World War I and World War II are probably two of the most well-known, analyzed, and influential global events, at least in the twentieth century. Officially, they lasted for four and six years, respectively, and there was a twenty-year break between these military conflicts. However, some people provide evidence to prove that this was a one, long-lasting, and devastating war that took the lives of millions of humans and changed many countries forever.
To prove this point, it is essential to look for similar factors that unite the two wars, and one such factor is nationalism. According to researchers, one cause of World War I was Serbian nationalism. Prior to the military conflict’s beginning, Serbs “sought independence from Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire” and “tried to gain control of Bosnia and Herzegovina to form a unified Serbian state” (Norwich University Online). In World War II, one of the main factors was German nationalism – the nation wanted to strengthen their country and find new resources for recovery.
At the same time, some people do not consider these two wars as parts of one military conflict. Their justification is that, while the outcomes of World War I were not quite satisfying and resulted in another conflict twenty years ago, it is impossible to connect these two events into one long-lasting war (Norwich University Online). World War I was officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and the subsequent inability of one of the participating countries to maintain peace does not mean that the first war was not finished.
To draw a conclusion, one may say that such a question of whether World War II was a continuation of World War I is quite challenging and probably does not have a single current response. Indeed, there are several continuities and similarities that may allow one to join the military conflicts and view them as one long-lasting event. However, World War I officially ended, and the second war started only after twenty years, meaning that they were separate, though somehow related, conflicts.
Work Cited
Norwich University Online. “Six Causes of World War I.” Norwich, 2017.