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Violence During Ww2

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The reasons for the occurrence of mass violence and terror that persisted in Europe during World War I and after will never be justified. The reasoning behind these horrific acts resulted in millions of deceased. It makes a horribly tragic historical occurrence an act being played out on a stage, while these reasons, also called intellectual trends and developments, are the lights illuminating the stage. The lights that shine on the stage of war in Europe emits from the blending of popular sovereignty with nationalists ideologies, colonial imperialism, militarization, and eugenics. The blending of popular sovereignty with nationalist ideologies is one of the initial reasons that is to blame for the violence that occurred during WWI and …show more content…

Using force in these other countries to colonize the indigenous peoples, often caused a resentment of the host nation. It can be justified that through this forceful colonization some countries have a better developed infrastructure today. However, it does not excuse the blunt force imposed on the country to become a colony of the host country. The better developed infrastructure within the colonized country was not put there to directly benefit the people of that country, but to benefit the host country. Looking at how colonial imperialism came to be a major trend in the time before and during WWI, it is important to think of the tension occurring as land was being claimed by opposing European powers. As one European country in power claimed new territory, other countries rushed to find a territory to start their own colonies in. A race ensued between European powers as to who could possess the most colonies and territory first. This colonial imperialism influenced tension occurring in the pre-war era and should be accounted for as a specific action adopted by European countries that lead to war in later …show more content…

Looking back in this paper, previously mentioned was an explanation of blending between nationalist ideologies and popular sovereignty, the outcome of that blending being minorities. Minorities existing before WWI, were seen as stressful to the powerful European countries, as these countries wanted a solid national identity, or a common identity of people living within one country. This feeling of “minorities don’t belong in our country” started to change the way people thought, evolving further into eugenics, also called the science of race. Eugenics took people’s ideas that “these minorities don’t belong in my country”, and gave that way of thinking “facts”, or a reasoning why they shouldn't really live in a superior country. Deemed “unfit” in society as minorities didn’t have desirable traits for a superior society, eugenics continued to inspire laws that were eventually carried out in Germany under the Nazi regime.
Eugenics should be noted as one of the most influential intellectual trends, if not the most influential. Before WWI it directly attributed to casting aside members of society who were not the same as a mirror reflection of what was seen as superior. Eugenics created a terror of inferiorness in society during the time before and during the world wars. This terror not only silenced minorities outcries for basic human rights, it confined those seen as possessing positive eugenics to not speaking out for minorities

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