• The period of the World War II (1939-1945) could be regarded as the darkest era in the panorama of the world history. It witnessed many uncivilized, beastly and brutal events in the history of the humankind like mass genocide, Holocaust, mass starvation, epidemics and first use of the nuclear weapons.
• The events culminating in this period thwarted the growth of the globe on the whole and, almost, brought the world to a standstill. The period saw the most geographically widespread military conflict till date. The major belligerent countries were the Axis powers – Germany, Italy, and Japan; and the Allies – France, Great Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union.
• One of the most important outcomes of the Second World War, inter alia, was that it extended the Soviet Union’s power to the states of Eastern Europe and shifted the power fulcrum from Europe to the US and the Soviet Union.

Causes of World War II

There were multitude of causes leading to the Second World War. Although the stage had been set since long, having numerous long-term causes, some events proved to be the last nail in the coffin and led to the immediate trigger of the war. The specific causes could be dichotomized into long-term and immediate as under:

Long-term Causes

• Harsh and Unfair Post War Treaty: The manipulated peace settlements after the First World War and the exuberant war reparations imposed on the defeated states, especially Germany, engendered the feeling of humiliation and loss of prestige. The Dictated Peace , as called upon by the Treaty of Versailles, made far reaching territorial readjustments which satisfied only victors while leaving others highly dissatisfied. It also crippled Germany and its allies. The western desires were, however, dictated on Germany, outcomes of which would surface just in two decades, leading to another and more devastating world war.
• Failure of League of Nations to Fullfil its Mandate: The League of Nations was constituted in 1919-20 (Paris
  Peace Conference) so as to provide a platform for disputes resolution and to avoid another world war. The failure of its mandate could be regarded as one of the most important reasons behind the Second World War.
  
  • Its debacle as an International peacekeeper and in efforts towards disarmament, etc., gave way to the catastrophe of the Second World War. The incompetency of the League during the invasion of Manchuria, Italian aggression against Ethiopia, Abyssinian crisis, etc., undermined its authority and mandate as an International peacekeeper. US’s coming out of the League also gave a big blow to the legitimacy of the League.
• Inefficient Refugee Resettlement Post-World War I: The failure of Paris Peace Conference in looking after the question of displaced populations was also one of the reasons. This led to rise of discontent among the minorities in several states. This also, in a way or the other, created problems in the already deteriorating political arenas of the European states. Hitler, for instance, justified and pursued expansionist foreign policy in order to accommodate all the Germans of the world (including those in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria) and wanted to make a Great Germany.
• Rise of Extremist Ideology: The First World War inevitably sowed the seeds of political, economic, and, social instability in Europe, paving the way for the dictatorial rules in several parts of Europe and across the world. These conditions led to the emergence of most barbaric dictatorial regime i.e ., Fascism and Nazism. They spread the propaganda of revival of the greatness of their ancient states (like ancient Rome, Teutonic order, etc.), regain of the loss of so called prestige after the First World War, etc. They also embraced war and preached violence. The most extreme form of Fascism, called Nazism, was developed in Germany.