Was WW1 and WW2 the same war but with a break?

by [deleted]

I have heard that some people say that world war 1 and 2 was the same war, but with a break. What do you think?

Laser_Fish

No. They were fought a generation apart. There were different causes, different motivations. There were different governments involved. Despite the fact that Germany was a major player in both the democratic monarchy of pre-Weimar Germany is completely different than the fascist dictatorship of post-Weimar Germany.

Certainly, events surrounding the first war set the stage for the second, but the same could be said about the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. That doesn't make them the same war.

mormengil

Most Historians view them as two separate (though inter-related) wars.

Not all do however. One of the historians who sees them both as episodes in a longer "epochal" war (in which he also includes the Cold War) is Philip Bobbitt in his book, "The Shield of Achilles, War, Peace, and the Course of History".

Bobbitt considers 1914 to 1990 to be a 'long war' or 'epochal war', essentially fought to determine which of various constitutional forms of government would dominate the world.

If you are interested in the concept of WW1 and WW2 as the same war separated by a break, you might want to read Bobbitt. I think he is the best known author to have written from this point of view.