Historian and broadcaster Laurence Rees explains some of the short and long term causes of the Second World War

By Laurence Rees

Published: Monday, 01 May 2023 at 12:00 am


In the first episode of this series tackling the big questions of the Second World War, historian and broadcaster Laurence Rees explains some of the short and long term causes of the global conflict – from the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party.

Watch the next episode now, or go to the series homepage. Finished all five episodes? Discover more of our masterclasses and video lectures, including another from Laurence Rees devoted to the Holocaust.


Laurence Rees’ book Auschwitz: The Nazis and the ‘Final Solution’ won History Book of the Year at the British Book awards. His book The Holocaust: A New History was a Sunday Times Bestseller and described by the Telegraph as “the finest single volume account of the Holocaust ever written”. Educated at Oxford University, he has been awarded two Honorary Doctorates for this work.