Comparative essay causes of WW1 and WW2 in Asia

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• While WW1 and WW2 were triggered by short term causes, such as the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand which directly caused WW1, there are many ideological, economic, and territorial factors that led to these wars and built up the tension without which the trigger causes would not have been as significant.
• These different causes (ideological, territorial, economic) feed into and drive each other.
• Ideology is also not equally significant in both world wars.
• It can be argued that ideology was a more significant cause of WW2 in the Pacific than it was of WW1.
• This is because ideology was also a driving factor in the economic and territorial causes of WW2, while the economic and territorial causes of WW1 were less impacted by ideology and more impacted by the desire for power and therefore ideology was less significant as a cause of WW2.

Question 2

Main body paragraphs

Answer 2

1) Economic- German industrialization WW1, imperialism WW1, Japanese imperialism WW2
2) Territorial- territorial tensions between France and Germany over Alsace-Lorraine WW1, territorial tensions in the Balkans WW1, Japan’s territorial ambitions WW2
3) Ideology: -militarism WW1, SD and nationalism WW1, nationalism WW2, militarism WW2- historiography

Question 3

Ideology- militarism as a cause of WW1- examples

Answer 3

• Naval rivalry between Britain and Germany e.g. Kaiser Wilhelm II’s eagerness to build a battle fleet to rival Britain’s between 1906 and 1914 posed a threat to Britain’s empire & protection of trade- Britain’s economic prosperity rested on seaborne trade.
• The British government responded to the threat by ordering the construction of eight battleships in 1909.

Question 4

Ideology- Social Darwinism and nationalism as a cause of WW1- examples

Answer 4

• SD- the theory that certain people become more powerful in society because they are innately better.
• Used to justify imperialism, racism & eugenics.
• German nationalism e.g. from the mid-1890s, the Kaiser and various nationalist groups like the Pan-German League set their sights on the expansion of the navy and Germany’s overseas empire in a set of policy proposals collectively known as “Weltpolitiek”

Question 5

Ideology- nationalism as a cause of WW2- examples

Answer 5

• Japan wanted to assert itself as a Great Power.
• Nationalism was aided by propaganda and social Darwinism.
• The desire for expansion was fueled by nationalist urges built upon traditional Shinto religious beliefs that Japan was created by the Sun Goddess and that the Emperor was a ‘living god’.

Question 6

Ideology- militarism in Asia as a cause of WW2- examples

Answer 6

• Growth of Japanese militarism and their need to assert themselves as a major global power.
• In the 1930s military leadership became more important than civilian government e.g. the Japanese military was able to successfully defy the government by refusing to enforce discipline on the Kwantung Army when occupied the Kwantung Peninsula.

Question 7

Historiography for ideology

Answer 7

• While some historians argue that Japan was forced into war by the USA by embargoing oil shipments, many historians have criticized this view by pointing out the long-term anti-Chinese sentiment and the expansionist views of Japan’s nationalist leaders.
• The historian Kenneth B. Pyle, for example, points out that ‘War sentiment in Japan had been impelled by an ultranationalist ideology’.

Question 8

Economic- industrialisation as a cause of WW1

Answer 8

• By 1900, Germany had the largest industrial economy in Europe.
• The agricultural production and heavy industries that had dominated Germany’s economy in the past were replaced by modern industries e.g. manufacturing of electrical products.

Question 9

Economic- imperialism as a cause of WW1

Answer 9

• Germany’s desire to become a colonial power brought Germany into conflict with more established colonial powers, especially Britain.
• Britain was benefitting from its colonies in India e.g. using India’s abundant natural resources of coal, iron ore, cotton and other natural resources to ports for the British to ship home to use in their factories.

Question 10

Economic- Japanese imperialism as a cause of WW2- examples

Answer 10

• (focus on raw materials in China)
• Economic impacts of GD in Japan- 20-40% of its exports were silk.
• Due to the Depression, exports dropped 40%.
• Consequently, 50% of all Japanese factories shut down.
• Japan turned to Manchuria for oil, rubber, and lumber in order to make up for the lack of resources in Japan.

Question 11

Territorial- territorial tensions between France and Germany over Alsace-Lorrain as a cause of WW1- examples

Answer 11

This territory was ceded by France to Germany in 1871 after the Franco-German War.

Question 12

Territorial- territorial tensions in the Balkans as a cause of WW1- examples

Answer 12

• e.g. First (1912) & Second (1913) Balkan Wars. the First Balkan war - was caused by Serbia, Greece & Montenegro forming an alliance to force Turkey from the region.
• Second Balkan War Bulgaria against Serbia and Greece over land occupied by Serbia. Serbs and Greeks defeat Bulgaria.

Question 13

Territorial- Japan’s territorial ambitions as a cause of WW2- examples

Answer 13

• (focus on space for growing population)
• Impact of Paris Peace Conference- Although the Treaty of Versailles granted the Japanese control over former German territories in Shandong, during the Washington Conference of 1921-2, Japan was forced to withdraw its forces in these areas and accept the full restoration of sovereignty to China.

