Covers the aftermath of World War I and events in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the U.S. from 1919 to 1939 which lead to the outbreak of World War II. World War I, in the eyes of Britain, France, and the United States, was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.” Unfortunately, this prediction did not come true. The 1914 to 1918 war was originally called the “Great War.” This was because no one could imagine a worse war happening again. It was also the war that was fought “to make the world safe for democracy.” The hopes of 1918 were dashed by 1939. In looking back at this time period, it becomes clear that World War II was not so much a new war as a second act of the Great War. But unlike World War I, World War II was truly a world war.