Term Paper on "Wii Adolf Hitler's Role in World War"

Term Paper 6 pages (1653 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA

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WII

Adolf Hitler's Role in World War II

There is a common notion that the war in 1939 is a continuation of the war that ended in 1918. The Second World War was in fact a return to the unfinished business of the First World War. That is why they are numbered I and II. The idea of a progression from World War I to World War II is unavoidable. The same nation, Germany is the belligerent most actively responsible for both wars. In the 1914 conflict, it was based out of alliances and panic, along with fear of not making the first move. In 1939 however, it was the result of a methodical plan of one man, Adolf Hitler. Hitler had actually fought in the First World War, by which point he had already become a "rabid German nationalist" (Neville, 2006, p. 4). Signs that war was brewing on the horizon were evident ever since Hitler took power, effectively putting an end to the Weimar Republic and transforming Germany into a fascist state. It should be noted, however, that Hitler did not merely seize power; he had the full support of the majority of Germans, who, humiliated by their defeat in the First World War and the subsequent sanctions imposed on them by the Versailles Treaty, were anxious to seek revenge against their enemies. Hitler, along with many other Germans, felt that the Treaty of Versailles had been excessively harsh. Hitler was not alone in his opinion, however. Even the British had felt that the French were being quite harsh in imposing such aggressive sanctions on the German state. Indeed, while Germany's grievances might have been settled by diplomatic means, were another strong, less violent leader in political office, Hitler was visibly determined to go to war from the outset.

Adolf Hitler's Role in World War II

There is a common notion that the war in 1939 is a continuation of the war that ended in 1918. The Second World War was in fact a return to the unfinished business of the First World War. That is why they are numbered I and II. The idea of a progression from World War I to World War II is unavoidable. The same nation, Germany is the belligerent most actively responsible for both wars. In the 1914 conflict, it was based out of alliances and panic, along with fear of not making the first move. In 1939 however, it was the result of a methodical plan of one man, Adolf Hitler.

Hitler had actually fought in the First World War, by which point he had already become a "rabid German nationalist" (Neville, 2006, p. 4). According to what he had written in his book Mein Kampf, Hitler became a nationalist after reading about the Franco-Prussian war and wondering why his father's generation of German Austrians had not done more to fight for the Germans (Hitler, 1925).

Signs that war was brewing on the horizon were evident ever since Hitler took power, effectively putting an end to the Weimar Republic and transforming Germany into a fascist state:

The Weimar Republic, which had succeeded the monarchy after the First World War, succumbed without much ado to the demagogy, the bullyragging tactics, and the subtle political manipulations of one man. It became the Third Reich. The countless political parties of the post-war years having finally fought and argued themselves to a standstill, were successfully buried under a muddy brown avalanche: The National Socialist German Workers Party, with Party member no. 7, Adolf Hitler, at its head (Bielenberg, 1972, p. 17-18).

It should be noted, however, that Hitler did not merely seize power; he had the full support of the majority of Germans, who, humiliated by their defeat in the First World War and the subsequent sanctions imposed on them by the Versailles Treaty, were anxious to seek revenge against their enemies.

In March 1935, Hitler formally announced that he would no longer abide by the disarmament clauses of the Treaty of Versailles" (Wilkinson and Hughes, 2003, p. 281). This was of course a direct provocation to the French. Hitler, along with many other Germans, felt that the Treaty of Versailles had been excessively harsh. Hitler was not alone in his opinion, however. Even the British had felt that the French were being quite harsh in imposing such aggressive sanctions on the German state. As Neville writes,

The immediate reaction inside the British was that these terms were manifestly unfair. The Germans had been given the right to plead their own cause at a later stage, but there was a widespread British perception that the French were being ruthless and unforgiving. Germany was deprived of its colonies and forced to give up territory to France, Belgium and Poland, as well as having to accept military clauses which restricted its army to 100,000 men and prevented its use of military aircraft and submarines. Worse still for some members of the British delegation was the infamous article 231. This obliged Germany to accept responsibility for starting the war and the threat of punitive reparations that might, in the eyes of British critics, cripple the German economy for years to come (Neville, 2006, p. 6).

Thus, while many British political commentators and outsiders perceived the fact that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair, even going so far as to predict that Germany would one day move to take revenge against its aggressors, it is doubtful that anyone could guess that that revenge would involve a leader as ruthless and determined to go to war as Adolf Hitler.

Indeed, while Germany's grievances might have been settled by diplomatic means, were another strong, less violent leader in political office, Hitler was visibly determined to go to war from the outset. Once he had launched the war, he persisted in turning it into a global conflict, as can be evidenced by the events of June 1941, when Hitler broke the non-aggression pact he had signed with the Soviet Union several years prior and attacked their territory (Lukacs 2006). As much of a tyrant as Stalin was later discovered to be, he did not want to go to war with Germany at this point in time. Rather, the provocation was all on the German side - stemming from Hitler's rage. In the words of one historian, o]n 22 June 1941, Hitler wanted a war with Russia, no matter what. He did not present demands to Russia, because he suspected that Stalin might agree to them. At the same time, Stalin did not want a war with Germany, he did not want to fight Hitler, all of the rising evidence of the coming German invasion notwithstanding; nor did he believe that Hitler would attack him, because he not only could not but wished not to believe that. This had no precedent in the history of Russia, and few others in the history of the world (Lukacs, 2006, p. 4).

Such a move by Hitler is a clear indication of his extreme arrogance. Not only was he an aggressor, but he also believed himself to be above the lessons of history, as there was "no precedent" for such aggression in the history books. Hitler viewed himself as a sort of superman who earnestly believed he could attack a country that was much larger than his own and come away victorious. This move would eventually turn out to be suicidal. It led the pathway towards Germany's defeat by the Soviets and their allies, as well as Germany's destruction at the hands of their by now crazed leader.

While his military advisors did everything in their power to deter Hitler's ruthless rampage, this did not stop him from declaring war on the United States in December of 1941. By now, it seemed that Hitler was no… READ MORE

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