Does anyone actually know why WW2 happened?

[Anonymous 1]

Or do they just think Hitler went crazy killing everyone and the whole world got involved?
Does anyone know why WW1 happened? Or do people just think some royals were killed so the whole world went to war?

[Anonymous 2]

Woodrow Wilson pulled Americans into WWI.

[EarlGrayHot]

WWII began with Hitler trying to take over all of Europe and claiming minority groups, especially the Jewish people, were somehow responsible for Germany's downfall (losing the first WW and feeling all down and out as a result). It always helps to have a target for hate. Ring any bells?

The U.S. entered the war when Hitler's ally, Imperial Japan, felt the U.S. was in the way of Japan getting enough resources to take over all of Asia so they bombed the hell out of our naval base at Pearl Harbor. That led to the U.S. getting friendly with both China and Russia although that wouldn't last.

[AZOldGal66]

"World War II: Summary, Combatants & Facts | HISTORY" https://www.history.com/topics/world-wa ... ii-history

[Quorra2.0]

Why it happened? Because people believed in certain ideas and were willing to fight for these ideas. That’s ultimately why all wars happen.

What caused WW2? There were several contributors: propaganda, militarism, expansionism, the Treaty of Versailles, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, nationalism, revolutions, civil wars, the Great Depression, hyperinflation, territory disputes, the list goes on but those are the more central contributors.

[MonarchMom]

OP - why do you assume people are so uninformed? I've never heard anyone give either of the two "reasons" you stated. Did you not have a world history class in high school?

[highlandmum]

OP - why do you assume people are so uninformed? I've never heard anyone give either of the two "reasons" you stated. Did you not have a world history class in high school?

I think the OP is referring to the Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. Which is one but not the only reason for the start of WWI. It is not the sole reason but seems to be the final push that sparked the downward spiral in Europe. Who knows if Germany would have declared war on Russia, and invaded France if this one event had not happened.

[Olioxenfree]

There’s more to it than I would type in a post, but simplified synopsis is that following WWI, Germany received the majority of the legal blame causing financial and psychological circumstances among the government and public, opening the door to a more extremist government that signed mutual assistance pacts with Japan and Italy, all who had their own interests for global expansion. This led to military involvement from the Allies powers mainly because of the military invasion of neighboring European countries, causing fear of invasion of their own territories, not to protect the groups being persecuted by the axis powers.

WWI was primarily caused by colonialism and tension caused by mutual interests in territories.

[Traci_Momof2]

History was always my worst subject in school. I couldn't tell you much of anything about why any war started.

[Olioxenfree]

OP - why do you assume people are so uninformed? I've never heard anyone give either of the two "reasons" you stated. Did you not have a world history class in high school?

A lot of people are uninformed. Not because they are unintelligent, but on a basic learning level many schools don’t focus much on the causes and specifics so students are left under the assumption that the war was mainly to save the persecuted groups from the Nazis and can’t tell you anything about why Italy or Japan were involved outside of Pearl Harbor. I learned most of what I know through my parents, who are French and Japanese immigrants, and through AP classes and later college and grad school classes. And I went to a “good” middle and high school.