Why would Germany have any reason to take over the other countries during World War 2?

Answer 1

By the end of 1938 Germany had more than gained redress for its grievances. At the risk of simplifying things, from the 1890s till 1945 key elites in Germany believed that the country was morally and/or racially 'entitled' to a vast Empire and to world power status. They looked at Britain and France and asked, 'What have they done to **deserve** international greatness?' Because of their excellent education system and their military successes many Germans liked to think that they were superior to other peoples. There was a tendency to forget that international politics isn't like the awarding of grades in schools and colleges ... In other words it isn't fair. They also forgot that politics is 'the art of the possible' - by which I mean possible without war. Long before the rise of the Nazis there was a narcissistic sense of almost unlimited poltical 'entitlement' among many Germans. Moreover, in 1917-18 Germany had defeated Russia. (Of course, as Germany was defeated in Western Europe, this victory was worthless). The defeat of Russia in 1917-18 encouraged fantasies of almost unlimited expansion in Eastern Europe and beyond. From 1933 the Hitler Youth sang 'Today we have Germany / Tomorrow the whole world'. What's more, it was very close to official policy ...! Joncey