Humanity has established itself as a dominant species and civilization through the years. This is evident in the development of various technological innovations that have allowed human beings to conquer and tame their environment, resulting in improved standards of living. However, these innovations and the supremacy of humanity have been grounded in the presence of peace and stability. Peace and stability have been achieved through the creation of institutions of authority that govern the interactions between human beings. Nevertheless, despite their best efforts, humanity has gone through periods of chaos, war and instability. Some of the major wars that have occurred throughout humanity include the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and Boxer Rebellion (1900). However, 1914 saw the outbreak of the First World War. The war was regarded as the war to end all wars. 1918 saw the end of the First World War however, the hope was that it all wars would ended in 1939 with the onset of the Second World War. The two wars resulted in the loss of human lives and the destruction of social, economic and political institutions across the globe. The following essay offers an assessment of why the First World War was not the war to end all wars and the steps that could have been taken to prevent the Second World War.
The First World War was initially deemed as the war to end all wars. This view was initially introduced to the public in 1914 by author H.G. Wells (Nordlund). The belief was grounded on the belief that the collapse of the German society and its reconstitution in the post-World War I period would invariably result in the development of a more stable and peaceful international system. It was believed that The Allies would crush Germany and its supporters, such as the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires (Nordlund). Germany, in particular, was accused of entrenching militarization in the early 20th century and triggering an arms race across Europe. Therefore, ending the German military superiority was termed as an ideal means of ensuring that the international world order was redrawn with peaceful countries, especially those constituting The Allies being at the apex. The crusaders against war, as the allies were often termed, won the First World War, and this resulted in the establishment of the League of Nations (Nordlund). The League of Nations was the precursor to the United Nations, and it was established as an international body to guide relationships and interactions between states. However, the failure of the League of Nations ensured that a second world war took place.
One of the reasons why the First World War did not end all wars was the collapse of the League of Nations. The League of Nations was formed in 1920 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the League of Nations was developed to offer a platform through which international peace could be achieved (Herren and Löhr). The primary objective of the organization included ensuring the successful disarmament of defeated countries such as Germany, establishing collective security as a means of preventing future wars, addressing conflicts between countries through diplomacy and negotiations and improving global welfare. However, the League of Nations was best by significant challenges that impeded its ability to achieve these roles effectively, hence resulting in its collapse. The collapse of the League of Nations was fueled by several factors, including the absence of several key nations in the global world order, such as the United States (Herren and Löhr). This made the organization lose its credibility as an organization primed to maintain law and order on the global stage.
Additionally, the League of Nations lacked a standing army. This feature sneered that the organization had to rely on its members to supply it with soldiers. This impeded its ability to respond to acts of aggression as well as its ability to enforce its decisions. Moreover, member countries of the League of Nations undermined its efforts and role in ensuring global peace. This feature is highlighted by the use of the appeasement policy by Britain and France when interacting with Germany under Hitler. The adoption of the appeasement policy did not factor in the role of the League of Nations and its role in ensuring peace. The League of Nations was also defied by other countries such as Germany and Italy, as the fascist rule took hold in these countries, and their leaders sought to develop empires (Mallett). Moreover, the League of Nations was unable to prevent acts of aggression, which ultimately harmed the credibility of the principle of collective security. This feature is evident in organizations inability to prevent Japan from taking over Manchuria in 1932 and preventing Italy’s attack on Abyssinia in 1935 (Mallett). These failures and the subsequent collapse of the League of Nations laid the ground for the start of the Second World War.
The Treaty of Versailles is also another reason why the First World War did not end all wars. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, and it was used by the victorious powers to dictate terms of peace for the defeated nations (Lesaffer). In particular, the treaty laid the blame for the Second World War on Germany and called on Germany to pay reparations to the Allied powers. Additionally, Germany was required to forfeit its colonies across the globe to the Allied powers, and demilitarize. However, the treaty placed a Significant economic burden on the German economy resulting in its collapse and the loss in popularity of its leadership. Moreover, the Treaty of Versailles made minimal efforts in addressing the underlying causes of the First World War (Lesaffer). In contrast, the Treaty of Versailles created a new source of contention among the European countries, which ultimately destabilized global peace and stability. This feature is evidenced by the fact that the defeated powers, including Germany, Austria and Hungary, felt that the treaty was unfair and sought to revise the terms of the treaty. This emerged as a significant component of their foreign policy in the aftermath of the First World War. The states also attempted to defy the provisions of the treaty.
