The wars of the 20th centuryIván Berend proposed the idea of a “short 20th century” with the idea that World War I, World War II and the cold The war was all connected. It refers to the events from 1914 to 1991 and the fact that when we talk about the 20th century we are only talking about the events mentioned above. I believe they are all connected, because without the First World War Germany would not have avenged its defeat. The Cold War was caused by the aftermath of World War II, with the United States and the Soviet Union at odds over their political and economic differences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay World War I began in August 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. “It was what historians call a total war, meaning a war built on the full mobilization of entire societies” (Hunt 822). There were two sides to the war, Germany and Austria-Hungary were on one side while the United States, United Kingdom, France and the Russian Empire were on the other. The German side lost and their empire was almost wiped out by this war. An important detail was overlooked during the planning of the Armistice. The detail was that World War I broke out because of the Germans and their losses. Germany would not admit defeat and would carry this idea with them until Hitler took power in 1933. “The Second World War began when Hitler launched an all-out attack on Poland on September 1, 1939” (Hunt 881). Due to the defeat in World War I, Germany felt spiteful. The world believed they were guilty, while Germany thought they were a superior race. This thought led Hitler to try to conquer the world; invade new countries and change their government to match that of Germany. Along with mass civilian casualties, World War II saw the use of the first atomic bomb in warfare and the mass extermination of the Jewish race. Germany surrendered on April 29 and, unlike the First World War, there was no armistice. During World War II, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union increased. Both were huge countries with extremely different ideas. To end World War II, the United States dropped a bomb on Hiroshima, and some believed it served two purposes. “The first, of course, was to quickly end the war with Japan and spare American lives. It was suggested that the second objective was to demonstrate the new weapon of mass destruction to the Soviet Union” (History). The result of these tensions began the Cold War. The Cold War began around 1947. While Russia was a communist nation, the United States represented a federal republic. While the Russian government controlled its own press, the United States believed in a free press and democratic systems for its citizens. Even though there was no fighting during the Cold War, both sides were prepared in case the other launched a nuclear attack against the other. In the event of a nuclear attack both sides would be destroyed. The United States began providing aid to Western Europe to challenge the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, in retaliation, tried to put a nuclear base on Cuba, resulting in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 which led the United States to impose an embargo on Cuba. Keep in mind: this is just one example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a custom essay The First War.
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