To What Extent Was World War Two Inevitable?

To what extent was World War II inevitable?
The European conflict that broke out with the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 was linked to the injustice expressed by German dictator Adolf Hitler about the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Throughout the 1930s Hitler developed Nazi ideology based upon his long-held beliefs of a superior Aryan race as the final victor and ruler of the world. As Hitler defied the League of Nations and the Great European Powers by conquering territory and rearmament, he made World War Two inevitable.
Modern-historians continue to rage about the origins of the war, many arguing it was the failure of the victors of the First World War to find a better peace settlement. The humiliation, harsh reparations, loss of territory, and disarmament helped to sow the seeds of the next war. The rise of Hitler added a degree of inevitability to an outbreak of war as he created a political persona around his declared ‘mission’ to rescue the German people from the shame of defeat in the First World War. The Great Depression cast much of Germany into unemployment, poverty, and deep misery; these were desperate times and Germany was willing to listen to anyone. Hitler provided jobs for civilians by ordering the production of heavy industry, armaments and infrastructure. Despite their limitations, in 1938 Germany spent more on weapons than Britain, France and the United States of America combined. The unfair conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and the economic downturn of the Great Depression enabled Hitler to seize upon this resentment and use it against the Great Powers. By 1938, Hitler had managed to harness Germany’s potential and strength to dominate Europe.
In Mein Kampf, the written expression of his beliefs, Hitler held that the superior Aryan race centred in Nazi-Germany would be the final victor and would rule the world. Hitler, as a politician, used this spread of National Socialism to build his popularity. He announced his...