What are the origins of World War 2?

Answer 1

The origins of World War Two in Britian are: Britain joined WWII for the same reason they had joined WWI, a fear of growing German military power. Britain felt that a Germany dominant in Europe, controlling Poland and probably the Balkans, would be 'too big to handle'. Thus, using their weak ties to Poland as an excuse, the British declared war on Germany in 1939, a war that Germany did not desire or seek. Also, strange as it may sound, Britain got into war due to a personal loathing by Churchill of Hitler. Other statemen more or less got along with Hitler but Churchill hated Germans and Hitler in particular. He would not allow for negotiations, which could have ended the war quickly and on good terms for the British, by 1940. I have often thought that had the British people known what their leadership knew, that war would likely bankrupt the country and cause the loss of empire gathered over 500 years, that they would not have supported Churchill and his crusade. The leaders of British industry and commerce knew that Britain could not afford to fight WWII and cautioned Churchill against being too provocative. Churchill would hear none of it and ended up with his country reduced to second rate status internationally with major power shifted to the USA and Russia. Towards the end of WWII the British people finally had enough of Churchill and voted him out of office. He's gone down as an icon in the history books despite a military and political record that is a disaster by any reasonable standard. Great Britain and Poland had a mutual aid treaty that required either country to come to the aid of the other in the event of war. When Germany invaded Poland, Britain was obligated to come to the aid of Poland by declaring war on Germany. This of course was exactly what Hitler wanted to have happen. Germany kept breaking the Treaty of Versailles that ended WW1. Finally when Germany invaded Poland, England had no choice but to declare war. Appeasement by Neville Chamberland had failed and only encouraged Germany and Hitler, so England knew that Hilter was bent on domination of Europe. England could not allow this to happen.