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World War I vs. World War II

Dien SocialSciences History

TheFirstWorldWar(WWI)wasfoughtfrom1914to1918andtheSecond
WorldWar(orWWII)wasfoughtfrom1939to1945.Theywerethelargest
militaryconictsinhumanhistory.Bothwarsinvolvedmilitaryalliances
betweendierentgroupsofcountries.
WorldWarI(a.k.atheFirstWorldWar,theGreatWar,theWarToEndAll
Wars)wascenteredonEurope.Theworldwarringnationsweredividedinto
twogroupsnamelyTheCentralPowersandTheAlliedPowers.Thecentral
powersgroupconsistedofGermany,AustriaHungary,TurkeyandBulgaria.
TheAlliedpowersgroupconsistedofFrance,Britain,Russia,Italy,Japan,and
(from1917)theU.S.
WorldWarII(a.k.atheSecondWorldWar),theopposingalliancesarenow
referredtoasTheAxisandTheAllies.TheAxisgroupconsistedof
Germany,Italy,andJapan.TheAlliesgroupconsistedofFrance,Britain,the
U.S.,theSovietUnion,andChina.WorldWarIIwasespeciallyheinousbecause
ofthegenocideofJewishpeopleperpetratedbytheNazis.

Comparison chart
World War I
Periodand 1914to1918;4years
duration
Triggersand AssassinationofArchduke
causes FrancisFerdinandofAustriain
June1914.Militarism,
Imperialism,nationalismand
alliancesystem.

Conictbetween TheCentralPowers(Germany,
AustriaHungary,andTurkey)
andtheAlliedPowers(France,
Britain,Russia,Italy,Japan,and
(from1917)theU.S.)
Casualties Estimatedtobe10million
militarydead,7millioncivilian
deaths,21millionwounded,and
7.7millionmissingor
imprisoned.

Genocide TheOomanEmpire(Turkey)
carriedoutgenocideof
Armenians.
Methodsof Foughtfromlinesoftrenchesand
warfare supportedbyartilleryand
machineguns,infantryassault,
tanks,earlyairplanesand
poisonousgas.Mostlystaticin
nature,mobilitywasminimal.

World War II
1939to1945;6Years

Politicalandeconomicinstability
inGermany.Theharsh
conditionsoftheTreatyof
VersaillesRiseofpowerofAdolf
HitlerandhisalliancewithItaly
andJapantoopposetheSoviet
Union
TheAxisPowers(Germany,Italy,
andJapan)andtheAlliedPowers
(France,Britain,theU.S.,the
SovietUnion,andChina)

Over60millionpeoplediedin
WorldWarII.Estimateddeaths
rangefrom5080million.38to55
millioncivilianswerekilled,
including13to20millionfrom
warrelateddiseaseandfamine.
GermanNaziscommied
genocideagainstJewsand
Romanis.
Nuclearpowerandmissileswere
used,modernconceptsofcovert
andspecialoperations.
Submarinesandtankswerealso
moreheavilyused.Encryption
codesforsecretcommunication
becamemorecomplex.Germany
usedtheBlikriegghting
method.

GO

Outcomes TheGerman,Russian,Austro
HungarianandOomanempires
weredefeated.AustroHungarian
andOomanempiresceasedto
exist.TheLeagueofNationswas
formedinthehopeofpreventing
anothersuchconict.

Postwarpolitics Resentmentwiththeonerous
termsoftheTreatyofVersailles
fueledtheriseofAdolfHitlers
partyinGermany.Sosome
historiansbelievethatinaway,
WorldWarIledtoWorldWarII.

Thewarendedwiththetotal
victoryoftheAlliesover
GermanyandJapanin1945.The
SovietUnionandtheUnited
Statesemergedasrival
superpowers.TheUnited
Nationswasestablishedtofoster
internationalcooperationand
preventconicts.
TherewasaColdWarbetween
theUnitedStatesandRussiaafter
theendoftheSecondWorldWar
untilthecollapseoftheUSSR
(19471991).Thewarsin
Afghanistan,VietnamandKorea
were,inasense,proxywars
betweenthetwonations.

Natureofwar Warbetweencountriesfor
acquiringcoloniesorterritoryor
resources.

Warofideologies,suchas
FascismandCommunism.

