Causes of WW1 and WW2

Political and Ideological

Similarity: Pan-Slavism and Pan-Germanism

Pan-Slavism

Serbs in Balkans to unite, under Serbian rule with Russia’s support

threatens A-H, interest in Balkan, multi-ethnic

Becoming popular, caused Balkan Wars of 1912-13

Both LT and ST causes

Pan-Germanism

Lost territories by ToV

Nazi belief: Germany should expand to territories where Germans lived

Gradually aggressed, annexed Austria, gained Sudetenland then all Czechoslovakia

DIfference: Appeasement or not

Serbia and Austria

Saw it as a threat, created Albania to go against

Tension between Serbia/Russia and A-H, to the Assassination in June 1914

Harsh ultimatum to the Serbian government

Attempts were done by the UK but failed

Ex: International conference of great powers to settle on 7/26 by the UK

Rejected by Germany

Germany and the UK

It was also a threat

Germany successfully annexed Austria, gained Czechoslovakia

Economic

Similarity: Economic Growth to Military

WW1

The UK was leading in 19C, but others started to grow

manufacturing output lost to US and Germany in 1913

Every country feared of others to grow

Source of anxiety, earlier better

Lead to military expense

WW2

Economic Growth under Nazi’s aggressive policies

1935 more export than import

Enabled rearmament of Germany

Direct violation of ToV

Same that economic growth lead to militarism

Difference

WW1

Many grew

Mainly UK, US and Germany

Russia etc grew as well, but elatively small

Lead to Arms race

# of Dreadnaught

WW2

Other nations were still in the Great Depression

Great powers were appeasing

Germany succeeded to reach the level of France/UK

Territorial

Colonialism and Living Space

Similarities:

Weltpolitik

Policy in 1896 by Kaiser Wilhelm II

Increase influence and colonies

Caused Moroccan Crisis in 1905/11, increased Tension between UK/FR <-> GE

Living Space

Policy to gain land for Germans to live/food production

Germans as master race

Caused territorial expansion with pan-Germanism, and conflict with USSR leads to Operation Barbarossa

Ambition of territorial expansion often threats other interests, causing tensions

Differences:

Welpolitiks: German Foreign Minister: “Do not want to put anyone else in the shade, but we too demand our place in the sun”

Living space: “Living space for superior race”

However, debates exist

German historian Fritz Fischer: “result of an aggressive and expansionist German policy”