THE ORIGINS, CONDUCT, AND LESSONS OF WWII DANIEL NEUHAUS GISA 104 COURSE: INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND PEACE

THE ORIGINS, CONDUCT, AND LESSONS OF WWII Agenda: 1.Discussion/Question 2.Structural Factors - Constraints and Pressures 3.A villain (Hitler) 4.Paper: “The False Promise of International Institutions” 5.Conclusion/Opinion 6.Q&A

1. Discussion/Question: Although it is widely believed that systemic constraints and pressures played an important role in the origins of the WII, scholars typically do not associate structural factors with the outbreak of the WWII. Most students of international relations employed a villain (Hitler)/sinner (Chamberlain) image to explain the origins of WWII. Do you agree with this interpretation? Reading Paper: “The False Promise of International Institutions” by John J.Mearsheimer.

2. Structural Factors - Constraints and Pressures: Treaty of Versailles (make territories smaller, give up their arms, make reparations payments and Germany get the alone blame for WWI The global economic crisis (collapse in world trade, unemployment, poverty and hunger) Military resurrection (started secret operation to rearmament the German Empire, demilitarized Rhineland) Nationalism and Dictatorships (in countries such as Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union.) Failure of Appeasement (Hitler seized the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939 The Chamberlain government declared war on Germany Causes for World War II:

3. A villain (Hitler): Hitler was born 1889 in Austria and wanted to became an artist, lack of talent Often bankruptcy, living in a homeless shelter or men's dorm He dismissal from the Austrian citizenship, become statelessness Austrian military checked him as unfit because of physical weakness He joint as a volunteer the German military in 1914 (as an messenger like unarmed service) He was in prison for around 1 year (sentence of five years) Before he was the Further

4. Paper: The False Promise of International Institutions 1.The world is anarchic 2.States are potentially dangerous to each other 3.States can't be certain about the intentions of other states 4.States are motivated by survival and think strategically 5.States are rationally about how to survive M. define International Institutions as a set of rules how states should cooperate and compete. Realism is based on five assumptions

5. Conclusion/Opinion Powerful dynamic in Europe, treaty of Versailles and dictatorships in countries such as Italy, Japan and the Soviet Union or Japan seized Manchuria from China Global economic crisis, the Great Depression Failure of the Weimar Republic, a lack of trust The people never thought of a war, thought on survive and food in that hard times Simultaneously the Allies underestimated the power of Hitler, which then resulted in the biggest disaster of mankind. The WWII is a result of the consequences of the previous war.

5. Conclusion/Opinion Cannot consider Hitler as the only cause He played a significant role!!! He was an authoritative accelerator in this conflict of interests. Of course, Hitler wanted war, even from the beginning, so maybe it might also happen sooner or later by perhaps another crisis in Europe or Asian. The WWII is a result of the consequences of the previous war.

5. Conclusion/Opinion Paper is from the year 1994/95. In that time the world had many wars like the Kuwait/Iraq War and the Yugoslavia Wars. States act out of self-interest, yes and no Nowadays Europe is relatively safe the past had enough wars and the people finally learn from wars. But unfortunately there will always be wars where then people will always disagree and argue. A example is the Ukraine crisis right now. Related to the paper: “The False Promise of International Institutions”

6. Q&A Thank you !!