Asian and African nations were sucked into the melee because most nations were ruled by ‘whites.’ The mention of Australia rarely featured except that it was used as a colony for rehabilitating ‘exceptional British citizens,’ who were selected by the British judiciary.
Numerous causes, viz militarism, ultra-nationalism, and even the assassination of prominent figures, catalyzed the war. However, in the case of both world wars, a common denominator was the formation of alliances/treaties between a group of nations aimed at opposing/containing the influence of another nation/group of countries.
One of the most famous treaties was the Treaty of Versailles, signed to end the First World War in 1919. Many historians have opined that the Treaty was not a peace treaty.
Instead, it was the root cause of the Second World War. The Treaty imposed severe restrictions on Germany to the extent that Germans felt humiliated, leading to the birth of Nazi culture and the rise of Hitler. The rest is history.
The Second World War ended due to the most inhuman act committed by the USA in deciding to drop the atomic bomb on Japanese cities on August 6 and 9, 1945. The USA, then a component of the Allied power, resorted to the most indiscreet military action in the history of humanity to test the effects of the ultimate weapon of mass destruction as a technology demonstrator.
Why did the USA bomb Japan nearly 3000 km from the US mainland? Why did the USA not decide to bomb Germany, the leader of the Axis powers? Was the ‘color of the skin’ a factor determining between Japan and Germany?
Post-Second World War Scenario
Post-Second World War, three important international events took place. These were the creation of the United Nations and the birth of the two most prominent military alliances, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact. Seventy-five years later UN exists sans any beneficial influence in international affairs.
NATO is ‘brain dead’ as claimed by outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Warsaw Pact has been extinguished after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Numerous new treaties and alliances have taken birth all over the globe, mainly for the region’s economic development by way of increased trading and sharing surplus resources with friendly neighbors.
If you’re curious to delve deeper into the topic, read more about it here.
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