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echokilo | 21:07 Sun 02nd Dec 2012 | History
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Can anyone explain in very simple bullet points each of the following:

A. The reasons for and the key stages of WW 1
B. The reasons for and the key stages of WW 2
C. The background to the issues in Israel, Gaza and the wider middle East
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That minor spat between Japan and China has nothing whatsoever to do with WW2.
Found this by doing a web search

WWI - A Short (Humorous) Synopsis

Germany, Austria and Italy are stood together in the middle of the bar-room, when Serbia bumps into Austria, and spills Austria's pint.

Austria demands Serbia buy it a complete new suit, because there are splashes on its trouser leg.

Germany expresses its support for Austria's point of view.

Britain recommends that everyone calm down a bit.

Serbia points out that it can't afford a whole suit, but offers to pay for cleaning Austria's trousers.

Russia and Serbia look at Austria.

Austria asks Serbia who it's looking at.

Russia suggests that Austria should leave its little brother alone.

Austria inquires as to whose army will assist Russia in compelling it to do so.

Germany appeals to Britain that France has been looking at it, and that this is sufficiently out of order that Britain should not intervene.

Britain replies that France can look at who it wants to, that Britain is looking at Germany too, and what is Germany going to do about it?

Germany tells Russia to stop looking at Austria, or Germany will render Russia incapable of such action.

Britain and France ask Germany whether it's looking at Belgium.

Turkey and Germany go off into a corner and whisper. When they come back, Turkey makes a show of not looking at anyone.

Germany rolls up its sleeves, looks at France, and punches Belgium.

France and Britain punch Germany. Austria punches Russia. Germany punches Britain and France with one hand and Russia with the other.

Russia throws a punch at Germany, but misses and nearly falls over. Japan calls over from the other side of the room that it's on Britain's side, but stays there. Italy surprises everyone by punching Austria.

Australia punches Turkey, and gets punched back. There are no hard feelings, because Britain made Australia do it.

France gets thrown through a plate glass window, but gets back up and carries on fighting. Russia gets thrown through another one, gets knocked out, suffers brain damage, and wakes up with a complete personality change.

Italy throws a punch at Austria and misses, but Austria falls over anyway.

Italy raises both fists in the air and runs round the room chanting.

America waits till Germany is about to fall over, then walks over, waves a fist at Germany while Britain knocks it out, then pretends it won the fight all by itself.

By now all the chairs are broken, and the big mirror over the bar is shattered. Britain, France and America agree that Germany threw the first punch, so the whole thing is Germany's fault. While Germany is still unconscious, they go through its pockets, steal its wallet, and buy drinks for all their friends.
not bad at all, VHG.

WW1: British empire in decline, Germany growing. But actually triggered by events in the Balkans involving independence movements in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

WW2: "reparations" insisted on by the victors in WW1 had impoverished Germany, encouraging the growith of extremist parties who wanted to stop the payments and reclaim the land confiscated after WW1.. and a bit more... and tried to unite the population with denunciations of the evil Russia and evil Jews. The Holocaust was a sideshow but the deicison to attack Russia was a mistake. Japan, fresh from fighting China, entered the war separately by bombing the USA; also a mistake as it was American resources, and Russia's winter, that decided the matter.

Middle East: Jews after the war wanted a homeland that would be safe (no Holocausts). They should probably have been given a chunk of Germany but instead they were handed Palestine, where people were already living, on the grounds that God promised it to them in the Bible and they'd lived there centuries earlier. This has upset the Palestinians and numerous Arab states, as well as Iran, which isn't Arab but would like to be the most powerful Islamic state.

I've probably forgotten stuff.
Question Author
Thanks VHG and jno - exactly what I wanted!

Any for all the sceptics - it is not for my homework. I am 40! And as far as iknow I am not in futher education - was just curious as to the approach ABers would take in giving the answer ... pity so many were questionning of my question, rather than answering it. Simple (not a big) ask in my view - I did specify short bullet points, so thanks ahain to VHG and jno for doing what was asked - and both answers were a great help.

I wonder if any teachers out there have ever set the 3 questions I asked as homework at any point - I very much doubt it!!!
Wasn't it...

Hugh
Pugh
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
Grub ...

sunny-dave?
Question Author
No idea what (if anything) your response means Blue Toffee, sorry!!!????
In the UK no teacher would have posed your questions in that way all in one batch because, as you've seen from the answers, you are covering extensive geopolitical change in several parts of Europe and the Middle East. Absorbing what occurred requires reflection and understanding, and again as you've seen even with all the 'facts' at your fingertips there are wide areas of debate.
A decent straightforward school book that covered your points was the last of the series 'History Alive' by Peter Moss, printed about 1975. This series was designed for CSE pupils - a grade 1 CSE was the equivalent of an O-level pass, so would be about a C grade at GCSE. This system was abolished in 1989 so a swathe of textbooks were trashed. Since then History teaching has taken a dive and the quality of this kind of book is unlikely to be repeated, hence a generation of people (like you) have a knowledge chasm when it comes to an overview of events.
Echo-kilo, see sunny- dave's comment on the first page
Sunnydave , beleive that should be
Hugh
Pugh
Barney McGrew
Cuthbert
Dibble
and Grub or as we say Bin Laden
sunny dave is correct, it was Hugh,Hugh... they were twins.
sorry, Pugh, Pugh... they were still twins.
Some of the reaons why Germany started WW2 were the impossible terms that the winners of WW1 gave Germany like paying France and others money to compensate for WW1 . Germany had no money. They had lots of generals from WW1 who wanted to reassemble and fight again. the country was open to someone to take it by the scruff of the neck and make it great again. This is where Hitler came in. Being a great orator he soon became leader and the rest is history
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