Compare world war I and world war II

Both the first as well as the second world wars are landmark events in modern world history. Both wars are marked by involvement of the prevailing world powers of the day. In the case of World War 1 (WW1), the principal actors were the European powers of Britain, Germany, Austria, etc with nominal participation from the United States. The World War 2 (WW2) saw a more meaningful participation from the United States of America, which was then set to become the leading superpower in the post war years. The rest of the essay will delve into similarities and differences between these two wars.

The two wars are distinguished in the development and application of military technology. While the state of military warfare was rudimentary and simple during the years of WW1, WW2 saw significant advancements in military technology. For example, the advent of Tanks by the Third Reich is perceived by experts to be a crucial factor in the dynamics of combat during World War 2. This was in sharp contrast to such innovations as the Zeppelin that was employed by the German command during WW1.

The reasons that led to these two brutal wars were very different in nature. In the case of World War 1, the assassination of the monarch of the Austro-Hungarian Empire acted as a trigger in destabilizing what was then a delicate state of European political balance. A combination of unfortunate timing of the assassination alongside the growing internal tension within the European powers gave vent in the form of a war on a massive scale. World War 2 though cannot be attributed to any event or act of an accidental nature. The blatant and brazen ambition of Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich made the subsequent confrontation almost inevitable.