The causes of the Second World War in
Europe : A New Scientific Explanation
Author : John A. Vasquez
Kaung Khant Oo
UCO : 530477
History of International Relations and World Politics
Lecturer : Prof. PhDr. Zdeněk Kříž, Ph.D
About the Author
John A. Vasquez is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Illinois at
Urbana- Campaign.
TEACHING FIELDS
International Relations: Introduction to IR, International Relations Theory, War and
Conflict, Peace Research, Crisis Diplomacy, Foreign Policy Decision-Making, Militarized
Interstate
Disputes
Highlighted Publications
Vasquez, J. A. (2018). Contagion and War: Lessons from the First World War. Cambridge
University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108261166
Levy, J. S., & Vasquez, J. A. (2013). The outbreak of the first world war: Structure, politics,
and decision-making. Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107336995
The Causes of the Second World War in Europe: A New Scientific
Explanation
A scientific explanation
(1) If a war fit a pattern
(2) Tracing how the pattern brought war
The article is divided in three parts
Outline of theory
Specific events
Expansion of War
Explaining World War (Theory)
Territorial
Military Buildups Dispute
Alliances Making
Repeated Crises
( Physical threat to vital issue, Arm
races, Bargaining, Hostile Spiral, Interstate
Hard-Liners ) War
Promoting Factors
• Allied non-belligerents brought in
• Bordering States
Expansion • Bandwagon effects
of War • Political order
• Economic dependence
Systemic Factors
World War • Multipolar to 2 hostile blocs
(Neither bloc preponderant)
Onset of the Second World War
Territorial disputes
Hitler’s call for Lebensraum
Polish claims against Teschen (in Czechoslovakia)
Hungarian claims to the Magyar area of Slovakia
Italian desires for Albania and Corfu and demands on France for Corsica, Nice and Tunisia; Russian ambitions
in Finland, the Baltic states and Romania
German desire for Memel, etc
Hardliner Hitler came into power (1933).
Rivalry between German Vs French and British.
(To prevent political domination of German)
Military Buildup and Arm Races
(Public announcement of German Rearmment and March 1936 Rhineland crisis)
Alliances making
France, Britain, …
German, Italy,
US: after pearl
Japan … (Axis)
harbor (Allies)
Munich Crisis and Failure of British and French agreement with Hitler.
Expansion of War
When German occupied Prague (1939 Polish Crisis), the world war started.
When the attack on Poland come, Romania and Greece declared war against German. (Minor States entered the
War)/ Alliance
Denmark -------Norway----------British: strategic reason (German attack) or attack on the Netherland, Belgium
and Luxembourg/ Territorial Contiguity
Quick German Victory persuade Italy to War./ Bandwagen Effect
German – Soviet Non-aggression pact/ Political Breakdown
Norway (vital point for Sweden supply of iron ore)/ Economic Dependance
Major Culprits – German and Japan ( brought USSR and USA into war)/
Creating two Bloc
The author concluded the article that
• All the pattern of the theory were matched with on set of World War II and expansion of
the War.
Comment on the article
• The article pointed out the theory only related with the specific events but not
much on the effects of World War I and harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Reference
Vasquez, John A. “The Causes of the Second World War in Europe: A
New Scientific Explanation.” International Political Science Review / Revue
Internationale De Science Politique, vol. 17, no. 2, 1996, pp. 161–
178. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1601301. Accessed 26 Aug. 2021
Thank you!!!
