STRATEGIC STUDIES
ASSIGNMENT NO:
World War-I and WW-II
DATE:
26-11-2019
SUBMITTED BY:
WAJEEH ARMAGHAN ASGHAR
SUBMITTED TO:
SIR M. MANSOOR ZUBAIR
DEPARTMENT OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
STUDIES
FACULTY OF CONTEMPORARY STUDIES
NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, E-9, ISLAMABAD
Q-1: What was the causes of world war I and II?
Following are the causes of World War-I;
1. Imperialism is when a country increases their power and wealth by bringing additional
territories under their control. Before World War I, several European countries had made
competing imperialistic claims in Africa and parts of Asia, making them points of
contention. Because of the raw materials these areas could provide. The increasing
competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in confrontation that helped
push the world into World War I.
2. Over time, countries throughout Europe made mutual defense agreements that would pull
them into battle. These treaties meant that if one country was attacked, allied countries were
bound to defend them. Before World War 1, the following alliances existed: Russia and
Serbia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, France and Russia, Britain and France and
Belgium, Japan and Britain. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia got involved
to defend Serbia. Germany seeing Russia mobilizing, declared war on Russia. France was
then drawn in against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany attacked France through
Belgium pulling Britain into war. Then Japan entered the war. Later, Italy and the United
States would enter on the side of the allies.
3. As the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had begun. By 1914, Germany had the
greatest increase in military build up. Great Britain and Germany both greatly increased
their navies in this time period. Further, in Germany and Russia particularly, the military
establishment began to have a greater influence on public policy. This increase in
militarism helped push the countries involved into war.
4. Much of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and
Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia. In this
way, nationalism led directly to the War. But in a more general way, the nationalism of the
various countries throughout Europe contributed not only to the beginning but the extension
of the war in Europe. Each country tried to prove their dominance and power.
5. The immediate cause of World War I that made the aforementioned items come into play
the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. In June 1914, a
Serbian-nationalist terrorist group called the Black Hand sent groups to assassinate the
Archduke. Their first attempt failed when a driver avoided a grenade thrown at their car.
However, later that day a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated him and
his wife while they were in Sarajevo, Bosnia which was part of Austria-Hungary.
Following are the causes of World War-I;
1. The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers.
Because Germany had lost the war, the treaty was very harsh against Germany. Germany
was forced to "accept the responsibility" of the war damages suffered by the Allies. The
treaty required that Germany pay a huge sum of money called reparations. The problem
with the treaty is that it left the German economy in ruins. People were starving and the
government was in chaos.
2. In the period before World War II, Japan was growing rapidly. However, as an island nation
they did not have the land or the natural resources to sustain their growth. Japan began to
look to grow their empire in order to gain new resources. They invaded Manchuria in 1931
and China in 1937.
3. With the economic turmoil left behind by World War 1, some countries were taken over by
dictators who formed powerful fascist governments. These dictators wanted to expand their
empires and were looking for new lands to conquer. The first fascist government was Italy
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which was ruled by the dictator Mussolini. Italy invaded and took over Ethiopia in 1935.
Adolf Hitler would later emulate Mussolini in his takeover of Germany. Another Fascist
government was Spain ruled by the dictator Franco.
In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power. The Germans were desperate
for someone to turn around their economy and restore their national pride. Hitler offered
them hope. In 1934, Hitler was proclaimed the leader and became dictator of Germany.
Hitler resented the restrictions put on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. While talking
about peace, Hitler began to rearm Germany. He allied Germany with Mussolini and Italy.
Then Hitler looked to restore Germany to power by expanding his empire. He first took
over Austria in 1938. When the League of Nations did nothing to stop him, Hitler became
bolder and took over Czechoslovakia in 1939. After World War 1, the nations of Europe
were weary and did not want another war.
When countries such as Italy and Germany became aggressive and began to take over their
neighbours and build up their armies, countries such as Britain and France hoped to keep
peace through "appeasement." This meant that they tried to make Germany and Hitler
happy rather than try to stop him. They hoped that by meeting his demands he would be
satisfied and there wouldn't be any war. Unfortunately, the policy of appeasement
backfired. It only made Hitler bolder. It also gave him time to build up his army.
The period before World War II was a time of great economic suffering throughout the
world called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work and struggling to
survive. This created unstable governments and worldwide turmoil that helped lead to
World War II.
Q-2: The Countries which took part in World War I?
World War I
During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central
Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United
States (the Allied Powers).
World War II
Axis Powers including Germany, Italy and Japan. And Allies Powers included Britain, France,
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, the Soviet Union, China and the United States.
Q-3: Which leaders emerged during and at the end of WORLD WAR-I?
Georges Clemenceau - Clemenceau was Prime Minister of France from 1917 to 1920. His
leadership helped hold France together during the most difficult times of the war. His nickname
was "The Tiger." Clemenceau represented the French at the peace talks and advocated for harsh
punishment for Germany.
David Lloyd George - Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of Britain during much of the
war. He was an advocate of Britain entering the war and kept the country together during the
war.
King George V - King of Britain during the war, George V was a figurehead with little power,
but often visited the front to inspire the British troops.
Tsar Nicolas II - Tsar Nicholas II was leader of Russia at the start of World War I. He entered
the war in defence of Serbia. However, the war effort was disastrous in the eyes of the Russian
people. The Russian Revolution occurred in 1917 and Nicolas II was removed from power. He
was executed in 1918.
President Woodrow Wilson - President Woodrow Wilson was re-elected on the platform that
he kept America out of the war. However, he was given little choice and declared war on
Germany in 1917. After the war, Wilson advocated less harsh terms on Germany, knowing that
a healthy German economy would be important for all of Europe.
Q-4: What are the turning points of World Wars?
The Triple Alliance is formed
The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. This alliance was a big
factor in the start of World War I. This added to the tangle of alliances which essentially led to
war.
The Battle of Tannenberg
This was one of the most important battles of world war I. Germany defeated Russia in this
battle. Russia's equipment was outdated and in short supply. Also, their leaders weren't as
strong as Germany's. Russia lost 125,000 soldiers while Germany only lost 13,000 soldiers.
Battle of Gallipoli
In efforts to open up the strait of the Dardanelles, the allies sent British, Indian, Australian, and
New Zealander troops. Turkish troops then trapped the allies. They kept them for ten months
then finally the allies withdrew from the Dardanelle. There were more than 200,000 casualties
during this battle.
The Sinking of Lusitania
This ship transported many goods between Britain and the United States. During this time
Germany started using U-boats, or submarines, and was sinking ships with them. A German
submarine torpedoed Lusitania off the coast of Ireland and killed nearly 1,200 passengers. This
contributed to the process of getting the United States involved in the war.
The Battle of Verdun
In this battle the Germans tried to break the stalemate by attacking the French town of Verdun.
They bombarded the city for 24 hours. Then they attacked them with force for about a month.
At one point the Germans were close to defeating them but the French fought heroically and
stopped them. 315,000 French soldiers were killed and 282,000 German soldiers were killed.
The battle like many in world war I accomplished little and it didn't break the stalemate.
Battle of Somme
The British launched an attack on the Somme River in northwest France to try relieve German
pressure on Verdun. With this battle, not much was achieved and there were many casualties.
They used new tanks and flamethrowers causing the British and French about 615,000
casualties and German about 650,000. The outcome of this battle was simply that the chief of
the German General Staff was removed and replaced and many casualties happened.
US declares war on Germany
After seeing the Zimmermann note, Wilson declares war. The US spent time recruiting,
training, supplying, and transporting their new strong army across the Atlantic. By the time
they were ready they had about two million soldiers joining the Allied troops fighting on the
Western Front. They didn't actually fight much but they did give confidence to the Allies.
Battle of Caporetto
The battle of Caporetto was one of the few successes in World War I. Austro-Hungarian forces
were nearing the point of collapse so they turned to their German ally. Together they broke
through the defensive line along Northern Isonzo. There were about 30,000 Italian casualties
and 275,000 Italians were captured. There were about 20,000 Austro-Hungarian and German
casualties together. These were big loses but they quickly built back their armies.
Fourteen Points
Fourteen Points were a list of terms written by the US president, Woodrow Wilson, for
resolving this war and preventing future ones. Some of the points were freedom to navigate the
seas, no more secret agreements, an end to economic barriers, and self-determination. Wilson
presented his fourteen points to his Allied colleagues on January 8th and had trouble accepting
them. Some European countries accepted them though, like France and Italy.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty was peace agreement between Central Powers and Russia. It was a peace treaty in
force for only eight months. Turkey forced Germany into signing it. It stated "Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey for the one part, and Russia for the other part, being in
accord to terminate the state of war, and to enter into peace negotiations as speedily as
possible".
Q-5: how the both World Wars ended?
WW-I:
This first global conflict had claimed from 9 million to 13 million lives and caused
unprecedented damage. Germany had formally surrendered on November 11, 1918, and all
nations had agreed to stop fighting while the terms of peace were negotiated. On June 28, 1919,
Germany and the Allied Nations including Britain, France, Italy and Russia signed the Treaty
of Versailles, formally ending the war.
The Treaty of Versailles imposed very rigid restrictions against Germany, including limiting
its army to 100,000 members. President Wilson, who opposed the treaty, had developed his
own form of reconciliation, called the "Fourteen Points." The Points included a provision for a
League of Nations to prevent "the crime of war." Wilson also wanted all terms of settlement to
be openly negotiated. But the actual terms of the treaty included secret arrangements for
distribution of conquered German territories among the Allied Nations. Many historians
believe these terms eventually led to World War II.
WW-II:
World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of Germany in May 1945, but both May
8 and May 9 are celebrated as Victory in Europe Day (or V-E Day). This double celebration
occurs because the Germans surrendered to the Western Allies, including Britain and the U.S.,
on May 8, and a separate surrender took place on May 9 in Russia.
In the East, the war ended when Japan surrendered unconditionally on Aug. 14, 1945, signing
their surrender on Sept. 2. The Japanese surrender occurred after the United States dropped
atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and 9, respectively. The date of the
Japanese surrender is known as Victory Over Japan Day, or V-J Day.
Q-4: What were the effects of both wars on large scale?
Specific Effects of World War 1:
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WW1 caused the downfall of four monarchies: Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary and
Russia.
The war made people more open to other ideologies, such as the Bolsheviks that came to
power in Russia and fascism that triumphed in Italy and even later in Germany.
WW1 largely marked the end of colonialism, as the people became more nationalistic and
the one country after the other started colonial revolts in Southeast Asia, the Middle East
and Africa.
The war changed the economical balance of the world, leaving European countries deep in
debt and making the U.S. the leading industrial power and creditor in the world.
Inflation shot up in most countries and the German economy was highly affected by having
to pay for reparations.
With troops travelling all over the world, influenza was spread easily and an epidemic
started which killed more than 25 million people across the world.
With all the new weapons that were used, WW1 changed the face of modern warfare
forever.
Specific Effects of World War 2:
At the end of World War II, huge swaths of Europe and Asia had been reduced to ruins. Borders
were redrawn and homecomings, expulsions, and burials were under way. But the massive
efforts to rebuild had just begun. When the war began in the late 1930s, the world's population
was approximately 2 billion. In less than a decade, the war between the Axis the Allied powers
had resulted in 80 million deaths -- killing off about 4 percent of the whole world. Allied forces
now became occupiers, taking control of Germany, Japan, and much of the territory they had
formerly ruled. Efforts were made to permanently dismantle the war-making abilities of those
nations, as factories were destroyed and former leadership was removed or prosecuted. War
crimes trials took place in Europe and Asia, leading to many executions and prison sentences.
Millions of Germans and Japanese were forcibly expelled from territories they called home.
Allied occupations and United Nations decisions led to many long-lasting problems in the
future, including the tensions that created East and West Germany, and divergent plans on the
Korean Peninsula that led to the creation of North and South Korea and -- the Korean War in
1950. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine paved the way for Israel to declare its
independence in 1948 and marked the start of the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict. The growing
tensions between Western powers and the Soviet Eastern Bloc developed into the Cold War,
and the development and proliferation of nuclear weapons raised the very real specter of an
unimaginable World War III if common ground could not be found. World War II was the
biggest story of the 20th Century, and its aftermath continues to affect the world profoundly
more than 65 years later.