Question 14

Conclusion

Answer 14

• In conclusion, it can be seen that ideological factors were more significant in causing WW2 in Asia than they were in causing WW2, as the major cause of WW1 was the desire for economic and territorial power.
• Ideological so important to WW2 because the two other major causes of WW2 in Asia, economic and territorial causes, were fueled by ideology. (Explain)
• In the case of WW1, however, ideology was less of a driving force in the economic and territorial causes of the war (explain). …economic and territorial were driven by the desire for power.

Question 15

Ideology- explain how militarism led to WW1

Answer 15

• This increased tension between Britain and Germany as Britain’s empire and the economy were threatened.
• British newspapers portrayed Germany as their enemy.
• This increased Britain’s willingness to go to war.
• Britain’s construction of battleships encouraged them to go to war as they were now more militarily prepared- removes an obstacle

Question 16

Ideology- explain how social Darwinism and nationalism led to WW1

Answer 16

• Every nation felt they were superior to each other, they were all eager for war, as they believed it would strengthen their economy.
• Social Darwinism provided a rationale for warfare to secure national interests.
• SD also encouraged the notion that the Germans were hereditary enemies of the French and Russians.
• These ideas lead to a sense that conflict is inevitable.

Question 17

Ideology- explain how natinalism in Asia led to WW2

Answer 17

This nationalism- aided by Social Darwinism- made WW2 more likely because this superiority (especially over the Chinese) removed a moral obstacle for the Japanese- they felt as though they were entitled to Manchuria.

Question 18

Ideology- explain how militarism in Asia led to WW2

Answer 18

• This militarism was significant to WW2 because militarism was seen as the solution to Japan’s economic problems e.g. the effects of the GD.
• The military’s ability to defy the government set a precedent for further expansion as it knew it could overstep the government → occupation of Manchuria.

Question 19

Economic- explain how industrialization led to WW1

Answer 19

Germany’s rapid industrialization meant they were able to strengthen their military and grow the economy and this made them a more attractive ally to Austria-Hungary → encouragement to go to war with Serbia.

Question 20

Economic- explain how imperialism led to WW1

Answer 20

• Germany’s desire to expand and build colonies caused tension with Britain and France because they already had established colonies e.g. in African countries such as Egypt and Sudan.
• German imperialism was also driven by Social Darwinism and the belief that the spread of Western civilization was ‘God’s work’.
• It was also driven by nationalistic competition with other European powers.

Question 21

Economic- explain how Japan’s imperialism led to WW2

Answer 21

• Japan lacked sufficient raw materials to support its aim of being a great power.
• Exports of silk were heavily reliant on American consumerism.
• Due to the depression, luxury items such as silk were no longer purchased as often.
• Japanese factories shutting down brought about a chauvinistic and nationalist mentality in which people turned to the military to conquer new lands to hold their growing population and account for their lack of natural resources.
• Fueled by nationalism.

Question 22

Territorial- explain how territorial tensions between France and Germany over Alsace-Lorraine led to WW1

Answer 22

• The loss of Alsace-Lorraine was a major cause of anti-German sentiment between 1871 and 1914.
• France also suffered economically from the loss of this land because of Alsace-Lorraine’s valuable iron ore deposits.
• War was seen as the solution to these economic problems.

Question 23

Territorial- explain how territorial tensions in the Balkans led to WW1

Answer 23

Territorial tensions in the Balkans led to WW1 because Serbia’s success in the Balkan wars intensified nationalist sentiment and Serbia doubled in size, making it a threat to Austria-Hungary as it threatened their position economically and militarily in Europe.

Question 24

Territorial- explain how Japan’s territorial ambitions led to WW2

Answer 24

• Japan was furious to be given no further territory in China nor complete ownership of the Pacific Islands south of the Equator.
• These territories were crucial to Japan’s perception of itself as a nation that was the ‘natural’ leader of Asia.
• This drove anger and nationalism in Japan that contributed to the occupation of Manchuria, which weakened the League and therefore contributed to WW2.

Question 25

How did Japanese expansionism lead to WW2?

Answer 25

Faced with severe shortages of oil and other natural resources and driven by the ambition to displace the United States as the dominant Pacific power, Japan decided to attack the United States and British forces in Asia and seize the resources of Southeast Asia.

Question 26

Why did Japan enter WW2?

Answer 26

• There was pressure between Japan and the United States at the time concerning the war in China.
• The United States was demanding that Japan withdraw from China and sign non-aggression pacts with other Pacific countries.
• Japan deemed these requests unacceptable.
• All of this led Japan to the attack on Pearl Harbour (1941)

Question 27

Topic sentences

Answer 27

Although ideology was the most important cause of WW2 in Asia, it was not the most significant cause of WW1, as the desire for economic and territorial power was.

While ideology can be seen as the most important cause of WW2 in Asia, economic factors are still significant to the outbreak of war and they were fueled by ideology. As a cause of WW1, economic causes are more significant than ideological causes because they are part of the desire for power that led to WW1.

Although territorial factors were not the most important factors in the outbreak of WW2 in Asia, they are still significant because they made war more likely and were driven by ideology. In WW1, territorial causes were very significant because WW1 was mainly caused by the desire for power, both economic and territorial.