Hitler and World War II

World War II is often called "Hitler's War. " Some historians believe that Hitler planned to conquer most of Europe, defeat the Soviet Union, and set up a German Empire--without war if he could do it, but by making war if he could not. This is also what the public thinks: the sole cause of the war, and the reason it was fought, was Hitler.

But, like many things in history, the answer may not have been that easy. One school of historians thinks that, though Hitler meant greatly to expand German power, he didn't plan the war that actually happened. Allied policy, they say, has to share the blame for World War II.

The truth is probably somewhere between these two positions. But even if Hitler planned the war and started it by himself, a bigger question remains: Why did he come to power in the first place? And why did the German people follow his leadership? If any question is important for today, it's this.

Go to next page