To what extent was Germany responsible for the Second World War?

The origins of the Second World War are one of the most popular topics in twentieth century history. Ever since the war came to an end, controversy has surrounded its outbreak. It is important to remember, however, that the Second World War had short-term as well as long-term causes, and that these were not so simple and clear-cut as it may perhaps seem at first. The German Fuhrer, Hitler, used realpolitik and Machiavellian tactics to …

…issues, and even the most diverging views at least agree on the fact that there were several responsible parties, the most obvious of which is Nazi Germany. As described above the war was Germany's fault to a certain extent but other countries, such as Britain, France and Russia, which are rarely mentioned as bearing any responsibility for the outbreak of World War II, played decisive roles in creating the situation that made the war inevitable.