Hell and Back Book Analysis

World War II is an important turning point for America and the World. America became significantly more powerful; it also established international institutions that contributed to the emergence of the new World Order. Other impacts include creating a Communist versus Democracy axis and also creating the state of Israel.

 World War I and World War II were mass casualty events, bringing different groups of world powers to fight each other. The Soviet Union was created first by the anti-Bolshevik revolution; afterward, it ethnically cleansed the Poles and other ethnic groups. World War I was the most brutal and high casualty war in history. The Lusitania was the trigger for the Beginning of the United States' entrance into World War 1. World Wars changed the world order and also entered the world into the modern age.

World War II led to a massive battle between the Soviet Union and the West, which was called the Cold War. World War Two led to ethnic cleansing in Eastern Europe throughout the soviet held territories. [1] World War Two created three world orders: the Democracies/the West, the Communists, and the Third World order. These world orders created different battlefields for the Cold War to fight over. The Cold War Was Between the Soviet Union and its allies versus the West. There were also other empires, including India, South Africa, and parts of Latin America. World War II was a major factor in creating the United States as a major power.

              World War I was from 1914 to 1919. Its major moments included the Treaty of Versailles, a super unfair treaty, the sinking of the Lusitania, which brought the United States into the war, and the creation of a German state, which led to this fight. The Treaty of Versailles was the peace treaty between the German Empire and the British Empire. It bankrupted the Germans for years, cratering their economy, which created massive resentment. The sinking of the Lusitania was a deciding point for America, which had hundreds of civilians on a civilian ship killed. It caused the Americans to declare war on the German Alliance.

World War I was one of the deadliest and most inhumane wars in world history. It included things like poison gas, trenches, and bombing balloons. Poison gas killed, maimed, and intoxicated millions of people throughout the battlefront, one of the few times chemical weapons have ever been used. The trenches were filled with rats and also led to tens of millions of soldier casualties and tens of millions of casualties for the civilians. Finally, a pre-planes technology called Air balloons was created, a precursor to the planes. It was used to spy on enemy territories and also to bomb enemy territories. 

World Wars One and Two were caused by similar things but had vastly different outcomes and reasons for happening. They entered into each other because the Germans were thirsty for revenge due to how unfair the treaty was. The German economy had collapsed completely and was trillions of dollars in debt. This shows us the consequence of extremely unfair treatment, the harm it does to everyone, including the people responsible for the punishment. Other things include creating the modern world order.

Chicago Citation

Kershaw, Ian. To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914–1949. Narrated by John Curless. Unabridged audiobook. New York: Recorded Books, 2015.

[1] Ian Kershaw, To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914–1949, narrated by John Curless (New York: Recorded Books, 2015), [25:00].