World War II was an atrocious event that affected not only Europe, but also the international community. The politics surrounding the war is still largely present in modern day politics. Adolf Hitler, who was a former Nazi German dictator, initiated World War II. Through historical analysis of the nineteenth century, this paper will argue that the balance of power in Europe and the rise of nationalism are long-term causes, which led to the outbreak of World War II.
The first European revolution took place in France, one of the strongest European nations in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Philosophies of the enlightenment desacralized the authority of the monarchy, which largely influenced the politics of the French Revolution. The …show more content…
It began with the 1814 Treaty of Paris, which allowed France to retain its boundaries of 1792 and the majority of its foreign colonies, though Great Britain ceded some. This treaty mainly dealt with European territories annexed by Napoleon. On June 18, 1815, Napoleon’s conquest of Europe officially ended at the Battle of Waterloo. The 1815 Treaty of Paris demanded indemnities from France, primarily land and money. The Four Powers, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain sought to redraw the map of Europe. Peace attempts established during the Congress of Vienna, aimed for the balance of power, according to which no country should be powerful enough to destabilize Europe. Essentially, the Congress of Vienna sought to rewind the political clock to the benefit of traditional monarchs. Nationality, which emerged after Napoleon declared France as a nation-state, was not considered in the decision making process led by the Four Powers, who were responsible for the reconstructing of the borders. The Four Powers bartered boundaries without considering the consent of the residents, which later becomes problematic. Consequently, the unification of Germany threatens parity and the notion of peace suggested by the Congress of Vienna. By 1871, Britain and Germany became the most powerful European nations; the European balance of power
The first European revolution took place in France, one of the strongest European nations in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Philosophies of the enlightenment desacralized the authority of the monarchy, which largely influenced the politics of the French Revolution. The …show more content…
It began with the 1814 Treaty of Paris, which allowed France to retain its boundaries of 1792 and the majority of its foreign colonies, though Great Britain ceded some. This treaty mainly dealt with European territories annexed by Napoleon. On June 18, 1815, Napoleon’s conquest of Europe officially ended at the Battle of Waterloo. The 1815 Treaty of Paris demanded indemnities from France, primarily land and money. The Four Powers, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain sought to redraw the map of Europe. Peace attempts established during the Congress of Vienna, aimed for the balance of power, according to which no country should be powerful enough to destabilize Europe. Essentially, the Congress of Vienna sought to rewind the political clock to the benefit of traditional monarchs. Nationality, which emerged after Napoleon declared France as a nation-state, was not considered in the decision making process led by the Four Powers, who were responsible for the reconstructing of the borders. The Four Powers bartered boundaries without considering the consent of the residents, which later becomes problematic. Consequently, the unification of Germany threatens parity and the notion of peace suggested by the Congress of Vienna. By 1871, Britain and Germany became the most powerful European nations; the European balance of power