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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