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The Invasion Of World War II

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The invasion by the German military into Poland on September 1, 1939 is frequently recognized as the legitimate beginning to World War II, as Britain and France formally declared war on Germany following Germany’s invasion into Poland. However, although Hitler’s hostile military action toward Poland triggered the outbreak of World War II, this does not necessarily mean that Hitler intended to start a world war in 1939. Indeed, historians debate whether Hitler planned to provoke a word war when he invaded Poland. In order to better understand Hitler’s motivations, it is necessary to gain a broader of understanding of the geopolitical and economic environment leading up to World War II. The events that led to World War II are closely connected to the roots of World War I. Germany and its leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and its allies, were defeated by the United Kingdom and France in World War I. Germany was the scapegoat of the war, and after the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to pay heavy war reparations ($30 billion) and to disarm. In addition, land was taken away from Germany and given to other countries. There were additional restrictions on Germany, i.e., it could not form a union with Austria. The Germans resented the Treaty, and the reparations had an impact on Germany’s economy which was struggling in the wake of the Great Depression of 1929, which led to high unemployment and general discontentment in the population. It is not surprising then that in the

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