Abbreviation WWIorWW1

WWIIorWW2

Alsoknownas TheGreatWar,TheWorldWar,
TheKaisersWar,TheWarofthe
Nations,TheWarinEurope,or
TheEuropeanWar,WorldWar
one,FirstWorldWar,Thewarto
endallwars
American WoodrowWilson
presidentduring
thewar

SecondWorldWar,WorldWar
Two,TheGreatPatrioticWar

FDR,HarryTruman

Contents: World War I vs World War II

1CausesoftheWar
1.1WorldWarITrigger
1.2CausesofWorldWarII
2Sequenceofevents
2.1WorldWarI

3Warstrategies
4Outcomes
4.1WorldWarI
4.2WorldWarII
5References

2.2WorldWarII

Causes of the War

World War I Trigger
TheassassinationofArchdukeFranzFerdinandofAustriaon28June1914,the
heirtothethroneofAustriaHungarywasthetriggerforthewar.Hewaskilled
bySerbiannationalists.
AustriaHungaryinvadedSerbia.
AtsametimeGermanyinvadedBelgium,LuxembourgandFrance
RussiaaackedGermany
Severalalliancesformedoverthepastdecadeswereinvoked,sowithinweeksthe
majorpowerswereatwar;asallhadcolonies,theconictsoonspreadaroundthe
world.
ThisvideofromYaleexplainstheeventsthatledtoWorldWarI:

13. The Origins of World War I

Causes of World War II

TheVersaillesTreatysignedattheendofWorldWarInotonlylaythemoralblameof
theconictonGermanybutalsoforcedtheGermanstomakehugepaymentstothe
victorsofthewar.FranceandBritainneededthesereparationspaymentsinorderto
paydowntheirowndebts.Buttheywerehighlyonerous,arguablyunjustiablyso,
andweredeeplyunpopularinGermany.Hitlerseizedonthisgrowingresentmentand
promisedtoundothisinjusticeandtearupthistreatyandrestoreGermanytoitsold
greatness.Infact,thepaymentsdemandedweresolargethatGermanywasableto
repaythenalinstallmentofinterestonthisdebtonlyonOctober3,2010.[1]The
followingcausesofWorldWarIIaregenerallyacknowledged:
Treatyviolationsandactsofaggressiononvariousfronts.
PoliticalandeconomicinstabilityinGermany,combinedwithbiernessoverits
defeatinWorldWarIandtheharshconditionsoftheTreatyofVersailles.
RiseofpowerofAdolfHitlerandtheNaziParty.Inthemid1930sHitlerbegan
secretlytorearmGermany,inviolationofthetreaty.
AdolfHitlersignedallianceswithItalyandJapantoopposetheSovietUnion
GermaninvasionofPolandonSept.1,1939
ThefollowingdocumentarydelvesintothecausesofWorldWarII:

Causes of World War II Documentary - World War 2 Causes

Sequence of events
World War I
ThesequenceofeventsforWorldWarIbeganin1914withAustriaHungarydeclaring
waronSerbiaon28July1914inabidtoreassertitsauthorityasaBalkanpower.With
warbreakingoutbetweenAustriaHungaryononesideandSerbiaontheother,
Europequicklyfellbacktothealliancesnationshadformed.AustriaHungaryand
Germanywereallies.SerbiawasalliedwithRussia;aswasFrance.RussiaaidedSerbia
andaackedAustria.SoAustriaHungarywasghtingintwofrontswithSerbiaand
withRussiaandconsequentlylostonbothfronts.InabidtoaidAustriaHungary
againstRussia,andfearinganaackfromFrance,Germanymobilizeditsarmyand
aackedFrance.
1915
TheFrench,redeployingroundParis,togetherwiththeBritish,checkedthenow
extendedGermanarmiesontheMarne.InMarchandApril1915Britishseaand

