The First and Second World Wars in Europe - Essay Example

THE FIRST AND SECOND WORLD WARS IN EUROPE By The First and Second World Wars in Europe Introduction The period between 1914 and 1945 is of critical importance in European history. Prior to this period, Europe had not indulged in any serious organized war. However, this period defined two wars in history. These wars presented numerous impacts on the European society throughout the 20th century. Many of the events happening in the 20th century depended on the aftermath of the war. The First World War began in July 1914 and ended in November 1918. On the other hand, the Second World War began in 1939 and lasted until 1945. Worth noting is the fact that the two wars arose because varying factors1. It was the case of one event fuelling other events and brining about serious consequences. This paper will focus on highlighting the causes of the two wars as well as their effects on the European history. The First World War and its Causes Prior to the First World War, many European countries made treaties with each other. The purpose of the treaties was to ensure that a country received protection and support in critical times. These treaties, as well as the European alliances played a critical role in the development of the First World War. Many historians have given recognition to the fact that the First World War happened unexpectedly. Moreover, it had immense effects across the globe. Prior to the war, only a few weapons were in use. However, the war introduced a new realm of possibilities in the weaponry industry. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand initiated the war spirit. Archduke Franz Ferdinand belonged to Austria-Hungary2. The suspects who carried out the assassination were Serbians. The assassination occurred due to issues related to nationalism3. A group called Black Hand was responsible for the assassination because of their conviction that Bosnia was a territory of Serbia. The assassination triggered a declaration of war on Serbia by Austria. The treaty system came into place at that time because countries supporting both Serbia and Austria joined the war eventually. Germany was the first country to declare its support for Austria-Hungary. On the other hand, Russia declared its willingness to support Serbia. Consequently, Germany began to attack Russia. This triggered France to come on board with support for Russia4. Germany then declared war on France because she was an alley of Russia. Historians have defined this as the domino effect. The treaties and alliances formed before the war compelled countries to have the obligation of supporting their allies. More and more countries later joined in the war. In total, the First World War involved 28 countries. Worth noting is the fact that the early 1900s marked a period when Europe was quite unstable. This instability resulted from the needs of the countries to dominate each other. Therefore, any significant event such as the assassination that occurred was sure to trigger a war. However, none of these countries expected that a war of the magnitude witnessed in the four years would ever occur. Historians have highlighted that the First World War qualified as a stalemate. This is because none of the sides had the capacity to trigger winning moves. After some times, numerous weapons that had not existed previously emerged. This included machine guns, poison gases, submarines, airplanes, and tanks. The machine guns used in the First World War had the capacity to fire between 400 to 600 grounds in a single minute. This served to increase the casualties resulting from the First World War. The two main poison gases used were chlorine gas, and mustard gas. These gases proved to be of help in trenches and artillery shells. In addition, tanks emerged as a solution to conclude the stalemate condition of the war. Tanks had the potential to have adverse effects on the enemies. The trench system emerged as one of the strategies used in the First World War5. The trenches had different subdivisions that allowed the surface men to launch different weapon and have different places to hide. However, life in the trenches exposed the surface men to dehumanizing conditions because they were dirty and unfit for human residence. After each trench, there was a region called “No Man’s Land” where the fighting took place6. Other causes of the First World War were militarism. This prompted a war because many European countries had begun to form armies and offer training on military skills. Imperialism also contributed to the war. Specifically, the Great Britain, Germany, and France had obtained foreign territories that supplied them with raw materials. There was intense manufacturing in these three countries. Therefore, there was a salient need to dispose the manufactured good in foreign markets. The three countries competed for opportunities presented by African territories. This explains why clashes surrounding the imperial agenda fuelled the clashes of the First World War. The world war had immense effects. There were over 65 million troops brought into the war. Over 8 million soldiers succumbed to death during the war, whereas over 21 million had injuries. An estimated 8 million soldiers went missing after the war. Many European countries spend too much on the war, a factor that saw the United States become a creditor to many of the European countries. Therefore, the conclusion of the war in 1918 left numerous deaths in European countries. Notably, the First World War brought down for monarchies that had existed in Europe. These included Austria-Hungary, Germany, Turkey, and finally Russia7. Despite the downfall of some of these monarchies occurred after the war, there was a close linkage of the downfall to the war. The war proved many Europeans wrong because they had anticipated for a peaceful century8. The Second World War and its Causes The Second World War brought in different countries, territories, as well as colonies from across the globe. The war began in 1939 and ended in 1945. These six years of war saw immense destructions by different by different troops who participated in the war. The allied powers during the Second World War included the Great Britain, United States, France, and the Soviet Union. On the other hand, the axis powers were Germany, Japan, and Italy. Numerous causes of the Second World War have received attention from the historians. The treaty of Versailles was one of the factors that triggered the Second World War. In accordance with this treaty, winning nations of the First World War punished Germany for its contribution to the First World War. The treaty introduced numerous restrictions in Germany and contributed to war guilt. Germany faced the compulsion of paying a lot of money to both Britain and France as compensation for the First World War. Italy faced disappointments because it did not receive the reward placed by Britain and France for her support9. In addition, totalitarianism emerged in Italy with extreme glorification accorded to the state and the people lacking any form of freedom. A totalitarian society is usually under the full control of the state. This was the exact case in Italy. After the First World War, economic challenges ensued in Europe because the country had exhausted their funds and resources in that war. Therefore, a global economic recession resulted. Historians have highlighted that the economic depression fuelled the Second World War. This is because many people aligned themselves with powerful governments in an effort to access jobs10. Therefore, they joined the military of such countries. In Asia, Japanese expansionism contributed to a war between the Soviet Union and Japan, which had far-reaching effects on Europe. The Nazi Germany led by Hitler began campaigning against communism. An additional factor leading to the rise of the Second World War was appeasement, which allowed Britain and France to give land to Germany with the intention of preventing an additional war. This only served to fuel the Second World War. Other aspects such as militarisms and nationalism were additional causes of the Second World War11. The Second World War led to the death of over millions of people across the globe. The conclusion of the war saw the allies take control over Germany triggering the start of the cold war. Trials of determining the responsible individuals for the Second World War occurred in Germany and Japan. Prior to the trial, Hitler and his followers who had contributed immensely to the war committed suicide. Other suspects and war criminals identified during the trial, faced execution, and served jail terms. The Second World War was far much more expensive that the first world war costing about $330 billion. Different countries registered immense losses of both military personnel and civilians. The Soviet Union registered the highest loses with over ten million deaths of military personnel and about the same number of deaths of civilians12. Conclusion Evidently, 1914 to 1945 was a war period in Europe. The two wars altered the European continent immensely. Before the war, Europe had maintained a remarkable power balance. However, the events highlighted above resulted in a form of instability. This explains why the wars had costly effects on the continent. It altered Europe in numerous perspectives. The economic and social life of Europe became entirely different. Overspending during the war saw many of European economies become bankrupt. Moreover, the Second World War triggered the start of the cold war. The two wars are the greatest wars in the European history with global effects. Bibliography Hart, Peter. 2013. The Great War. London: Profile.  Keegan, John. 2000. The First World War. New York: Vintage Books.  Roberts, Andrew. 2011. The storm of war a new history of the Second World War. New York: Harper. Read More