Subsequently, the treaty morphed into a source of contention and instability rather than a source of unity and peace. the treaty of Versailles also offered a platform for radical right-wing parties, such as the Nazis in Germany, to take root and gain a following. The right-wing radicalism in Germany called for the rearming of the German army, reigning international superiority and influence and reclaiming the lost German territory (Murray). This aspiration essentially made it easy for the voters and common people to ignore the radical and harmful ideology of the radical right-wing artists such as the Nazis. Moreover, the high reparations imposed on the German economy ensured that economy was saddled with considerable debt and financial obligations. This ultimately triggered an economic depression and the loss of personal savings. The economic collapse further painted the German government in bad light and triggered social unrest (Murray). These challenges diminished the trust and prestige of the German citizens in their Leftist leader who were committed to democratic ideals. Seeking better leadership, the Germans eventually turned to Adolf Hitler and the NAZI party. Adolf Hitler would adopt an aggressive international policy that resulted in a second world war.
The adoption of the appeasement policy in the aftermath of the First World War by Britain and France set the stage for the onset of the Second World War. The appeasement policy is an international policy that allows states to give concessions to an aggressive state. The concessions could include give access to territory, acceding to trade agreements and reversing economic restrictions. This policy was applied by Britain and France in an effort to prevent war with Germany under the rule of Hitler. The appeasement policy culminated in the signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938 (Trubowitz and Harris).the agreement allowed Hitler to annex Sudetenland, which was part of the German-speaking Czechoslovakia. However, on September 1st, 1939 Hitler attacked Poland against the agreement and by third Britain and France were forced to declare war against Germany since they had guaranteed the border security of Poland (Grajewski). The appeasement policy, rather than deter Germany from triggering another war, only emboldened Hitler and the Nazi party to impede the sovereignty of other European nations. Subsequently, the Nazi regime gained momentum and territorial advantage and ultimately culminated in the Second World War.
The great depression of the 1930s also contributed to the start of the Second World War and the inability of the First World War to end all wars. The start of the great depression saw the end of the Roaring twenties, which were marked by periods of economic success and expansion, especially in the United States (Terzi). The economic success of the United States ensured that it could offer financial help to the struggling European countries in the aftermath of the rest world war. One such plan to help Europe was the Dawes Plan, which was developed to help countries such as Germany access loans to make scaled-down reparation payments (Bohle). However, with the onset of the great depression, American priorities changed, and the federal government was forced to stop loaning money to Germany. Additionally, the advanced loan were recalled prematurely farther piling pressure in the German economy. In 1931, the Austrian bank, the Creditanstalt, collapsed resulting failure of banks through central Europe (Macher). These failures, coupled with the reduced credit available to German banks, resulted in the collapse of the German banking system. The collapsing economy resulted in high unemployment numbers and economic strife. These features created instability in Germany and allowed for the rise of radical and extremist ideals. These ideals allowed for the Nazi party to gain a foothold in German politics and eventually take over the German administration. With the Nazi party in charge of Germany, the world moved closer to World War 2.
