World War II was a gruesome war that affected millions of people and that cost the lives of many soldiers that died in order to gain victory and world peace. This war was a global conflict that succumbed the entire world into chaos. The events that occurred during the war gave rise to the world's most notorious dictators, Hitler and Mussolini. Their quest and thirst for power gave rise to a massacre of innocent lives and the destruction of the world. World War II made an endless impact on the world through catastrophic events such as the holocaust, influential leaders and causes that lead to the war.
World War II took place from 1939-1945; during these years the world had been exposed to savagery, destruction, and massacre. The war brought upon the dreadful persecution of Jews that resulted from Hitler and the Nazis hatred. The Holocaust is known as the deadliest and cruel annihilation of Jews that suffered under Hitler's power. Hitler's position in power allowed Germany to flourish and once again regain its position as a super power, but this prosperity of Germany came with a price. The mass destruction that Hitler will unleash to the world was yet to be revealed. Mussolini was a puppet of Hitler that managed to manipulate all of Hitler's fascist ideas and incorporate to his governing of Italy. The allies had to face the wrath of these dictators and saw many of their nations get destroyed. The allied leaders support and deep involvement to overcome this war is what gained victory in the end. Winston Churchill's determination to pursue and win the war is what allowed the allies to win and set the Jews free from suffering humiliation and death in these concentration camps. The massive involvement of the axis and allies brought the world to view this war as a historical atrocity. The impact this war caused triggered a global consequence that scarred the world forever because event to this day, World War II is a permanent legacy in history. World War II impacted the entire world through dramatic change that was brought upon the world through fear.
World War II was dominated by influential figures both from the allies and axis side. Hitler, Mussolini and Winston Churchill were the dominant leaders during World War II. Their ambitions played a role in the outcome of the war. Winston Churchill emerged as one of the most important wartime leaders in history. Churchill is known for his leadership of Britain during World War II, with Churchill's determination and contribution he led Britain to victory against the Axis powers. Churchill reassured and insisted for the government to face reality rather than the illusion of world peace because Germany was quickly restoring its army and deployment under Hitler's leadership. Churchill was determined to prove that Germany was a threat to the world, "From 1933 he warned that Germany was rearming secretly, illegally and rapidly and called for Britain to strengthen its air force and work with the League of Nations to prevent a war that he believed was coming"(Holmes 2009 pg.86). Even before the war started Churchill predicted that Hitler's rapid gain of power and promises to restore Germany to prosperity could eventually have consequences. Churchill was right because once Hitler was in power he quickly used Germany's political and economic instability to his advantage. Churchill stood strong that Britain and the allies would overcome Hitler and the spread of fascism in Europe.
Mussolini led the fascist government in Italy; he was the first fascist dictator in Europe. Mussolini promised like Hitler to bring order, national unity and military glory to Italy. Once in power Mussolini managed to abolish democracy and transformed the country into a dictatorship. His promises of prosperity succumbed the people into vaguely believing that Mussolini promised Italy a glorious future. Mussolini expresses his dream of a great nation through saying "I want to make Italy great, respected and feared" (Benito Mussolini, 1925). Mussolini establishes a military dictatorship with absolute rule; his expansion of Italy began to invade foreign territories. A military alliance was formed between Germany, Italy and Japan forming the Axis powers. This alliance quickly maneuverer a tactic to conquer territories to expand their fascist nations into a super power.
Hitler gained power and support in Germany by promising to return them to a position of power. Hitler established the Nazi political party and proclaimed the "master race"; he believed that people of German descent or origin should rule the world. This proclamation foreshadows Hitler's obsessive hatred towards Jews, anti- Semitism is what eventually led to Hitler's policies of persecution of Jews. The Nazis blamed the Jews for the loss of World War I and the economic problems in Germany, "Hitler knew the German people were depressed by their losses in World War I and used their disillusionment for his own aims by blaming outsiders and Jews" (Wood 2007 pg.32). With Hitler's dictatorship of Germany he started to violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and demanded vengeance for the humiliation that Germany suffered with the War Guilt Clause. Hitler influenced the war deeply because his ambitions and thirst for conquest allowed him to sabotage Germany, "No individual played a larger role in causing and shaping World War II than German dictator Adolf Hitler" (Holmes 2009 pg.56). Hitler broke promise after promise as he extended his power over Europe, as he acquired more territories this made Hitler gain control. His conquest of territories was only the beginning of his power; he was developing the inexistence of Jews. The leadership of these influential leaders of World War II is portrayed through their actions and triumphs during the war.
The causes that lead to World War II began as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, economic problems, depression and unemployment, political instability and the rise of Hitler. These causes are the reasons that triggered the start of this global catastrophe; "The theory therefore, provided an internal scapegoat for Germany's stubborn economic problems even while the tough conditions of peace imposed by the Allies at the end of World War I provided a justification for external war" (Witherbee 2009). The defeat of Germany resulted in the resentment of paying the damages and accepting responsibility for causing the loss and damages for causing World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was the agreement that ended World War II but this treaty humiliated Germany deeply. The terms in the Treaty of Versailles posed strong restrictions on Germany, they lost all their territories gained and had to pay the reparations. The signing of the treaty took place in 1919, through this signing it foreshadows that this could bring a conflict because the treaty was sign even before World War II began and already there is present the disturbance of the Germans. On the signing of the Treaty the German news called for vengeance and referred to this treaty as disgraceful, the news proclaimed and promised that Germany would rise again.
