World Wars

World Wars

There have only been two world wars, World War 1 and of course World War 2, and in but of the world wars America has played a great role in both of them. World War 1 was caused by four main things, Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism better known has M.A.I.N. In the early 1900’s Europe was in contain struggle over land and resources. That is the reason that European countries need a strong military, which lead to Militarism. It also became a common thing in Europe for nations to join focuses against another nation to gain resources, this lead to Europe being divided into the Central Powers and the Allies, which was one of the causes of World War 1. And since all the fighting was over resources this caused Imperialism. Which was basically European countries dividing up Africa, and fight over the resources in Africa. One thing that is important to know about Imperialism is that the mother county gains (which is the country that is controlling) from it while the child country (which is the country being controlled) lose. But no one likes being controlled many child country tried to gain their independence, which was Nationalism. And that is how World War 1 started. In 1914 there was a little dispute between Austria-Hungary one of the Central power and the little nation of Serbia. Bosnia a province in the Austria-Hungary Empire wanted to gain its independence and join Serbia its true nation. Serbia aided their efforts, which caused a conflict with Austria-Hungary. But it was not a huge problem until June 28, 1914 when Archduke Francis Ferdinand was assassinated on a visit to Sarajevo the Capital of Bosnia. Austria-Hungary felt that Serbia was involved with it and declared war on them. This caused a chin of event that thrown all of Europe into war.

But America was still neutral in all if European affairs. America only aided the Allied countries by sending money and resource to them. This act is what eventually gets America into World War 1. When the Germans and their U-Boats began sinking suspected ships from the U.S that were aiding the Allies they destroyed them. The most famous ship being the Lusitania, which was a British passenger liner carrying weapon and aid. The Germans and its U-Boat destroyed it killing everyone on board including the 128 American passengers. After more sinking of American ship (City of Memphis, Illinois, and Vigilancia) the U.S could not take it anymore so on April 6 1917 President Woodrow Wilson reluctantly led the nation into war.

America’s involvement in World War 2 was also similar. World War 2 you could say was bound to happen. They way World War 1 ended with the Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s Fourteen Points program not working Germany was blamed for World War 1 and was punished like so. Germany became financially broke and in a depression. Until and young man named Adolf Hitler showed them hope. Hitler was enraged that Germany was defeated and by the degrading terms of the Treaty of Versailles had. He quickly rose in Germany’s political sense with his Nazi party. In November 1923 Hitler and his party seized power of Germany. He then started to grow Germany’s Empire clearly breaking the Treaty of Versailles that causing World War 2. With Japan and Italy joining Germany they where known has the Axis power, while the Soviet Union and Great Britain where the Allied Forces. America did not join the war until December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked a U.S naval base in Hawaii known as Pearl Harbor. This act quickly threw America into the war. For most of the time the war was at a stand still. Only the pacific front was a difficulty. The war in Europe ended with the Victory at Normandy and in Japan with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.