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12-09-2019, 09:36 PM
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Who started WWII?

80 years ago WWii had just started and was at the early stages of wreaking devastation on the planet. It used to be crystal clear who started it - Hitler. But these days there is a lot of revisionism going on and some say that Britain started WWII. Absurd but that's the nature of revisionism. So what do you think? Who started WWII?

https://www.forces.net/news/what-eve...-world-war-two
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12-09-2019, 09:50 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Originally Posted by AnnieS ->
80 years ago WWii had just started and was at the early stages of wreaking devastation on the planet. It used to be crystal clear who started it - Hitler. But these days there is a lot of revisionism going on and some say that Britain started WWII. Absurd but that's the nature of revisionism. So what do you think? Who started WWII?

https://www.forces.net/news/what-eve...-world-war-two
Not sure Annie but probably those who invaded Poland had something to do with it.
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12-09-2019, 10:01 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Ultimately, the war was started by the French because of the punitive measures they inflicted on the Germans with the treaty of Versailles which not only insisted on reparations being paid, it prevented Germany from rebuilding their industries. Add to that, the former German territory known as the Sudaten Land was gifted to Poland under the treaty. It was the invasion of the Sudaten Land to recover what Germany had lost that triggered WW2
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12-09-2019, 10:27 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

That link puts forward a theory that it was the Treaty of Versailles and it's crippling effect on Germany which eventually pushed Germany over the edge. I do not agree with this theory purely because of one man Hitler. Hitler wanted German citizens to be united as one. This started with the numerous numbers of Germans living in Austria. Hitler wanted Austria to be joined with Germany but at the time, Austria's had it's own internal problems with political leaders vying for power and thus wanting the country under their leadership to become have it's own independence. A referendum vote took place which angered Hitler and as a result he annexed Austria. This in my opinion was the catalyst for everything that came afterwards because annexing Austria showed Hitler just how strong militarily Germany had become, all whilst under the watchful eye of the United Kingdom who did nothing to intervene.

Hitler seeing his authority go unchallenged gave him in my opinion the spur to do more. He then took issue with Czechoslovakia, the country having a large majority of population being ethnic Germans. Hitler wanted more and he got his way with the signing of a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union to take control of a few European countries, Poland being one of them. Both countries were unaware of a pact Poland had with the United Kingdom which resulted in Hitler delaying a military incursion into Poland. Hitler pushed for more rights for the minority of Germans living in Poland, Poland refused and not long after, Hitler decided to invade Poland.

Due to the pact that the UK had with Poland, Hitler was ordered to cease but he refused which lead to the UK and other nations declaring war on Germany. Hitlers own determination to unite the German people and get them preferential treatment and rights over others, regardless of where they lived, is what led him start WW2. The UK is guilty of watching Germany annexing Austria and doing nothing about it. Had they intervened, it might have prevented WW2. Same goes for other EU countries who saw what Germany was doing to Austria but did nothing.

It is always said 'all it takes is a spark to ignite something big' and that's what happened with Hitler and Austria, the spark was annexing Austria which gave Hitler the belief he had the power to do more. The rest as they say it history.
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12-09-2019, 10:28 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Originally Posted by Judd ->
Add to that, the former German territory known as the Sudaten Land was gifted to Poland under the treaty. It was the invasion of the Sudaten Land to recover what Germany had lost that triggered WW2
Wasn't Sudentenland annexed before WWII broke out? I thought it was in the Czechoslovakia.
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12-09-2019, 10:48 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

No one will ever know, it was probably just a sequence of events, with all that is bad, unravelling as a result, then, everything good following up, then local stability, for a while.
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12-09-2019, 10:53 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Originally Posted by Judd ->
Ultimately, the war was started by the French because of the punitive measures they inflicted on the Germans with the treaty of Versailles which not only insisted on reparations being paid, it prevented Germany from rebuilding their industries. Add to that, the former German territory known as the Sudaten Land was gifted to Poland under the treaty. It was the invasion of the Sudaten Land to recover what Germany had lost that triggered WW2
Absolutely bang on the button!
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12-09-2019, 11:12 PM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Originally Posted by AnnieS ->
Wasn't Sudentenland annexed before WWII broke out? I thought it was in the Czechoslovakia.
You are right, it was Czechoslovakia and not Poland but the rest is fact.
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13-09-2019, 04:14 AM
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Re: Who started WWII?

I think there was a bit of Poland there but it was mostly Czech I think. You can weave whatever historical thread of reasoning you like here but I think the simple answer is as clear as the ones who started it in The Pacific. The Japanese at Pearl Harbour. The ones who started WW2 in Europe are the ones who started the shooting. And that's Hitler and Germany. JMO
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13-09-2019, 04:40 AM
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Re: Who started WWII?

Originally Posted by keezoy ->
I think there was a bit of Poland there but it was mostly Czech I think. You can weave whatever historical thread of reasoning you like here but I think the simple answer is as clear as the ones who started it in The Pacific. The Japanese at Pearl Harbour. The ones who started WW2 in Europe are the ones who started the shooting. And that's Hitler and Germany. JMO
What about Russia's role? They invaded Poland at the same time I think.
 
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