extendedGermanarmiesontheMarne.InMarchandApril1915Britishseaand
landforcesaackedtheDardanelles.TheTurkscounteredboththreats,causing
theBritishtoevacuatetheGallipolipeninsulaattheendof1915.
AjointAustroGermanoensiveatGorliceTarnow(2May1915)unlocked
RussianPolandandthetsarsshaeredarmiesfellback
In1915theAlliesagreedthatsimultaneousaacksonallfrontswerethewayto
drainthereservesoftheCentralPowers
1916
On21February1916GermansaackedtheVerdunsalient;howeverthisaack
wasstalledinJune.AustriansindependentoensiveagainsttheItaliansinthe
Trentinoalsostalled.
1917
GermanynallyadoptedunrestrictedsubmarinewarfareinFebruary1917,and
indoingsodroveAmericaintothewar.
1918
TheGermansextendedtheirfrontwhilereducingtheirstrengthbyalmosta
millionmen.Simultaneouslytheycontinuedtoadvanceintheeast,competing
withtheirAustrianalliesintheUkraineandtheTurksintheCaucasus.*The
FrenchcounteraackedinJulyandtheBritishinAugust.Togetherwiththe
Americans,theydrovetheGermansbackinaseriesofindividuallylimitedbut
collectivelyinterlockingoensives.
On15thSeptembertheAngloFrenchforcesatSalonikaaackedinMacedonia,
forcingtheBulgarstoseekanarmisticebytheendofthemonth.
ThewholeoftheCentralPowersItalianfrontcrumbledaftertheAustriandefeat
onthePiaveinJune.
TheGermanhighcommandinitiatedtherequestforanArmisticeon4October.
AfterthewarGermanyclaimedthatthearmywasstabbedinthebackby
revolutionathome.ThepeopleofGermanyandAustriaHungarywerebaered
byfoodshortagesandination.
On11NovemberanarmisticewithGermanywassignedinarailroadcarriageat
Compigne.At11a.m.on11November1918aceaserecameintoeect.
1919Aformalstateofwarbetweenthetwosidespersistedforanothersevenmonths,
untilsigningoftheTreatyofVersailleswithGermanyon28June1919

World War II
Thewarthatbrokeoutin1939wasawarfortheEuropeanbalanceofpower.The
immediatecauseoftheconictwastheGermandemandforthereturnofDanzigand
partofthePolishcorridorgrantedtoPolandfromGermanterritoryintheVersailles
Treatyof1919.PolandrefusedtoagreetoGermandemands,andon1September1939
overwhelmingGermanforceslaunchedthePolishcampaignanddefeatedherinthree
weeks.RussiaalsoinvadedeasternPoland.Polandthusgotdividedintotwoparts.In
March1939BritainandFrancehadguaranteedPolishsovereignty,andinhonorofthat
pledgerstdemandedthatGermanforceswithdraw,andthenon3September
declaredwaronGermany.AmericawascommiedbytheNeutralityActsof1935and
1937ofnoninterventioninoverseasconicts.
ThisvideopresentsaconcisehistoryoftheeventsofWorldWarII:

History of World War Two 1939 - 1945 Map

1940
GermanarmiesinvadedBelgium,Luxembourg,andnorthernFranceandwithin
sixweeksdefeatedwesternforces.
BritainwasabletoresistGermanairaacksinthebaleofBritaininAugustand
September1940,andsurvivedaGermanbombingoensive(theBli)inthe
winterof19401,butitwasnotpossibleforBritaintodefeatGermanyunaided.
On10June1940MussolinisItalydeclaredwaronBritainandFrance.
InDecember1940HitlerturnedaentionawayfromBritainandapproved
BARBAROSSA,thelargescaleinvasionoftheUSSR.
AmericastartedgivingincreasingeconomicassistancetoBritainandChina
followingPresidentRooseveltspledgetoactasthearsenalofdemocracy.
1941
BARBAROSSAwaslaunchedon22June1941whenthreemillionGerman,
Finnish,Romanian,andHungariansoldiersaackedthewholelengthofthe
Sovietwesternfrontier.SovietUnionwasshaered.
InNorthAfrica,CommonwealthforcesstationedinEgyptdroveItalianarmies
backacrossLibyabyFebruary1941
InAbyssiniaandSomalilandItalianforceswereforcedtosurrenderbyMay1941.
ItalyscompletedefeatinAfricawasavoidedonlybyHitlersdecisiontosend
GermanreinforcementsunderRommel,andtheweaklogisticalpositionof
Commonwealthforces.
TheUSnavybecamecloselyinvolvedinthebaleoftheAtlanticineortsto
breaktheGermansubmarineblockadeofshippingdestinedforBritain.InMarch
1941CongressapprovedtheLendLeaseBillwhichallowedalmostunlimited
materialaid,includingweapons,foranystateghtingaggression.Intheautumn
of1941thiscametoincludetheUSSR,despitestrongAmericananticommunism.
Throughout1940and1941theUSAtightenedaneconomicblockadeofJapan
whichthreatenedtocutomostJapaneseoilsupplies.
AmericanactionsprovokedbothJapaneseandGermanretaliation.On7
December1941JapanesenavalaircraftaackedtheAmericannavalbaseatPearl
Harbor,followedbytherapidconquestofwesterncoloniesinsoutheastAsiaand
thesouthernPacic.
On11DecemberGermanydeclaredwarontheUSA.
1942
RussiamadearemarkablerecoveryandinNovemberGermanyandherallies
aackingStalingrad(nowVolgograd)werecutobyamassiveSoviet
encirclement,URANUS.
InNovember1942atAlameinapredominantlyItalianforcewasdefeatedby
Montgomery.
TheUSAfoughtalargelynavalandairwarbetween1942and1945,usingitsvery
greatnavalpowertodeploytroopsinmajoramphibiousoperations,rstinthe
SolomonIslandstohalttheJapanesePacicadvance,theninTORCH,acombined
AmericanBritishlandinginMoroccoandAlgeriainNovember1942.

