(Read the article by Adam Tooze, ‘Formal End of the Second World War’,

Question

History Today, Volume 56, Issue 11, 2006)
Identify historians and their explanations on why Hitler started the Second World War. (8
marks) [Mark will be given for identifying and another mark for the explanation.]

Answer 1

There are several historians who have offered explanations for why Hitler started the Second World War. Here are a few examples:

1. A.J.P. Taylor: Taylor argued that Hitler's foreign policy was driven primarily by opportunism rather than a grand plan. He believed that Hitler took advantage of the weaknesses and divisions among the major powers to push for territorial expansion.

2. Richard J. Evans: Evans argued that Hitler's aggressive expansionist policies were rooted in his racist and anti-Semitic ideology. He believed that Hitler saw war as a means to achieve his vision of a racially pure and dominant German empire.

3. Gerhard Weinberg: Weinberg argued that Hitler's desire for living space, or lebensraum, was a key factor in his decision to start the war. He believed that Hitler sought to acquire territories in Eastern Europe to accommodate the growing population and ensure the economic and strategic security of Germany.

4. Timothy Snyder: Snyder argued that Hitler's war aims were driven by a combination of ideological and strategic factors. He believed that Hitler wanted to conquer Eastern Europe to establish a racial utopia for Germans and ensure Germany's dominance in the long term.

It is important to note that historians' interpretations of Hitler's motivations for starting the war may vary, and these are just a few examples of different perspectives.