History of Europe Form 1914 to 1945 Essay Example

History of Europe from 1914 to 1945 The history of Europe between years 1914 and 1945 encompasses the unforgivable events of World War I and World War II. To explore history of Europe between these two events, where Germany played the main role, it is necessary to reveal the major incentives which preceded them, while paying the main attention to their byproduct, such as the emergence of fascism, as well as, to understand how these events were closely related to each other. The incentives which caused the outbreak of World War I, also called the “Great War”, were more complex. The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was only the last drop which trigged the war. Extreme nationalism, patriotism, alliance system, and desire for expansion of territories were the real origins of the Great War. However, the beginning of the war was rapid and unexpected. Unlike World War II, World War I was glorified and openly supported. People expressed the spontaneous support of the war and the deep desire to fight for their country which gave them identity and citizenship. In all countries concerned, men enlisted voluntarily and were viewed as romantic heroes. At the beginning, the war was expected to last just few months but in the end it lasted more than four years with from nine to ten million casualties and unprecedented levels of violence among combatants, against prisoners and civilians. The most striking fact is that violence of the Great War, particularly in its first weeks, was widely approved and accepted by millions of people. “It definitely contradicted to “civilizing process” in modern society.” Germany, as a perceived initiator of the war, was viewed as if lacking completely of moral thinking due to committed atrocities, particularly against woman who had been made to work like men in occupied France, as one of the examples. Common to the both wars, concentration camps were used, as well as, the notions of racism and