1918-1939: Origins and Escalation Toward World War II

The period following World War I was marked by unresolved tensions from the Treaty of Versailles and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations. Economic devastation and a desire for national resurgence fueled the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan. These powers embarked on aggressive expansionist policies, including German rearmament and territorial claims, Japan's brutal conquests in Asia, and Italy's imperial ambitions in Africa. The democracies of Britain and France, weakened by their own economic woes and a reluctance to confront aggression, failed to halt these escalating conflicts. This unchecked aggression, coupled with the strategic realignments like the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ultimately set the stage for the outbreak of a global war.

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