Similarities
· Germany was considered the main oppressor and was defeated both times.
· Both led into further wars...the Treaty of Versailles which ended WWI is considered to have put Germany in a position to begin WWII, which in turn spawned the Cold War.
· They were pretty similar in length: WWI was 4 years, WWII was 6.
· Genocide was present in each: The Armenian genocide in WWI and the Holocaust in WWII
· Both saw the use of new military technology and in a way fueled technological advance at the time. In WWI: Machine guns, tanks, planes, noxious gas. In WWII: Submarines, more evolved tanks, encrypted communication, missiles, nuclear power.
· The US tried to stay neutral in both but was forced to enter after innocents were killed. In WWI: German subs destroying American ships. In WWII: The bombing of Pearl Harbor.
· Germany tried to capture France in both wars, but was only successful in WWII with the creation of Vichy France...? I will say that Germany had a lot more conquest in WWII, though.
Differences
· WWI was a territory war whereas WWII was a war of ideologies, e.g., facism and communism.
· WWI was tension between two large parties, whereas WWII was a single party (Nazis) caused by economic instability and Hitler's ideals then hiring other countries into the Axis (Italy and Japan)
· 10 million casualties in WWI vs. 60 million in WWII
In the end, both wars were fought similarly but were over different natures of disagreement.