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The second world war was arguably the most catastrophic war in human history. The origins of the second world war in Europe are complex and controversial. The following article is a list of ten books that provide different perspectives on the root causes of the second world. In these works’ the authors offer a new or influential argument on the decision and policies that resulted in the second world war. The range of the reasons for the cause of the WW II include the western democracies policies of appeasement, German Nationalism. Nazi Ideology, economic rivalry and in the character of Adolf Hitler.
[[File:Germany_and_the_Origins_of_the_Second_World_War.jpg|thumbnail|Germany and the Origins of the Second World War by Jonathan Wright|150px]]
A.J.P Taylor. ''<i>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014013672X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=014013672X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=S3LQSU6H4VMVSMSI Origins of the the Second World War]', </i> (Fawcett Premier, 2nd Edition (, 1966). The eminent British historian believed that politicians such as Hitler and Mussolini were only responding to events and were opportunists who exploit exploited the situation in 1930s Europe, for their own national self-interests. At first British and French opinion accepted this, but as Hitler became more ambitious, it was no longer possible for the western democracies to tolerate German expansionism. Public opinion in Britain changed and wanted a more proactive response to Hitler. This led to a change in British foreign policy, which became increasingly hostile to Germany. It directly led to the British government issuing an ultimatum to Germany over Poland and this resulted in the declaration of war in September 1939. R.J. Overy. ''[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405824697/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1405824697&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=JTVRT3B3XR7OIGCL The Origins of the Second World War]'', Taylor & Francis, (2001).
R.J. Overy. ''[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405824697/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1405824697&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=JTVRT3B3XR7OIGCL The Origins of the Second World War]'' (Taylor & Francis, 2001)
Overy argues that Nazi Germany was not the ultimate cause of the war. Rather it was a result of a failed international system. The British and French Empire were in decline and they were faced with rising powers in Europe such as Italy and Germany. American isolationism meant that it was reluctant to help the British and Empires to resist Italy and Germany and meant that international relations were fundamentally unstable. The international order, which had not recovered from the First World War, was easily destabilized by Hitler and this led to Europe once more descending into a terrible conflict.
David Cameron Watt. ''<i>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/039457916X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=039457916X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=ESGECOKWN4PH5O3A How War Came: The immediate causes of the Second World War]'', </i> (Penguin/Random House (, 1989)
Watt shows Hitler to be a gambler, who embarked on a reckless foreign policy in order to win territories for Germany. He did not wish to go to war, but he was determined to expand Germany’s borders and recover all the lands lost under the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler eventually unintentionally provoked France and Britain, by invading Poland and this led to the outbreak of a general war in September 1939, which is something he did not want.
John Rugeerio, ''<i>Hitler’s Enabler: Neville Chamberlin and the Origins of the Second World War''<i> (Praeger, Praeger (2015)
Based largely on Neville Chamberlain's, the British Prime Minister’s perspective. This book describes how were it not for Chamberlain's policy of ‘appeasement’ which sought to prevent war by agreeing to Nazi Germany’s demands on issues such as the Sudetenland, World War II might have been avoided. Ruggerio showed that Chamberlin’s policy only made Hitler to seek more territory. Eventually, Chamberlin recognized that Hitler would make continual demands and this led him to change his policy and when Hitler invaded Poland he declared war and this was to lead to the second world war in just over twenty years.
