Adolf Hitler's Role in Causing World War II
This essay examines Adolf Hitler's central role in causing and escalating the Second World War. Drawing on historical sources including John Lukacs, Peter Neville, and Hitler's own Mein Kampf, the paper traces how Hitler rose to power on the discontent generated by the Treaty of Versailles, transformed Germany into a fascist state, and pursued a methodical plan for war. The essay argues that while Germany's grievances were real and widely acknowledged—even by the British—Hitler's extreme aggression, including his unprovoked invasion of the Soviet Union and his declaration of war on the United States, went far beyond any rational redress of those grievances, ultimately destroying the very country he claimed to champion.
- From World War I to World War II: WWII as continuation of WWI through Hitler
- Hitler's Rise to Power and the End of the Weimar Republic: Hitler dismantles Weimar Republic, forms Third Reich
- The Treaty of Versailles and Germany's Grievances: Versailles terms spark German resentment and rearmament
- Hitler's Invasion of the Soviet Union: Hitler breaks non-aggression pact, attacks Soviet Union
- Declaring War on the United States: Hitler declares war on U.S., overextending Germany fatally
- Conclusion: Hitler's Legacy of Destruction: Hitler's aggression destroys Germany more than WWI did
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper opens with a compelling framing device — the numbered continuity of the two World Wars — that immediately orients the reader and establishes the central argument about Hitler's unique responsibility.
- It balances primary and secondary sources effectively, weaving together direct quotations from Neville, Lukacs, and Bielenberg to support analytical claims rather than simply summarizing them.
- The essay acknowledges counterarguments (e.g., that Germany's grievances were legitimate and even British observers found the Versailles terms harsh) before demonstrating why Hitler's response still exceeded any rational justification.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of concession and rebuttal: it grants that the Treaty of Versailles was genuinely punitive and widely criticized, then pivots to argue that a less extreme leader could have sought diplomatic redress. This technique strengthens the central claim — that Hitler's war was personal and ideological, not merely a rational response to national humiliation — by showing the author has considered alternative explanations.
Structure breakdown
The essay follows a roughly chronological structure. It opens by linking the two World Wars, then traces Hitler's ideological origins, his seizure of power, and the grievances that fueled German public support. It then moves through key escalatory decisions — breaking the Versailles disarmament clauses, invading the Soviet Union, and declaring war on the United States — before concluding with a reflective judgment on Hitler's legacy. Each section builds on the previous one, sustaining a single thesis throughout.
From World War I to World War II
There is a common notion that the war of 1939 is a continuation of the war that ended in 1918. The Second World War was, in fact, a return to the unfinished business of the First World War — which is precisely why they are numbered I and II. The idea of a progression from World War I to World War II is unavoidable. The same nation, Germany, is the belligerent most actively responsible for both conflicts. In the 1914 war, German aggression was rooted in alliances, panic, and fear of not making the first move. In 1939, however, it was the result of a methodical plan of one man: Adolf Hitler.
Hitler had actually fought in the First World War, by which point he had already become a "rabid German nationalist" (Neville, 2006, p. 4). According to what he wrote in his book Mein Kampf, Hitler became a nationalist after reading about the Franco-Prussian War and wondering why his father's generation of German Austrians had not done more to fight for the Germans (Hitler, 1925).
Hitler's Rise to Power and the End of the Weimar Republic
Signs that war was brewing on the horizon were evident ever since Hitler took power, effectively putting an end to the Weimar Republic and transforming Germany into a fascist state. As Christabel Bielenberg describes:
"The Weimar Republic, which had succeeded the monarchy after the First World War, succumbed without much ado to the demagogy, the bullyragging tactics, and the subtle political manipulations of one man. It became the Third Reich. The countless political parties of the post-war years having finally fought and argued themselves to a standstill, were successfully buried under a muddy brown avalanche: The National Socialist German Workers Party, with Party member no. 7, Adolf Hitler, at its head" (Bielenberg, 1972, pp. 17–18).
It should be noted, however, that Hitler did not merely seize power; he had the full support of the majority of Germans. Humiliated by their defeat in the First World War and by the subsequent sanctions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, the German people were anxious to seek revenge against their perceived enemies.
References
Bielenberg, C. (1972). The Past is Myself. London: Chatto & Windus.
Hitler, A. (1925). Mein Kampf. Retrieved 4 December 2007 from
Lukacs, J. (2006). June 1941: Hitler and Stalin. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Neville, P. (2006). Hitler and Appeasement: The British Attempt to Prevent the Second World War. New York: Hambledon Continuum.
Wilkinson, J. and Hughes, H. S. (2003). Contemporary Europe: A History (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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