World War II: Causes, Aggression, Alliances, and Aftermath
Causes of the Second World War
The Treaty of Versailles imposed a finishing humiliation and resentment. The crisis of 1929 created a depression that favored fascism. Mussolini and Hitler developed an aggressive foreign policy that justified economic needs. The arms race that the fascists were developing created a climate of tension in Europe.
Aggression and War
In Asia, Japan sought to expand its territories on the coast of China, invading China in 1937. In Africa, Italy invaded Ethiopia to expand its colonial empire. Italy and Germany took part in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939, providing soldiers and armaments to the military rebels. Germany pursued a policy of territorial expansion with the aim of creating a vast empire with lands inhabited by Germanic peoples.
Alliances
Germany and Italy formed the Rome-Berlin axis in 1936, renewed in 1939 as the Pact of Steel. In 1936, Germany signed the Antikomintern Pact with Japan. To prevent the Soviet Union from allying with France and Britain to help Poland, Hitler and Stalin signed a pact, followed by the German-Soviet invasion of Poland.
The Impact of the War
Post-war Europe was devastated from all perspectives. The most significant impact was the loss of life, with approximately 50 million deaths, half of whom were from the USSR. The majority of these casualties were civilians, though soldiers also suffered greatly. The destruction also affected cities, mass communication, and industrial facilities.
The Iron Curtain
After the Second World War, a symbolic frontier emerged, dividing the USSR and its allies from the rest of Europe.
The Cold War
This was a model of international relations that developed after World War II, characterized by the standing antagonism between the United States and the Soviet Union. The rivalry between the superpowers was also expressed through armed conflicts far from their territories, where confrontation occurred indirectly through proxy states.
Causes of Decolonization
The desire for independence, a decrease in colonial prestige, international opinion, and support for decolonization from the USA and USSR were key factors.
The Decolonization Process
The decolonization process occurred in several regions:
- Asia: India, Indonesia, Vietnam.
- North Africa: Libya, Morocco, Tunisia.
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Kenya, Nigeria, Guinea.
- Southern Africa: South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia.