It also served from the start to lift Allied morale. Thus, the Germans had made a big mistake by provoking the Americans to enter the war. In the end, the two front war proved too difficult for Germany. The Allied push continued, with the British advancing in the north and the Americans attacking through the Argonne region of France. While the Germans were losing their forces on the
In the context of 100 Years, To what extent was the Unification of Germany responsible for the start of the First World War? _____________ The claim that the 'Unification of Germany' was the largest contributing factor to the cause of the First World War is a common sentiment held by many Historians. However there are many that challenge this opinion on the grounds that it is a "crude generalisation1" to exclude the plethora of contributing factors just to shift the blame to Germany and its leadership. In reality, the startling growth of Nationalism did lead to discrepancies between the great powers; the culture clashes and differences in tradition proved to be almost alienating and provocative to neighbouring nations which is a huge factor when considering the start of a war of this magnitude. Furthermore, the intricate system of alliances spawned during this era meant diplomacy became an impossible task that only the most expert politicians could manoeuvre.
The treaty would have been far more reasonable had the reparations been made smaller. To sum up, this term was very immoral and angered the people of Germany. The next term was Germany’s acceptance of war guilt. Germany was forced to admit full responsibility for World War One,
• Was a way of loweing morale and hindering German progression in the war, targeting their resources and factories. • There was some great success: 1943 Hamburg and Rhur had a serious impact on German war productin and took vital planes away from the Russian Front. • Was a major factor in German defeat. - Was Churchill justified in using the strategic bom 2 of 20 1 of 20 • Churchill felt uneasy about the bombing campiagn • The ruthless policy of total war had moral implications- Churchill could be seen as a war criminal. • Half a million Germans lost their lives in the bombing, way more civillian lives than were lost in Britain during the Blitz.
“The peace treaties achieved a just and reasonable settlement of the First World War” The peace treaties did not achieve a just and reasonable settlement of the First World War. How could placing the entire blame of a ‘World War’ onto a single country possibly be just? The peace treaties would have had a virtually impossible task to agree upon a peace settlement that everyone, victors and the defeated find acceptable and fair. No matter how hard the world leaders were to try, not every country would have found the settlement fair. This was especially the case for Germany as she was to reap the blame for the First World War.
From 1939-1941, the Axis powers were at its peak. Led by the ruthless blitzkrieg war tactics of Hitler, Germany and the Axis powers were able to undergo a string of victories. However, the ironic successes of the Axis powers led to greater actions by the Allies, which ultimately resulted in failure for the Axis powers. Had Hitler and the Axis powers were not so quick as to act upon impulse, and actually work as an alliance, it is more likely that the results of the war would have been in their favor. The success of Hitler and the Axis powers during the first two years of the war, 1939-1941, was impaired due to poor, irrational planning, postponements, overconfidence, and the growing forces of the Allied powers, as exemplified in the Battle of Britain, the Invasion of the Soviet Union, and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“German defeat in the Great War is predominantly attributable to the mistakes of the Prussian-German military elite.” Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement. The Great War was supposed to be a short, victorious war for Germany, one that would be over by Christmas but despite Germany’s early successes in the First World War she eventually suffered defeat in 1918. It is a popular argument that this defeat was due to the weaknesses and incompetence of the German military elite and there is much to support this. However there are other factors such as weaknesses shown by Germany’s allies, the strength of the Entente and the growing discontent of the Germans at home, that can also be attributable to Germany’s failure. German defeat in the Great War was largely down to the incompetence and mistakes of the German Military Elite.
The reason why so many people joined these extremists was that in the Treaty of Versailles the Germans would have to accept ‘the War guilt clause’. Everyone found this an outrage as the Germans eventually signed the Treaty. The Govterment system that was put in through the Weimar was democracy. This new system was new to Germany and looked to be crumbling after the first few years. The country had a militaristic past as which had gave the President some concerns that the old elite may try and overturn the Weimar with much support.
On 1st July 1916 England attacked the German trenches in a big bombardment to finally push the Germans back and win the war. However, despite the preparations and an unbelievable amount of 1,732,873 shells raining down on the German trench, Britain did not succeed in defeating Germany. Instead it was a disaster and the British army suffered some of the worst casualties in its entire history. But was this down to Haig’s poor leadership, failing technology or the things that Britain could not control? Haig, Britain’s leader was an experienced cavalry officer but he sometimes underestimated the power of the German Army.
Causes of WW 11 Who, or what was to blame in causing WW 11? The Versailles Treaties have been blamed for fillnig the Germans with bitterness and the desire for revenge. The League of Nations has been for failing to secure general disarmament and collective security. The Great Depression has been mentioned because without it Hitler would never have come to power. While these factors created tension, something more was needed to create the war.