"Exploring the reasons why the Second World War broke out in September 1939 and why a European conflict developed into a war that spanned the globe, The Origins of the Second World War argues that this was not just 'Hitler's War' but one that had its roots and origins in the decline of the old empires of Britain and France and the rise of ambitious new powers in Germany, Italy and Japan who wanted large empires of their own. This fourth edition has been revised throughout, covering the origins of the war from its background in the First World War to its expansion to embrace the Soviet Union, Japan and the United States by the end of 1941. Creating a comprehensive and analytical narrative while remaining a succinct overview of the subject, this book takes a thematic approach to the complex range of events that culminated in global warfare, discussing factors such as economic rivalry, rearmament and domestic politics and emphasising that any explanation of the outbreak of hostilities must be global in scope. Containing updated references and primary source documents alongside a glossary, a chronology of key events and a Who's Who of important figures, this book is an invaluable introduction for any student of this fascinating period"--Provided by the publisher.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 142-152) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Maps -- Chronology -- Who's who -- Part One. Background -- Explaining the Second World War -- Part Two. Analysis -- The international crisis -- Economic and imperial rivalry -- Armaments and domestic politics -- War over Poland -- From European to world war -- Part Three. Assessment -- Hitler's war? -- Part Four. Documents -- The Treaty of Versailles and Germany -- The Covenant of the League -- The search for a settlement -- American "appeasement" -- Stalin anticipates war -- The "Hossbach Memorandum" -- Preparation for war before Munich -- The Munich Conference -- The Munich Agreement -- Economic pressure on Japan -- Mussolini's vision of empire -- Economic appeasement -- Britain and Germany in the Balkans -- The Four-Year Plan -- Economic dangers for Britain -- The crisis in France -- "Peace for our time" -- The change of mood in the West -- Hitler plans to crush Poland -- Chamberlain guarantees Poland -- The Franco-British "War Plan," 1939 -- British intelligence on Germany -- Stalin warns the West after Munich -- The Franco-British failure in Moscow -- The Soviet reaction to German advances, 1939 -- The German-Soviet Pact -- Britain's probable attitude -- Hitler gambles on Western weakness -- The last gasp of appeasement -- Bonnet's doubts about war -- Poland in the middle -- The last days of peace -- Chamberlain's "Awful Sunday" -- Berlin proposes peace -- A demand for peace -- The Tripartite Pact -- Preparation for total mobilization in Germany -- The Barbarossa directive -- The German attack on Russia -- Russia raises the price for co-operation -- Japan decides on war -- Creating the new world order -- Glossary.
Book