The payments imposed for reparations had an impact in the recovery of the German economy. Germany could no longer afford to pay the reparations and had to borrow money from other countries. The result of this was that inflation rose quickly, "German money lost all its value through hyperinflation" (Grant 2008 pg.11). The value of the mark (German money) was extremely low compared to internationally. Germany's money was seen as worthless and this caused Germany to be in debt. But just as the German economy was beginning to rehabilitate they were struck by another devastation, depression and unemployment. Since North America suffered the Great Depression, there were no longer any demands for German products. As a result many German businesses went bankrupt and many people lost their jobs. With the lack of employment in Germany, Hitler saw his chance to enhance his plan to win over the Germans who were mad about inflation and economic troubles. Hitler made the promise to restore Germany's economic crisis. Hitler manipulated the people by saying that the government was to blame for the crisis in Germany, "Hitler quickly put his plans for Germany into action. He tackled unemployment at home by launching job-creation schemes such as motorway building" (Hatt 2007 pg.18). Hitler viewed Germany's depression as a chance to make promises to the helpless people of Germany that were in a desperate situation for guidance.
The political instability in Germany was completely tarnished because the task of rebuilding a country was an immense mission. The Nazi political party quickly gain adoration from the people because of the promises they stressed amazed the Germans. The Nazis proclaimed that the government should be run by the army and that the power of the military should be increased. The rise of Hitler was introduced with him joining the Nazi party, as he joined the party his popularity increased and he quickly became leader, "Building on a sense of panic, the Nazis pushed through the Enabling Act, giving Hitler absolute emergency power over the German state, including the power to investigate, detain and punish without trial"(Witherbee 2009). This action gave Hitler all power over Germany becoming into a totalitarian state, run by the Nazis and Hitler. The political and economic instability of Germany worked to his advantage.
Hitler's ultimate goal was to eliminate the Jewish population but in order to reach that goal, he had to take steps. In 1935, Hitler passed the Nuremberg Laws to limit the citizenship rights of Jews in Germany; this was an initial step to the Holocaust. Then in 1938, came Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) during this raid Jewish shops and religious building were destroyed and attacked. Some Jews were beaten, tortured and brought to concentration camps where they waited their fate. "Jews lived in permanent fear during the Nazi period. Law after law was passed to deprive them of their rights and restrict their lives" (Wood 2007 pg.46). The Jews lived with constant discrimination that resulted in public humiliations. After Hitler had restricted the Jews of their freedom and rights, he came up with the concentration camps that served as a facility to hold the Jews. The living conditions in these ghettos were drastic because space was limited and in a room lived up to 30 people, food ratios were limited they were only allowed 200 calories a day. At these ghettos the only way to gain freedom was to be dead, this battle that the Jews faced was fought behind closed doors and in silence because the rest of the world had no idea on what was going on. In the ghettos Jews were forced to work as long as they worked hard they maintain the freedom to be alive. "Hitler gradually restricted their rights, slowly building up to a point at which the Final Solution was created" (Goldman 1998), in 1942, Hitler came to a conclusion and proposed his Final Solution the elimination of Jews.
The Holocaust is the most atrocious event that happened during World War II, which cost the lives of 6 million Jews. Hitler's fanatical behaviour over Jews resulted in the annihilation of the Jewish population because as he referred to they were an infestation responsible for the downfall of Germany. The Holocaust caused a major impact than the war itself because in these concentration camps were women and innocent children who had no idea about was going on in the world, "the scale of these killings and the combination of system and irrationality in their implementation were to leave an aftertaste even more bitter than that of the fierce and wanton destructiveness of the war" (Roseman and Townshend 2000). The actual impact of the war cannot compare to the destruction that the Holocaust caused. The forms of persecution against Jewish people were abuse discrimination, segregation, violence, fascism and religious intolerance. The persecution of Jews reached its most destructive form of policies, which made the destruction of the Jews a priority by concluding the elimination of Jews. The Holocaust is one of the most horrific schemes in human history; by the end of the war Hitler had destroyed the Jewish population in Europe. Their only crime was that they were not members of the master race.
The war ended with the defeat of Germany; during the five years of war eyes of the world were set upon the destiny and outcome of this war. "In 1939, World War II would explode into an even mightier struggle, with greater destruction and loss of life. There would not, as yet, be a war to end all wars" (Murray 2009 pg.7). World War II caused a greater impact than World War I because this war experienced the cruelty of human nature. The events that occurred in the war remain evident even to this day, "the victims of the Holocaust are commemorated by many museums and monuments" (Grant 2008 pg.182). The allies decided that some concentration camps should be preserved as a reminder of the Holocaust and the brutally that they had to endure in these death camps. World War II will remain a legacy of triumph for the allies.
Therefore, the catastrophic event that took place during World War II such as the Holocaust, influential figures and causes that lead to the war made an impact in the world that will remain a constant reminder of struggle and survival. The Holocaust, influential leaders and causes that lead to the war played a role in deteriorating the world into chaos and distress. The destruction, slaughter and savagery of the world harmed many people's lives. World War II goes beyond the destruction of many innocent lives lost; it expresses the destruction and demoralization of the world due to this horrific war.
Citation Page
Grant, R.G.World War II: the events and their impact on real people. New York: DK Publishing, 2008.
Hatt, Christine. The Second World War. London: Evans Brothers Limited, 2007.
Holmes, Richard. World War II: The definitive visual history: from Blitzkrieg to the atom bomb. New York: DK Publishing, 2009.
Murray, Stuart A.P. World War II. Long Island City: Moseley Road Inc., 2009.
Wood, Angela. Holocaust: the events and their impact on real people. New York: DK Publishing, 2007.
War and the People: The Social Impact of Total War By: Townshend, Charles, Roseman, Mark, Oxford History of Modern War, 2000
Chapter One: Hitler's Nazis By: Witherbee, Amy, Holocaust, 2009
The Jewish Holocaust of Nazi Germany (1933-1945) By: Goldman, Phyllis Barkas, Monkeyshines on Europe, 1998
