Nationalism may be said to be nº1 cause of both WWI and WWII. However, whereas WWI was mainly brought about because of Germany’s urge to prove she was better than UK, WWII was brought about by a different kind of nationalism, i.e. a nationalism of re-assertion: Germany wanted both to take revenge and to show the world that she could “emerge from the ashes.”

As in WWI, imperialism also played a great part in bringing about WWII: one of the main causes of the Second World War was Mussolini’s and Hitler’s hunger for territories. Moreover, and just like in WWI, several alliances were made before WWII, which also contributed to the starting of hostilities: in 1934, Germany and Poland signed a non-aggression pact; later on, Hitler and Mussolini signed the Anti-Comintern Pact together with the Japanese, the main objective of which was to limit communist influence around the world (the alliance became known as the Axis Powers). Finally, in August 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, by which the two ar

However, whereas in WWI the fighting was largely concentrated in Europe (Eastern front=Russia; Western front=France) and the Middle East, the Second World War saw fighting on every continent except the Americas (3 main fronts: Russia, the Pacific and North Africa).

- Economic recovery after WWII was even more difficult than after WWI. This actually strengthened the will to co-operate and over the following 20 years led to the setting up of the first stages of the European Union.

Whereas the basis for peace after WWI was Wilson’s 14 points (though not all 14 points were included in the five peace treaties signed after the war), no peace treaties were signed after WWII: Germany and the rest of the Axis Powers were forced into unconditional surrender. Thus, peace after WWII was a peace with victors.

Both WWI and WWII were fought on many fronts: on land, sea and in the air, and both wars affected everybody, including civilians at home, i.e. both wars were “total”. Besides, and as a result of the fact that so many men were away at war, women had to take their places in arms factories and on buses and trains.

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