AmontageofWorldWarIIphotos

1943

TheentryoftheUSAsignaledachangeinthepoliticalbalanceofthewarofgreat
signicance.GermanforcesinStalingradsurrenderedinJanuary1943andbyMay1943
ItalianandGermanforcesnallysurrenderedinTunisia,enablingtheAlliestomount
theinvasionofSicilyandthenItaly.ItalysuedforanarmisticeinSeptember1943.
1944
Americaneconomicmightandpoliticalinterestshelpedtobindtogetherthedierent
frontsofconict,whileAmericasworldwidesystemofsupplyandlogisticsprovided
thesinewsofwarnecessarytocompletethedefeatoftheaggressorstates.Amajor
intelligencedeceptionoperationanddecliningairpowerweakenedtheGerman
responseandbySeptember1944GermanforceshadbeendrivenfromFrance.
1945
Germansurrenderedon7May1945followingHitlerssuicideon30April.
AlongrangebombingcampaigndestroyedtheJapanesecitiesandmostofthe
Japanesenavyandmerchantmarine.Americasnewestweapon,theatomic
bombsweredroppedonHiroshimaandNagasakiinAugust1945.
SovietforcesdestroyedtheJapanesearmyinManchuria;Japannallycapitulated
on2September.

War strategies
Manyoftheweaponsthatdominatemilitaryoperationstodayweredevelopedduring
WorldWarI,includingthemachinegun,thetankandspecializedcombataircraft.This
isagreatvideothatexplainsthemilitarystrategiesandtacticsusedduringWorldWar
I.

World War 1: Tactics And Strategy High Denition (Colorised)

Outcomes
World War I
Afterthewar,theParisPeaceConferenceimposedaseriesofpeacetreatiesonthe
CentralPowers.The1919TreatyofVersaillesociallyendedthewar.Building
onWilsons14thpoint,theTreatyofVersaillesalsobroughtintobeingtheLeague
ofNationson28June1919.Insigningthetreaty,Germanyacknowledged
responsibilityforthewar,agreeingtopayenormouswarreparationsandaward
territorytothevictors.Itcausedalotofbierness.
AustriaHungarywaspartitionedintoseveralsuccessorstates.
TheRussianEmpirelostmuchofitswesternfrontierasthenewlyindependent
nationsofEstonia,Finland,Latvia,Lithuania,andPolandwerecarvedfromit.

World War II
ThewarendedwiththetotalvictoryoftheAlliesoverGermanyandJapanin
1945.TheUnitedNationswasestablishedtofosterinternationalcooperationand
preventfutureconicts.
TheSovietUnionandtheUnitedStatesemergedasrivalsuperpowers.
AlthoughthetotalitarianregimesinGermany,Italy,andJapanweredefeated,the
warleftmanyunresolvedpolitical,social,andeconomicproblemsinitswakeand
broughttheWesterndemocraciesintodirectconfrontationwiththeirerstwhile
ally,theSovietUnionunderJosefStalin,therebyinitiatingaperiodofnearlyhalf
acenturyofskirmishingandnervouswatchfulnessastwoblocs,eacharmedwith
nuclearweapons,facedeachotherprobingforanysignofweakness.

nuclearweapons,facedeachotherprobingforanysignofweakness.
TheEuropeaneconomyhadcollapsedwith70%oftheindustrialinfrastructure
destroyed.
Arapidperiodofdecolonizationalsotookplacewithintheholdingsofthe
variousEuropeancolonialpowers.Theseprimarilyoccurredduetoshiftsin
ideology,theeconomicexhaustionfromthewarandincreaseddemandby
indigenouspeopleforselfdetermination.

