What are the causes and effects of World War II?

There are many causes and effects of World War II. One cause was the aggressive actions of Germany, Japan, and Italy were ignored. When Japan invaded Manchuria and China, little was done to deal with these invasions. The same was true when Germany and Italy took land or violated the terms of the Versailles Treaty.

Another cause of World War II was the anger the harsh Versailles Treaty created. Germany was angry with the $33 billion in reparations they had to pay to the Allies. Germany also resented having to accept responsibility for World War I. Adolf Hitler played upon this anger, promising to restore German pride in the future. Italy felt they weren’t given enough land from the terms of the Versailles Treaty.

The Great Depression played a role in the start of World War II. Some countries turned to authoritarian leaders during the Great Depression. These leaders promised the people a return to the glory days of the past. Mussolini and Hitler both promised the people of their countries a better life economically and a restoring of pride in their countries. Countries like the United States, Great Britain, and France were so preoccupied with dealing with the effects of the Great Depression that they weren’t able to pay close attention to what was happening in Germany, Japan, and Italy.

As a result of World War II, several things changed. One thing that changed was that we now entered the atomic age. When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, a new military element and threat were introduced to the world. People now lived in fear of possible nuclear attack. Another change was the development of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. There would be conflicts and confrontations between these two countries over the next 45 years as a result of the Cold War.

A final effect of World War II was that countries with democratic governments are able to respond to serious crises. We proved that it isn’t necessary to turn to a dictator when times are bad. Our response to the threat presented by World War II showed that democratic government does work.