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原題目題號：DSE-2017-Essay-04-Version 1
「相比經濟大蕭條而言，巴黎和約是引致第二次世界大戰的更重要因素。」參考1919-39年間歐洲發展的史實，評論此說能否成立。
立場及架構 經濟大蕭條和巴黎和約均是導致第二次世界大戰爆發的關鍵性因素，但相比之下，巴黎和約在導致德國納粹主義興起、意大利法西斯主義興起及民族小國問題出現等事上，重要性均明顯大於經濟大蕭條。因此，題目所言能夠成立。
主句旨 就導致德國納粹主義興起以致二次大戰爆發而言，巴黎和約和經濟大蕭條各具重要性。 // 項目A(巴黎和約) 巴黎和約方面，苛刻的《凡爾賽條約》不但要求德國賠償330億美元，更需要承擔所有戰爭罪責等，使德人對戰勝國產生強烈的仇視情緒。在此情況下，納粹希特拉打著推翻《凡爾賽條約》的旗號而得到人民的廣泛支持，更於1933年上台後逐步推翻《凡爾賽條約》，最終於1939年突襲波蘭，以取回於條約中失去的但澤市，終使二戰於德國的侵略下爆發。 // 項目B(經濟大蕭條) 經濟大蕭條方面，經濟大蕭條造成的惡劣經濟環境同樣使德國納粹主義崛起。因美國撤回對德國的貸款計劃，導致德國陷入經濟危機，如1932年德國失業人數達600萬人，希特拉藉此提出強勁的經濟政策及反共產思想而獲得廣泛的德人支持，終使其於1933年上台。並且，希特拉於上台後不斷發動侵略以尋求「生存空間」，侵略捷克等國，最終使大戰爆發。
主旨句 相比之下，巴黎和約較經濟大蕭條更加重要。 // 駁論就因果關係而言，巴黎和約使經濟大蕭條出現連鎖效應。由於巴黎和約要求德國賠償330億美元的天文數字，結果令到德國難以負擔，於1923年更曾因未能償還款項而遭法、比聯軍進佔魯爾區，釀成魯爾危機。往後，德國依賴美國的道茲計劃(1924年)以振興經濟發展。最終，在1929年經濟大蕭條出現時，美國才撤回對德國的楊格計劃(1929年)，結果造成連鎖反應，令德國陷入嚴重的經濟困境。希特拉才可以在此經濟環境下乘勢而起，四處侵略，導致第二次世界大戰爆發。 // 小結因此，巴黎和約才是根本性因素，重要性大於經濟大蕭條。
就導致意大利法西斯主義興起而致二次大戰爆發而言，巴黎和約的重要性大於經濟大蕭條。巴黎和約方面，由於英、法失信於意大利，未有將阜姆及達爾馬西亞等地給予意大利，只在《聖澤門條約》中給予了提洛爾和伊斯特里亞，結果令意大利極為不滿，大大助長1922年墨索里尼的上台，其後更積極發動侵略，包括於1924年迫使南斯拉夫交出阜姆及1939年出兵入侵阿爾巴尼亞，成為二次大戰爆發的侵略國之一。經濟大蕭條方面，法西斯意大利原本於1926年後因經濟有所改善而放棄侵略，但經濟大蕭條則打擊了意大利的經濟狀況，惡化了改善中的情況，令意大利侵略再現，例如1939年入侵阿爾巴尼亞以攫取當地的經濟資源，使侵略於1930年代末頻繁出現，為二戰的爆發鋪路。
相比之下，巴黎和約較經濟大蕭條更加重要。其一，就經濟大蕭條的局限而言，墨索里尼早於經濟大蕭條出現之前已經上台，其於1922年上台後已經有侵略的傾向，例如1923年炮轟科孚島等，故經濟大蕭條對於法西斯主義在意大利興起的重要性有限。其二，比較根本性而言，巴黎和約導致了墨索里尼的上台及侵略，而經濟大蕭條只是導致了墨索里尼的侵略。墨索里尼的上台直接受到意大利人對巴黎和約的不滿所驅使，認為英、法失信於意大利，令意大利成為最不滿的戰勝國，終導致墨索里尼於1922年上台和發動侵略。然而，經濟大蕭條只是令意大利再次發動侵略，但墨索里尼侵略的傾向本身經濟大蕭條前已經可見端倪。因此，巴黎和約才是根本性因素，經濟大蕭條只是催化劑，故巴黎和約對於二次大戰爆發的重要性大於經濟大蕭條。
就導致民族小國出現以致二次大戰爆發而言，巴黎和約和經濟大蕭條均有重要性。巴黎和約方面，英、法等戰勝國為求各國不再因民族主義而爆發衝突，故於巴黎和約中加入「民族自決」的原則，成立了波蘭、捷克等民族小國。然而，此等民族小國經濟、軍事基礎較弱，容易成為往後侵略國的目標，例如1939年德國兵不血刃就侵占了捷克，及後更突襲波蘭，使這些民族小國成為戰爭爆發的缺口。經濟大蕭條方面，經濟大蕭條大大打擊了民族小國的國力。經濟大蕭條後，歐、美多國均實施了貿易保護主義，提高關稅，使捷克、波蘭等依靠出口工業產品的國家陷入經濟困局，大量工廠倒閉，以致國力在經濟大蕭條後更趨下降，往後當面對德國侵略時無力抵抗，大戰最終隨著民族小國接連被侵略的環境底下爆發。
相比之下，巴黎和約較經濟大蕭條更加重要。就根本性而言，巴黎和會的安排不當是民族小國此一問題出現的根源，經濟大蕭條只是惡化而非導致問題的出現。由於巴黎和約忽略了「勢力均衡」的原則，在成立民族小國時未有妥善考慮捷克、波蘭與鄰近國家，包括德國、蘇聯等國家的強弱差距，致使波蘭、捷克容易成為德、蘇的目標。加上，和約中存有不公，例如德國被排除在「民族自決」的原則外，結果令德國極為不滿，更以此作為侵略的藉口，例如1938年以「民族自決」為由，要取回居住了300萬日耳曼人的蘇台德區，最終使戰爭在德國的接連侵略低下爆發。相反，儘管經濟大蕭條削弱了民族小國的國力，但民族小國的問題在經濟大蕭條前已經出現。因此，巴黎和約是民族小國問題出現的根源，對於二次大戰爆發的重要性大於經濟大蕭條。
總括而言，巴黎和約造成了德國粹納主義、意大利法西斯主義及民族小國問題的出現，經濟大蕭條對比上述問題雖然不無重要，但重要性不及巴黎和約，故題目所言不能成立。
‘The Paris Peace Settlement (1919-23) was a more important factor than the Great Depression in causing the Second World War.’ Comment on the validity of this statement with reference to Europe’s development in the period 1919-39.
