World War II: A Continuation of The Great War When the Great War came to an end with the signing of an armistice in the fall of 1918, the European counterparts of the Allied forces sought only to punish the German Empire to the harshest degree. With their determination to substantially debilitate Germany, The Treaty of Versaille decimated its army to an almost humiliating number, decreased the size of Germany, and forced the empire to pay an insurmountable amount in reparations for damages from the war. Basically, The Treaty of Versaille pummeled the German military and economy, and left Germany boiling with discontent, and pursuing the revenge that would come in the second world war. The restraints placed on Germany would also create a vulnerable government that would give rise to the election of a totalitarian leader, poised for revenge.
Initially, the Treaty of Versaille expected Germany to pay 5 billion dollars in reparations until a committee met in 1921, when 25 billion more were demanded.
Mussolini (left) and Hitler sent their armies to N...
English: Adolf Hitler as a soldier during the Firs...
German soldier's "Auf Wiedersehen" (LOC)This economic drain on their economy most likely was the single largest factor in intensifying Germany's hostility toward Great Britain and France. This demand was totally unfeasible, for it would literally crush the German economy and starve the population.
Also, by stripping Germany of it overseas colonies, the treaty also stripped Germany of investments and any sources of income. For example, the province of Alsace-Lorraine was a huge asset to Germany's prosperity from coal mining. Since it would be impossible for Germany to meet the treaty's demands, Germany would rebuild its empire and seek revenge.
World War II, when it began in 1939, shared many attributes with the first. The circumstances under which the war was spawned are basically the same: The German Empire was unhappy with their standing among the other rapidly...