The rise of nationalism and militarism in the aftermath of the First World War also set the stage for the start of the Second World War. The nationalist and militarism fervor is evident in the efforts by countries in the interwar period, making efforts to strengthen their militaries. For instance, in Germany, under the leadership of Hitler, the country went against the Treaty of Versailles and expanded its military. For instance, the army was increased from 100000 men to 1.4 million members (Drange). Additionally, individuals aged lower than 25 years were expected to carry out at least two years of military service (Drange). The local industries witnessed an increased number of military equipment order such as tanks and, bullets ad bombs. The education system was also repurposed to prepare youths for military service. Additionally, the clamor for militarism was fueled by the economic and political challenges facing countries in the aftermath of the First World War (Drange). This saw citizens calling for military leaders to take charge and offer more responsive and immediate solutions. Nationalism in Japan resulted in a clamor for more territory. However, it was linked to militarism as the military was pivotal in putting in place measures to acquire more territory as well as offering political direction. The rise of nationalism and militarism eventually resulted in the erosion of national sovereignty as countries attacked other states for territorial supremacy. Additionally, the international conflicts eroded the trust in diplomatic solutions further cementing
The war to end all wars was a failure. However, there were several options or recourse that were available to the international actors in the interwar period that would have allowed them to prevent the Second World War. One such action would have been the revision of the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty of Versailles was initially developed with the goal of ending the First World War and offering a means to punish Germany for its role in triggering the First World War (Creswell). Upon signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany believed it was agreeing to peace without victory as the treaty was initially envisioned by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States (Knock). However, upon signing the treaty, it was immediately evident that the treaty was meant to humiliate Germany and instituted tough sanctions on the country. Revising the treaty would offer an opportunity for the international actors to develop an inclusive and solution for all actors while also ensuring that Germany was held accountable for its role in the First World War. Such an action would be essential in ensuring the economic recovery of Germany and other central European governments hence preventing the popularity of right-wing radical parties such as the NAZI party. This move would result in the leftist leaders with democratic ideals remaining in charge and fostering global peace and stability.
Supporting the League of Nations is another move that would have prevented the Second World War. The League of Nations, if well supported and respected by states, offered the ideal body to address the diplomatic tiffs between states. A well-supported League of Nations would have a standing army which could be deployed immediately to states that were under attack. Additionally, states would be required to abide by the policy and decisions of the League of Nations. This would call for countries such as Britain and France to top the use of the appeasement policy but rather align their foreign polices with the policies of the League of Nations (Laqua). Additionally, all major states, including the United States, would have joined the organization, hence grating it legitimacy. A vibrant league of nations would effectively ease diplomatic tensions and punish countries that sought to threaten the status quo. This would ultimately result in peace and the averting of the Second World War.
Addressing the economic challenges that faced the global economy after the First World War would also have played a crucial role in preventing the Second World War. The economic challenges contributed to instability across the globe and the rise of radical extremist views. This created the ideal environment for nationalism and militarism to emerge, hence contributing to global insecurity. However, the development of effective economic solution that addressed features such as Great Depression would ensure economic revival of European countries hence resulting in stability (Mulligan). Economic prosperity in Europe would ensure that leftist leaders that espoused democratic ideals, such as in Germany, would remain in charge and offer democratic leadership. This move would ultimately result in the development of a stable and peaceful global order, preventing another world war.
Preventing the early forms of aggression would have played a major role in preventing the start of the Second World War. Preventing aggression would essentially discourage the use of the appeasement policy while encouraging countries to directly pushback against sovereignty violations while challenging the greed for territory as shown by leader such as Hitler (Jochnick and Normand). Challenging the initial forms of aggression would discourage subsequent more abrasive and violent attacks. This state would be achieved through the use of economic tool such as sanctions as well as military and political solutions. Effective applications of these tools would prevent the radical and extremist leaders such as Hitler and the Nazi party from gaining momentum and territorial superiority hence limiting their power. This feature would ultimately result in a stable globe.
In conclusion, the essay offers an assessment of the reasons why the First World War was not the war to end all wars and measures that could have prevented the Second World War. The belief that the First World War would end all wars was predicated on the belief that it would result in the collapse of empires across Europe hence the development of a new world order. However, the economic instability, treaty of Versailles, failure of the League of Nations and economic instability triggered the Second World War. However, revising the Treaty of Versailles, supporting and respecting the League of Nations, addressing global economic challenges and confronting early forms of aggression would have forestalled the Second World War. Nevertheless, it is evident that the Second World War could have been averted. This offers insights to the current international actors on how to address international conflicts to achieve global peace.
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