Both the Great Depression and Paris Peace Settlement were decisive factors that caused the Second World War; however, in comparison, the Paris Peace Settlement was more important than the Great Depression in causing the rise of Nazism in Germany, that of Fascism in Italy and problems about nation states. Therefore, what the question suggests is valid.
In causing the rise of Nazism in Germany that led to WW2, both factors were of considerable importance. As for the Paris Peace Settlement, the harsh Versailles Treaty《凡爾賽條約》 demanded Germany not only to pay US$33 billion in reparations but also to accept sole responsibility for its ‘war guilt戰爭罪責’, arousing a strong revengeful sentiment among the Germans against the victorious powers. Under these circumstances, Hitler希特拉 from the Nazi Party gained popular support under the banner of abolishing the Versailles Treaty. He started the gradual violation of the Versailles Treaty after his accession to power in 1933, and launched a sudden attack against Poland波蘭 to reclaim the city of Danzig但澤 lost according to the treaty. The German aggression eventually triggered WW2. As for the Great Depression, it caused economic adversity that also contributed to the rise of Nazism because this made America cancel its loan plans for Germany and this sent Germany into economic crisis as exemplified by the 6 million unemployed Germans in 1932. Seizing this opportunity, Hitler proposed effective economic policies and anti-communist ideas that solicited popular support and enabled his rise to power in 1933, after which he relentlessly started invasions targeted at countries such as Czechoslovakia捷克 in pursuit of ‘living space生存空間’ and sparked off the world war.
Upon comparison, the Paris Peace Settlement was more important than the Great Depression. In terms of causality因果關係, the Paris Peace Settlement made possible the chain reaction連鎖效應 from the Great Depression. The Settlement required Germany to pay a whopping US$33 billion in reparations. Germany was overwhelmed by the heavy indemnity and there was the occupation of the Ruhr魯爾 in 1923 by French and Belgian troops due to its failure to repay debts. After that, Germany relied on the American Dawes Plan道茲計劃(1924) for economic revival, but America cancelled the Young Plan楊格計劃(1929) for Germany after the Great Depression and set off the chain reaction for serious economic recession in Germany, which allowed Hitler to rise in the unfavourable economic climate and start invasions that eventually triggered the Second World War. Therefore, the Paris Peace Settlement was the fundamental cause and its importance was greater than that of the Great Depression.
