Question

The conflict known as World War I was also called "the war to end all wars." Millions of soldiers and

civilians died in that war, and when it ended in 1918 after four brutal years, people hoped that there
would never be anything like it again. Yet only twenty years later, most of Europe and parts of Asia
were again on the brink of war. World War II (1939-1945) would be even longer and more deadly
than World War I. Why did another terrible war erupt less than a generation later? Historians have
their theories. Some say there were economic and political factors that caused Germany and Japan
to focus on becoming dominant military powers in their regions of the world. But the honest answer
might just be that no one knows why. The best thing that young people today can do is to pay
attention to their history books and current events and to be active in their communities. Maybe this
generation can learn the lessons of history and prevent terrible events from being repeated.
Select the sentence that best describes this passage.

Answer 1

The passage describes the hope that World War I was 'the war to end all wars' but explains that economic, political, and ideological factors, like the harsh Treaty of Versailles and the rise of fascism, led to the outbreak of World War II.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage reflects on the hopeful sentiment following World War I, a conflict optimistically dubbed "the war to end all wars" due to its unprecedented scale and the belief that humanity would not again engage in such devastating conflict. However, various factors contributed to the outbreak of World War II, a mere two decades later. The aftermath of World War I, marked by economic turmoil, political dissatisfaction, and the rise of fascist ideologies, particularly in Germany and Italy, set the stage for another global confrontation. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles imposed punitive reparations and territorial losses on Germany, which fueled a climate of resentment and nationalism, eventually exploited by Adolf Hitler to justify military expansion.

Economic conditions played a central role as the Great Depression of the 1930s pushed nations towards more extreme governance forms, like fascism and totalitarianism. In Asia, the desire for military and territorial expansion drove Japanese actions. All these elements combined, undermining the fragile post-war peace and leading into the deadliest conflict in human history.