. They meet at least four times a year. They invite the European commission to come
forward with proposals on how to address a particular challenge.
The Council
Deciding on policies and adopting legislation. The members for each member state.Discuss agree
and amend and finally adopt legislation. Coordinate the member states policies. Define the EU’s
foreign policy.
The European Commission
Executive arm the EU that proposes laws, policies agreements and union. A college of
commissioners one from each member states. Located in Brussels. Proposes legislation to
parliament and the council. Manages and implements the EU policies and the budget. Enforces
European law jointly with the council. Represents the union around the world.
The National Parliaments
Enforcing subsidiarity.Main role is to participate alongside the European institutions in the work
of the union. The members are all legislators of member parliaments. Thus it’s located in all
member states.
The Court of Justice
Upholding E.U law
Give legal judgments on cases brought before it. Its located in Luxembourg.
It gives rulings on cases brought before it. These are the most common types:
The preliminary ruling.
Infringement proceedings.
Proceedings for annulment.
Proceedings for failure to act.
The European Central Bank
Its main role is to manage the euro and the euro area monetary policy. Members are the national
central banks. It’s located in Germany. Its primary objective is to maintain price stability. This is
defined by a consumer price inflation rate of less than but close to 2% per annum.The ECB also
supports employment and sustainable economic growth in the union.
The European Court of Auditors
It ensures that EU funds are collected and used correctly, and help improve EU financial
management. Checks that EU budget is correctly implemented, Ensures that financial
management is sound. This helps ensure that the E.U is managed efficiently and effectively.
Members are one from each member states. Located in Luxembourg.
Conclusion
The European Union is a significant part of Europe. It plays a crucial role in bringing together
European powers giving them a platform to talk and consequently avert a war. It has various
departments where each of the member states is adequately represented. The euro being a strong
world currency binds the European powers not only as allies but also as trading partners. The EU
has grown exponentially from its formation till date. This can be credited to the members who
have stuck with the union despite the turbulent times Europe has gone through. I can confidently
say a peaceful and prosperous Europe is a harmonious world.
References
Adam Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
(2008).
David Faber, Munich, 1938: Appeasement and World War 2 (2010).pp 139-168
Richard Evans, The Third Reich in Power (2006).
Robert Service, Comrades: A History of World Communism (2010).
Winter, Jay (2009).The Legacy of the Great War: Ninety Years On. University of Missouri
Press. .p.126