The agreement to end WWI did not resolve existing problems in the countries. The destruction that was caused by WWI led to the next war, World War II (WWII). The causes included the formation of the Treaty of Versailles agreement, rising militarism and nationalism in Germany and Japan, and the League of Nations’ failure. After WWI, Germany was forced to sign an agreement written in the Treaty of Versailles, according to which Germany had to pay reparations, was not allowed to have significant military forces, and was deprived of its territories. Many people in Germany felt that the agreement was unfair, which led to resentment and the rise of extremist parties like Nazis. Thus, despite the treaty signed, Germany pursued aggressive politics and finally broke the rules.
When Adolf Hitler came to power, he began to build his army and aimed to return territories that were deprived. Britain and France were aware of Hitler’s plan, but they thought that his actions seemed fair and could prevent the spread of Communism. Hitler was preparing for the war by building his army and creating an alliance with Italy and Japan, forming the Axis Power. When he demanded the part of Czechoslovakia, the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain decided to give the part of the country making a deal with Hitler to avoid war. The act of Appeasement was broken, and Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Next, Germany signed a pact with the Soviet Union that allowed them to conquer Poland’s territories. Later, the Soviet Union tried to agree with the Allies over Poland’s protection, but this agreement broke down. This failure allowed Hitler to enter Poland and led to the outbreak of WWII.
The last political cause of WWII was the League of Nations’ failure. The League of Nations is an organization that aimed to maintain peace in the world. According to it, any disputes between countries had to be solved without violence and by means of negotiations. The organization had some successes at the beginning of the establishment, but it did not prevent the outbreak of the war. The main reasons for the League’s failure were that not all countries entered, such as Germany and Russia. It did not have power because its primary weapon was to ask states to stop trading with those who disturb the peace. It did not work because aggressive countries could trade with other countries that were not in the League. Finally, the League of Nations could not respond quickly to the acts of aggression because the members had to organize a meeting, and the decision had to be made by all members. Thus, the failure of the League was one of the causes that led to WWII.