References
Wikipedia:WorldWarII
Wikipedia:WorldWarI
Wikipedia:WorldWarIcasualties
Wikipedia:WorldWarIIcasualties
WorldWarIEncyclopdiaBritannica
WhataresomeinterestingfactsabouttheSecondWorldWar?Quora

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Comments: World War I vs World War II

39Comments

Sortby Newest

Anonymous comments (6)

May13,2014,5:05pm

Addacomment...

Thisisactuallyreallyhelpfulifyourlearningabouttheww1and
ww2itmakesthingsaloteasier.Thxs
2...119

GordKKWeston
WhynomentionofCanada?Canadiansdeclaredwarbeforeon
GermanybeforetheUSandwereanintegralpartofddayand
werefearedtremendouslyascanadianbearsbythegermans.
LikeReply

GenocidebyGermany,wascarriedoutonmorethanthoselisted.

2Sep10,20155:22am

StephanieParkerWieskampIndependentConsultantatRodan
andFields
No,justtoendthewarfaster.
LikeReply

October7,2013,8:12pm

1Sep4,20156:32am

204...1

April18,2013,4:07pm

thishelpedalot
150...200

SonerUrarDerepazar
Soamericasnukingoverjapanwithatomicbombsdoesn'tcountas
agenocide?

April7,2014,1:27pm

LikeReply

Sohelpfulgoodforanerdlikeme.

2Jul1,20152:16pm

BillyMagdalinSIAST

182...155

WherethehellisCanada?
LikeReply

3Dec24,20148:13am

RiasatAhsanMcGillUniversity
Loltheyarealwayspartofthealliedforces
LikeReplyJan6,20153:00pm

EthanHymas
RightabovetheUSbelieveitornot

August27,2013,12:51pm

Veryhelpful
109...169

RightabovetheUSbelieveitornot
LikeReply

5Apr24,20159:33am

SelimOzanYurtseverProjeMhendisiatzmirgazDoalgaz
DatmA..
genolie?
LikeReplyDec17,20149:42pm

September13,2012,2:37pm

thisisawesome
152...49

RafaelKarapetyanKing'sCollegeLondon
YouoccasionallyreferinyourarticletoRussia,whenitshouldbe
SovietUnion(USSR),itisnotthesame.
LikeReply

1Oct22,201410:44pm

RobertoBeltranBossatWoodworkingIsMyPassion
Thismaybeofsomeusetosomeofmyfriends.JermaineBurns
takeapeekatthis.
LikeReplyOct21,201412:49pm

MuhammadNugrahaUniversitasKristenIndonesia.(UKI)
thankyoufortheinformations,Icanmakemyhomeworkeasily.
LikeReply

2Sep1,20143:09pm

TobiasMhandoKenyaschoolofmonetarystudies
Ilikereadinghistory.HonestlyHistoryshapesusandallowsusto
knowwhycountriesrelatethewaytheydotoday.Thisarticlehas
enabledmetorealizemoreabouttheconnectionsoftheWW1and
theWW2.,Thecausesandtheoutcomes.Thewarstomy
understandingandbelievewerenecessary,forifitwerenotforthe
same,boundariesforvariousterritoriesmaynothavebeen
established.ThroughthearticleamabletounderstandAmericas
involvementintheWW1andWW2,andwhereatsomepoint
Americatooktheisolationistpolicytillsomepoint.
AmgratefultotheAuthors,Irelatealotofthistothemycountry(
kenya)historytosomeextent.Regards,Tobias.
LikeReply

1Aug10,20141:42am

OlegFrolov
PaulCumminsunusualinstallationinmemoryofthosekilledin
WorldWarIhttp://allfreefoto.ru/5766paulcummins.html.
LikeReplyAug8,20143:40am

RileySmithWawotaParklandSchool
screwCanada?eh?
LikeReplyJun24,20142:35pm

MarcCastellSVP,RealEstateFinanceGroupatManagement
AdvisorsExecutiveSRCH
Verywellwritten.Makesyouappreciateourfreedom.Youstillask
yourself,"Whydidsomanyhavetodie?"Freedomshouldneverbe
takenforgranted.
LikeReply

1Jun7,20149:32am

AriadnaCruzFacultaddeLenguasUaemex
itreallyhelpedme.
LikeReply

1May29,20141:53pm

AnujHoskoti
sohelpfullgoodforanerdlikeme
LikeReply

1Jan31,20146:39pm

NishadHegdeDesai
yougonemaddude???
LikeReplyFeb1,201412:41am

SergioPacoriWorksatProvinciadiGorizia
Iamsculptor.IusepiecesofbombsoftheFfirstWar
LikeReplyDec20,20134:26am

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