I would say Hitler's rise to power. He laid it out in Mein Kampf for his plan to conquer. ------------------ "They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But in modern war there is nothing sweet or fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason."
Hmmm... Tough to nail it down to a single thing, but if I had to choose one, it would be unbridled nationalism. The notion that one's country has the "right" to flout international law and disregard the sovereinty of other nations simply because they somehow deserve to pursue whatever delusions of grandeur fill the heads of whomever is in control. Contributing elements to the European situation might include the ceaseless war and political maneuvering for supremacy among Continental powers during the 19th century which culminated in WW1, and the constricting rather than conciliatory dictates of the Treaty of Versailles, which did little to restore the shattered German nation, giving political fringe whackos like the national socialists fertile ground for their kooky "world zionist bolshevik conspiracy theories".... One could ramble almost ceaselessly..... ------------------ Novus Ordo Seclorum
exactly otto WW1 The German loss of WW1 threw Germany into a great depression and political instability...people were out of work and starving...people would listen to anything to get back to the way things were...they'd even listen to an extremist like hitler as long as he promised work and good times ahead. This made it possible for Hitler come to power. He improoved Germany by giving people work and money. Germany's strength rose as they rearmed so people felt good and strong about their germany again. Territory that was lost from WW1's loss was wanted back. First Austria and Chechloslavakia(spelling)...finally POLAND...and there's WW2
I beleive that Hitlers rise to power was the main cause of the war. Just by showing the other countires what he was doing, and how he was preparing for a grand battle, just caused worldwide panic. I mean if a country does what Germany did, they would be warned many times, and no matter what the case, it would end up in a war.
Can't forget the pacific theater either! The Pacific war was caused by Japan's want to expand her territory. Thus her war with China led to war with the US. Since the US and Britian didn't suport Japan's war...we put embargo's on japan and froze her assets in the US. So basicly once we cancelled the shipment of Japan's material to wage war...they needed to get it somewhere else...or end the war with China on our terms. They decided to find it somewhere else...predominantly in the dutch east indeas and in the south west pacific. BUT they needed to cancel out a major threat the US and British navy, as well as the US and British bases in the areas Japan wanted...Thus Pearl Harbor...and invasions of Guam, Wake, Singapore, Java, and Phillipeans. BAM ww2 in the pacific
Hitler caused fear into all the other nations when he started to turn Germany into a "War Machine". He had every child learning about war rather than math, and he made them compelled to obey him. So when the right time came, he was able to use all of these soldiers that were perfect killing machines and perfect for fighting. WWII was what they were preparing for their whole life. It was events like the Hitler Youth, which caused other countries to fear them. "Fear leads to Hatred, Hatred Leads to Anger". The other countries soon became angry at Germany and therefore WWII was caused.
The causes of the Second World War probably developed during the later Middle Ages and early Reinissance, when nation states began to coalesce. The most poignant of the impending signs included Merchantilism, Imperialism, and finally, a liberal political activism which established itself, in full, by 1890. The Seven Years' War, Napoleonic Wars, and the First World War all contributed to the issue in terms of events militaria. They defined the ultimate goals of most European nations, and exemplified the extent to which an "blood and iron" political practice and pragmatic nationalism could be brought. Early during 1938, Chamberlain and Doudalier were willing to trade "space for time" in reguards to Hitler's agressions. This period of political "sitzkrieg" probably had much to do with the war's beginning.