In causing the rise of Fascism in Italy that led to WW2, the Paris Peace Settlement was more important than the Great Depression. As for the Settlement, it infuriated Italy because Britain and France failed to keep their promise by giving Italy not the guaranteed Fiume阜姆 and Dalmatia達爾馬西亞 but Tyrol提洛爾 and Istria伊斯特里亞 according to the Treaty of St. Germain聖澤門條約. This greatly worked for the rise of Mussolini in 1922, who displayed his aggression by forcing Yugoslavia南斯拉夫 to cede Fiume in 1924 and invading Albania阿爾巴尼亞 in 1939, and Italy became one of the aggressors that caused the Second World War. As for the Great Depression, Fascist Italy originally ceased invading other countries after 1926 due to improved economy, but the Great Depression struck a blow to the Italian economy and aggravated the situation that used to be improving. This prompted Italy to continue its aggression as illustrated by its invasion of Albania阿爾巴尼亞 in 1939 for economic interests there. As a result, invasions abounded in the late 1930s and they paved the way for the Second World War.
Upon comparison, the Paris Peace Settlement was more important than the Great Depression. Firstly, in terms of the limitation局限 of the Great Depression, Mussolini took charge of the country long before it and already displayed signs of military aggression after his rise to power in 1922, including the bombardment of the Corfu Island科孚島 of 1923. Therefore, the importance of the Great Depression for the rise of Fascism was limited. Secondly, in terms of fundamentality根本性, the Paris Peace Settlement led to the rise of Mussolini and his acts of aggression but the Great Depression only encouraged his aggression. The rise of Mussolini was directly caused by the resentment among the Italians at the Paris Peace Settlement as they considered Britain and France to be dishonest with Italy. Italy became the most dissatisfied victorious power and this led to the rise of Mussolini in 1922 and his subsequent acts of aggression. But the Great Depression only prompted Italy to continue its aggression, and Mussolini already showed hints of military aggression before the Great Depression. Therefore, the Paris Peace Settlement was the fundamental cause and the Great Depression was merely a catalyst, and the former was more important than the latter in causing WW2.
In causing the establishment of nation states that led to WW2, both factors were of considerable importance. As for the Settlement, the victorious powers such as Britain and France added the principle of ‘national self-determination民族自決’ in it in order to prevent conflicts originating from nationalism, creating nation states such as Poland波蘭 and Czechoslovakia捷克. However, these countries were weak in economic and military terms and likely to fall victim to aggression. For example, Germany annexed Czechoslovakia捷克 without fighting in 1939 and launched a sudden attack on Poland波蘭 later in the same year. These nation states actually gave impetus to war. As for the Great Depression, it greatly undermined the national strength of these nation states. After the Great Depression, America and many European countries adopted protectionism貿易保護主義 and raised tariffs. This plunged manufactures-exporting countries such as Czechoslovakia and Poland into economic turmoil, which led to factory closures and decline in national power. These countries were thus vulnerable to German aggression and the world war finally broke out after these nation states being invaded in succession.
Upon comparison, the Paris Peace Settlement was more important than the Great Depression. In terms of fundamentality根本性, the flawed arrangements at the Paris Peace Conference were the source of the problems about nation states, and the Great Depression exacerbated rather than created these problems. The Paris Peace Settlement was made without consideration for the balance of power勢力均衡, and included no proper solution to the disparities between nation states such as Czechoslovakia捷克 and Poland波蘭, and their neighbouring countries such as Germany and the USSR. This made the former tempting targets for the latter. In addition, the Settlement had its unfair side. For example, ‘national self-determination’ was not applicable to Germany, which was thus greatly upset and used this as a pretext for its aggression. For example, it reclaimed the Sudetenland蘇台德區 with 3 million Germanic population by reason of ‘national self-determination’ in 1938. Its continuous foreign encroachments eventually led to the world war. In contrast, the Great Depression weakened these nation states, but their problems already existed before that. Therefore, the Paris Peace Settlement was the root of the problems about nation states, being more important than the Great Depression in causing WW2.
In conclusion, the Paris Peace Settlement led to Nazism in Germany, Fascism in Italy and the problems about nation states, and the Great Depression was also important in causing the above issues but not as important as the Settlement. Therefore, what the question suggests is not valid.
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